Persons of Historical Significance
Canberra’s history and its significant people at Canberra Memorial Parks
Canberra Memorial Parks has strong links to the Canberra community, and also to the national capital’s past, along with the significant historical people and places that have shaped our capital.
We strive to preserve our beautiful parks and keep the links to Canberra’s historic past alive, particularly because the parks in Hall, Woden and Gungahlin are the resting place of many prominent Australians, including political leaders, Australian soldiers, pioneering families and those who helped build the capital.
Hall Cemetery, Canberra’s oldest cemetery located in the suburb of Hall and dedicated in 1883, is the last resting place of many prominent families in the region including the Southwell, Gribbles, Browns and Butt families. Although the allotments are now fully subscribed, Hall Cemetery is a wonderful snapshot of the capital’s past.
Due to the presence of endangered plant species including the Tarengo Leek Orchid, Hall Cemetery is left relatively untouched with minimal grounds keeping – the reason for the often long grass at certain times of the year. It is not neglect, rather preservation.
Down south in Woden Cemetery, opened in 1936, the most historically significant aspect of this park is its commemoration of 31 service personnel of World War Two. Download our map and take a self-guided tour of some of the most notable burials at Woden.
In the north is our newest and largest cemetery, Gungahlin Cemetery which was opened in 1979 in the suburb of Mitchell. Although the most recently acquired memorial park, it features many diverse places of rest including an Aboriginal lawn section for those of indigenous descent.
Our parks are all wonderful places to visit and reflect upon Canberra, and Australia’s past. Prominent Australians buried within Canberra Memorial Parks include:
| Name | About | Final resting place |
|---|---|---|
| Bryce Courtenay | Famous South African Australian novelist who wrote over 20 books including his most well-known, The Power of One. | Hall Cemetery, 2012 |
Romaldo Giurgola | Italian-American Architect who designed Canberra’s Parliament House. | Gungahlin Cemetery, 2016 |
Alan Foskett | Historian and former Urban Geographer. Writer of 44 publications dedicated to Canberra’s urban and social history. | Gungahlin Cemetery, 2022 |
John Treloar OBE | Australian Archivist, Museum Administrator and second Director of the Australian War Memorial, tasked with establishing it. | Woden Cemetery, 1952 |
Lewis Nott | Australian Politician, Medical Practitioner and Hospital superintendent. | Woden Cemetery, 1951. |
| Diane Barwick | Canadian-born Anthropologist, historian and Aboriginal-rights activist. A renowned researcher and teacher in the field of Aboriginal culture and society. | Gungahlin Cemetery, 1986 |
Vice Admiral Henry Burrell | Australian celebrated Naval Officer. | Gungahlin Cemetery, 1988 |
| Maisie Carr | Innovative Australian ecologist and botanist. Contributed to our understanding of the uniqueness and environmental systems of Australian plants. | Gungahlin Cemetery, 1988 |
| Charles & Lee-Lee Chan | Parents of international film star Jackie Chan. | Gungahlin Cemetery, Lee-Lee 2002, Charles 2008. |
| Ernest Albert Corey | Distinguished Australian solider. The only person to ever be awarded the Military Medal four times. Corey marched from Cooma to Goulburn as part of the ‘Men from Snowy River’ recruiting march. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, allocated to the 55th Battalion. | Woden Cemetery, 1972 |
Francis Patrick John Dwyer | Professor of Chemistry at ANU. One of Australia’s most distinguished scientists. Laid the foundation for a new field of research in Australia bridging science and medicine – biological inorganic chemistry. | Woden Cemetery, 1962 |
| Sergey Paramonov | Entomologist, publishing over 185 scientific articles. He left all his savings for the St Nicholas Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. | Woden Cemetery, 1967 |
Gordon Upton AO | Served in the Royal Australian Air Force during WWII. Australian High Commissioner to Ceylon, Fiji and India. An Officer of the Order of Australia in recognition of his services as a diplomat. | Woden Cemetery, 2010 |
Sir George Shaw Knowles CBE | Officer of the Order of the British Empire. Served as departmental secretary of the Attorney-General’s Department and the Australian High Commissioner to South Africa. | Woden Cemetery, 1947 |
Sir Robert Strachan Wallace | Australian academic, army officer and film censor. Enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force. Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney. | Woden Cemetery, 1961 |
| Herbert Vere Evatt | He served as a judge of the High Court of Australia, Attorney-General and Minister for External Affairs. Evatt was also the leader of the Australian Labor Party and served as President of the United Nations General Assembly from 1948 to 1949. | Woden Cemetery, 1965 |
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