Waverley Cemetery community welcomes heritage listing

Waverley Cemetery community welcomes heritage listing

BY LUCAS BAIRD
The Waverley community has welcomed a move from the Heritage Council of NSW that will see the historical Waverly cemetery classified as culturally significant to NSW.
The cemetery, located on the cliffs of Bronte, was opened in 1877. It is the burial place of the famous poet Henry Lawson, Olympic swimmer Sarah Durack, and over 200 war graves from various conflicts including the two World Wars.
The heritage listing was announced by Heritage Minister Mark Speakman, last Wednesday October 23rd. The Minister commended the “genealogical, historical, architectural and artistic character” of the site.
The listing has put an end to around ten years of speculation that a new pavilion would be constructed on the site.
“Receiving Heritage Listing means the cemetery will be permanently protected from developments that we don’t believe are compatible with the heritage and coastal environment of the cemetery,” said Secretary for the Friends of Waverley Cemetery group Emilia Salgado.
“[State Heritage listing] will protect its iconic significance and, with future funding, enable more people to appreciate the history, stories and uniqueness of the grounds.”
The Friends of Waverley Cemetery group have been fighting against unwanted developments at the site since their formantion in 2002 to oppose the construction of a crematorium at the site.
Since 2012 they have focused on combating suggestions to construct a new pavilion on the cliffs. The group were the ones to submit the application to the Heritage Council asking them to consider the cemetery for listing.
Waverley Mayor Sally Betts congratulated the group on their successful proposal and welcomed the heritage listing.
“The listing allows us to get heritage grant funding from state government and federal government,” Ms Betts told City Hub.
“Since 2008 my council has continually put money into the cemetery from Waverly’s operating budget. In the last year we have spent $7.8 million on the cemetery fixing up the roads, but we don’t have the resources to return the cemetery to the wonderful place it could be.” Ms Betts said that the additional grant funding would go to the general keeping up of the cemetery as well as the restoration of the monuments located on the site.
State MP for Coogee Bruce Notley-Smith also welcomed the cemetery’s listing. He said: ““The eastern suburbs community will be delighted with the cemetery’s listing because the community has an important connection with the site’s 140-year history.”
Mr Notley-Smith also commended the Waverley Council’s efforts at “protecting and preserving” the cemetery over time.

 

 

 

You May Also Like

Comments are closed.