top of page
Search

Parkerville Children's Home Bush Cemetery

Updated: Oct 30, 2022

The Parkerville Children’s Home was established by members of the Anglican Order of the Sisters of the Church, Sister Kate and Sister Sarah, in 1903. The Sisters came from England in December 1901 bringing twenty-two orphans, they lived in various places until moving the Parkerville property, formerly Sexton’s Sawmill. There were deaths, the first one, according to the plaque erected at the Parkerville Children’s Home Bush Cemetery, was in 1903, although other records pertaining to this young three-year-old girl, states 1913; the last burial was also a young girl aged two in 1919. Deaths ranged from nine weeks to three years.


The gate entrance to the bush cemetery




The deaths reflected precarious life at the turn of the century. The infant mortality rate in the Australia in the early 1900s was approximately 10%, although dropping rapidly by the 1950s to approximately 3%, due partly to the improvement in hygiene and advancement in medical science.


The children’s Bush Cemetery is situated on a very quiet bush block, away from the now unused Perth Children’s Home. The gravesite is surrounded by a wooden fence with an elaborate entrance gate. The metal plaque lists twenty-four children aged from nine weeks to three years.


Fire swept through the bush land in the 1950s and the original wooden crosses marking the graves were destroyed, apart from one which had a stone memorial. Ceramic poppies have been set near the replaced white wooden crosses; an old tree stump has been utilised to show several alphabet blocks, carved and painted, and although a sacred place, a now rusting metal toy has been left, in an effort to remember the passing of these very precious children.

 
 
 

Comments


for footer.png

Because History Matters

Mundaring and Hills Historical Society 

Mundaring Station Master's House

3060 Jacoby Street

Mundaring 6073

Western Australia

08 9295 0540

OPENING HOURS:

Monday & Friday 9.30am to 4.00pm

Wednesday 9.30am to 1.30pm

  • Facebook

Mundaring District Museum

Old Mundaring School

Great Eastern Highway

Mundaring 6073

Western Australia

08 9295 0540

OPENING HOURS

Monday to Saturday 9.30am to 4.00pm

Sunday & Public Holidays 10.30am to 2.30pm

MHHS wish to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of this Country and pay our respects to Elders past and present. We acknowledge the Whadjuk people who are part of the Noongar nation, the country on which we live and work, and we acknowledge their ownership and custodianship

Mundaring & Hills Historical Society is appreciative and grateful to

the Shire of Mundaring for providing FULL FUNDING for the development and hosting of this website.  

image002 (1).png
380692-1 75x44-Final.jpg
download (1).png

© 2021 MHHS Western Australia | Because History Matters | Dedicated to Preserving the History of Mundaring and Surrounds in the Perth Hills

bottom of page