CELEBRATING 150 YEARS OF ROOKWOOD CATHOLIC CEMETERY

Rookwood is one of the largest cemeteries in the world. As such, it offers a fascinating glimpse into Australia’s social, political and military history.

This book is a beautifully illustrated journey through time from the cemetery’s humble beginnings in 1867 to the present day.

Read about life (and death) in the Victorian era; the fate of the angel atop St Michael the Archangel Chapel (1890); the Toohey family and their cordial factory-cum-brewery at Cockle Bay; the attack on the HMAS Kuttabul in Sydney Harbour in 1942; what really happened to Mortuary Station No. 1; Murder at Rookwood!; ‘Rock n’ roll nun’ Sister Mary Dorothea Flynn; Premier Jack Lang‘s headstone; the origins of Radio Station 2SM and much more…

“This book tells the story of the lives and deaths of some extraordinary characters in Australian history. It reflects on the world events that have shaped our society and this cemetery; including the early migration of Catholic clergy, world wars, the adoption of the motor car and waves of immigration. Each event has created sweeping social change and affected our attitudes to life and death.”
– Most Rev. Anthony Fisher OP, Archbishop of Sydney.

Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2017

The book launch was at Hyde Park Barracks in September 2017.

Available here.