One of Australias Oldest Cemeteries Vandalised

[digger]

This stuff makes me sick.

No Cookies | dailytelegraph.com.au



The graves of First Fleet pioneers were sprayed with pink graffiti in an act of senseless vandalism that has left a community shocked.

The Historic Castlereagh Cemetery, near Penrith, is one of the state’s oldest undisturbed burial grounds.

It is the last evidence of the 1811 township of Castlereagh and includes the graves of pioneering families and First Fleeters.

“It was a disgraceful act. It’s sad that there are people who don’t appreciate the importance of these sites and the pain they cause to the people who do,” a Penrith Council spokesman said of the May 17 attack.

“No one wants to see the perpetrators get away with these … senseless acts.”

The graveyard has been attacked before, with a Sydney Spirit Stalkers spokeswoman claiming “the legend of Sarah’s grave is the reason this place is vandalised all the time”.

Sarah Marshall was transported to Australia aboard the First Fleet ship, Friendship, and legend has it that she was brutally murdered near her home in Castlereagh by a group of men.

The earliest monument in the cemetery holds the remains of Mary Ann Smith, who died in 1814.
The bush graveyard was to provide a burial ground for the town of Castlereagh, on the outer edge of Cranebrook, created by Governor Macquarie during his first year of office.

The first burial was in 1811 after Governor Macquarie's ordered bodies to be interred in the cemetery to prevent people burying their dead on their properties.

Sadly, the historic significance of the site failed to put off the vandals.

The difficulty now lies in removing the graffiti without damaging gravestones.

“(The) council will be cleaning up the graffiti, we just can’t go in and blast the graffiti off, it needs to be done sympathetically and gently,” the council spokesman said.

“We are taking advice from the National Trust of Australia for cemetery conservation and our heritage advisers who we have worked with before.”

The council expects to have the graffiti removed in the next fortnight.

If you have any information about the vandalism please call Penrith Police 4721 9444.






you'd have to be a right smart bastard to manage to damage a defenseless cemetery... and youd achieve what exactly?

Bastards



** sarah marshall as referred to in article above leads to this which has further links as well **
http://rebelhand.wordpress.com/2011/...-famous-ghost/


PS sorry about the mis spelling in the title.

[Bytemrk]

That's despicable...

What kind of low life scum would even think about doing that!

[mick88]

I hope they are caught up with and get a very appropriate sentence.

Mick.

[Pickles2]

Gutless oxygen thieves.
Pickles.

[bob10]

Has anyone been to this cemetery? If the first photo is any indication, it does not seem to be well looked after. I dare say, if this is true, it is a sad state of affairs. Can't imagine it happening in the USA, for example. It would be interesting to hear if any group or organisation cares for the grave yard. A grave yard with our first pioneers interred, should be high on the list of national icons. Perhaps it is, and that photo doesn't represent the grave yard. Hope so. Bob

[Chucaro]

I would "export"the bastards to Somalia or any other paradise site in the world were there is not chance of returning

[Ausfree]

This sort of vandalism has always made me very angry. I hope those pictures of the cemetery are not it's general condition, this would encourage vandalism in my view.

[rick130]

Bloody shame.

I know this cemetery, having spent time in it as an 8yo school kid checking records for my then school teacher who was a well known amateur historian.