Australia, Sydney Branch Genealogical Library, Cemetery Inscriptions - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection will include records from 1800 to 1960.

The records includes index cards of inscriptions found in cemeteries in Australia. Most entries are actual monumental inscriptions from cemeteries, while other entries were taken from burial registers. The majority of cemeteries are public ones in New South Wales, yet other States and Territories are represented. The cemeteries included were not transcribed completely.

These records are handwritten transcriptions and do not list Cemetery locations within the content and need to be viewed on the cards. There are many errors in transcriptions and as such cannot be relied on for accuracy.

Extraction information was originally entered into books, but individual entries were later transferred to cards. The cards are arranged alphabetically within each cemetery. The transcription accounts were sometimes not in agreement in their entries and the search in this collection has not always succeeded because of this.

This cemetery transcription collection was begun approximately in 1950 by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints residing primarily in New South Wales and Queensland. Most information is extracted from the monuments, but extractions from a few burial registers are included. Each cemetery had not been transcribed completely. Some transcribers only did those monuments for which they had a particular interest. The majority of the cemeteries are public cemeteries with only a few churchyards transcribed. Some tombstones may not have survived.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:


 * Name of Deceased
 * Age of Deceased
 * Date and Place of Death
 * Date and Place of Birth
 * Names of Parents
 * Name of Spouse


 * Names of Children
 * Years in Australia
 * Cemetery and Manner of Burial
 * Names of Witnesses
 * Source of Information

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Given name and surname
 * Residence
 * Place of death

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Search for death records
 * Search for death or burial information in the BillionGraves Index or at Find A Grave


 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname
 * Search the records of nearby areas

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname
 * Search the records of nearby areas
 * Check for other names. An individual might appear under an unexpected name for a variety of reasons:
 * A woman may have returned to her maiden name after the death of her husband

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Australia.
 * Record Finder
 * Australia Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.