Headstones

In cemeteries, people are often commemorated with a headstone or a plaque on a columbarium. Headstones can reflect a person's beliefs or values, their cultural identity, and their relationships to other people, organisations, or events.

Toowong Cemetery Headstones

Toowong Cemetery contains:

• Queensland's oldest headstones from the 1830's
• headstones moved from Paddington Cemetery (1844 - 1875) in the 1910's
• headstones of people buried at Toowong Cemetery since 1871

Pioneer Children's Graves (13-10-4), Queensland's oldest surviving headstones from the 1830's

Headstone symbols and signs

Headstones can contain many hidden messages.

• Learn about the meaning of headstone symbols. Visit the Toowong Cemetery Symbolism display in Portion 2
• Discover headstone signs showing a relationship to a friendly society, secretive order or trade guild.

Archaeological digs

Friends of Toowong Cemetery and the University of Queensland Archaeology Department, have been searching for buried headstones in the cemetery grounds since 2006.

Headstones uncovered in the archaeological digs are believed to come from two sources:

• Headstones lost from Paddington Cemetery in the 1930's
• Toowong Cemetery headstones destroyed and buried in the 1970's as part of the Brisbane City Council's 'Beautification Scheme'

Maintaining Headstones

Individual graves and headstones are owned by private families. Whilst the Brisbane City Council maintains the cemetery, maintenance of graves is the families responsibility. With the average age of graves being ~80 years old, it is often difficult to find family members to notify them that the historic headstones of their family are at risk of falling down.

Friends of Toowong Cemetery President, Darcy Maddock, explains to Radio Station 4BC the dilemma of maintaining graves in Toowong Cemetery .