The historical human remains discovered last year during excavation at the Hutchins School in Sandy Bay likely originated from Queenborough Cemetery, which was believed to have been cleared in 1961 to make way for the school’s construction.
The cemetery extended from Sandy Bay Road to the present location of Churchill Avenue and Hutchins.
It was established in 1871 by two local businessmen, who bought the site for ₤280.* They set up a company to maintain the cemetery, but it went bankrupt in 1913. The Hobart City Council came to the rescue a couple of years later, buying the cemetery and maintaining it until 1934, when it was permanently closed for burials.
When the cemetery was ‘cleared’ in 1961, some of the headstones were moved to a special section at Cornelian Bay Cemetery, while others were relocated to a memorial garden nearby.
* Approximately $53,000 today.
Tas That Was is a column that includes:
- anecdotes of life in Tasmania in the past;
- historical photographs of locations in Tasmania; and/or
- documentaries about locations in Tasmania.
If you have an anecdote or photograph you’d like to share with us, please send it to [email protected].
Callum J. Jones studied English, History, and Journalism at the University of Tasmania. He has written fiction and non-fiction for Tasmanian Times since 2018, and can be traced by the smell of fresh coffee.
Follow him on Twitter (@Callum_Jones_10) and Facebook (@callum.j.jones.creative).
