Brighton General Cemetery is located in the Melbourne suburb of Caulfield South, Victoria, but takes its name from Brighton, Victoria.
History The cemetery pre-dates the Caulfield Roads Board – the first official recognition of the suburb of Caulfield. Established in 1854 it became, together with St Kilda Cemetery, an alternative resting place for those who had lived south of the Yarra River. There are up 70,000 people interred, including famous Australian artists, politicians and military heroes.
The first representative of the Jewish community of the Board of Trustees was Phillip Blashki. He organised the building of the Tahara house, where the deceased were watched until buried. He instigated the idea of half-graves for children, as they were expensive and child mortality was high in the 19th century. Blashki also founded the Jewish burial society, Chevra Kadisha, still in existence today.
War graves the cemetery contains the identified war graves of 156 Commonwealth service personnel, 135 from World War I and 21 from World War II. Most are members of the Australian Armed Forces, but three served for New Zealand Army (1) and British Army (2).
Notable interments People buried there include:
Name Born Died Notes 1897 1980 superintendent, Central Methodist Mission 1838 1909 22nd Premier of Victoria 1861 1928 Senior and career (federal) public servant 1888 1959 artist, ceramicist and potter 1840 1913 British-born journalist and spiritualist 1826 1915 British-born police magistrate and justice of the peace; later as novelist (Rolf Boldrewood) 1891 1921 Soldier of the First Australian Imperial Force in Europe during World War I and recipient Victoria Cross (VC) 1844 1936 English-born fiction author, poet and autobiographer 1845 1931 Politician (Australian MP, NSW MP and state cabinet minister) 1854 1918 Founded Brighton Grammar School in 1882 1884 1926 Market gardener, newspaper publisher, businessman and aviator 1847 1924 English-born civil engineer and railway pioneer 1934 1976 Australian activist, author, and lawyer 1916 1991 Theatre, film and television actress 1833 1870 Azores-born poet, jockey, police officer and politician (South Australian parliamentarian) 1894 1982 Music academic, conductor, Director of Sydney Conservatorium of Music 1826 1892 Politician, Chief Justice 1868 1949 World War I General with First Australian Imperial Force 1878 1972 Goldminer, teacher, federal and state politician (Australian MP and Victorian Legislative Councillor) 1889 1986 World War I Victoria Cross recipient (First Australian Imperial Force) and Australian Army officer during World War II; later as publisher and author 1857 1925 Victorian politician and brother of James Menzies and uncle of Sir Robert Menzies, former Prime Minister of Australia 1865 1931 Civil engineer and World War I General with First Australian Imperial Force ca.1858 1916 Derry-born businessman and founder of Australian retail stores 1881 1949 Soldier with First Australian Imperial Force and officer with the Australian Army, recipient of VC 1887 1968 Soldier in the First Australian Imperial Force (WWI) and Second Australian Imperial Force (WW II), recipient of VC and later as custodian of the Shrine of Remembrance 1855 1912 Inventor 18881961 English-born landscape painter, print maker 18881927 Career criminal and gangster 1874 1927 Australian rules footballer; later as bookmaker, cricketer and golfer 1866 1917 Postman and test cricketer 1848 1921 Operetta singer/actor
References
The Jews in Victoria in the Nineteenth Century, L.M. Goldman 1954 The enduring remnant:the first 150 years of the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, 1841–1991, Joseph Aron, Judy Arndt, Melbourne University Press, 1992 – History – 438 pages Phillip Blashki, A Victorian Patriarch, Gael R. Hammer, 1986
External links
Brighton General Cemetery – Billion Graves