Connect with the Hawkesbury’s heritage on a visit to some of Richmond’s lesser-known cemeteries, with Hawkesbury Library Service, on Saturday, 11 May. Journey through time and discover some of the unique stories behind the historic headstones. [Image: Old Methodist section at Richmond. Photo: M. Nichols]
The tour will include the small Richmond Presbyterian Cemetery which dates from the 1860s and view the vault of George Bowman, who financed the building of St. Andrews Church, plus the entrepreneur Phillip Charley who made his fortune when he discovered silver and lead at Broken Hill, and built his palatial home at North Richmond, now known as St John of God.
In the Richmond Lawn Cemetery, established in the 1890s, participants will view Richmond’s Parish priest Father O’Brien who died 1915 and his very impressive marker, a Celtic Cross. In the Methodist section, hear about Irish born teacher Thomas Sullivan who was originally buried at Londonderry but later interred in the cemetery with his son William, a bootmaker and Alderman elected to the first Richmond Council in the 1870s. At the Richmond War Cemetery, stories about the RAAF personnel who died when the Lockheed Hudson plane in which they were travelling, crashed in Richmond in 1944, will be shared.
The tour starts at 9:30am and runs for two hours. Cost is $10 per person and bookings are essential. To book your place, visit
