Heritage Citation Report

Transcription

1 Heritage Citation Report Name Address Place Type South Portland Cemetery 229 Cape Nelson Road, Portland Memorial Citation Date 8 June 2016 Heritage listings Recommended heritage protection Victorian Heritage Inventory (VHI) Sexton s Cottage Site, South Portland Cemetery (H ) Glenelg Shire Planning Scheme (PS) Heritage Overlay (HO) Figure 1 : Cemetery entry gates 1

2 Figure 2 : South Portland Cemetery Figure 3 : Sexton s Office 2

3 Figure 4 : Proposed HO extent History and historical context There was no cemetery included in the original layout of Portland. People buried their dead on the beach, in the bush or at the makeshift cemetery on the edge of the Henty family land. In 1841, the Reverend Adam Compton Thomson, the Anglican minister of Portland, obtained a site for a cemetery, although it was never gazetted. This cemetery, known as Clergy Rest or the Church of England Cemetery, was located on the current north east corner of Percy and Fern Streets (Sagazio 1992). The first official cemetery was established at Cherry Tree Hill (the Old Portland Cemetery) in The Old Portland Cemetery contains the remains of the pioneer settlers of the Portland region. In 1848, the remains of 47 burials from Clergy Rest were exhumed and transferred to Old Portland Cemetery (Sagazio 1992). By the 1860s, due to the growth of Portland and much of the Old Portland Cemetery being unsuitable for burials, the South Portland Cemetery was gazetted (Wallace 2008). Burials commenced in Burials still continued at Old Portland Cemetery until it was closed in 1882, with 224 burials being given special permission after this date. In 1867, both cemeteries were transferred from the denominational trustees to the control of common trustees. Therefore, common conditions and accurate burial registers were initiated (Sagazio 1992). The South Portland Cemetery was surveyed and designed by the region s Government Surveyor, Lindsay Clarke. Clarke designed the cemetery with curvilinear patterns, using to full advantage the gentle sloping hill within the site. The curvilinear design, a typical feature of Victorian-era cemeteries, was very soon abandoned in 3

4 favour of a grid layout for the graves, however the oldest paths and roads preserve parts of the original curvilinear design. Clarke s remains are interred in the cemetery. Other notable people to the Portland area who were interred in the cemetery include Thomas Must, James Trangmar, James Fawthrop, Edward Henty, James Schofield and John Hogan (Wallace 2008). The first cremation in Portland was believed to have taken place at the South Portland Cemetery on 11 December 1905, Bucksei Singh, a Sikh Hawker was cremated on a funeral pyre under the supervision of the Portland Police. There is no tangible evidence of this event remaining (Wallace 2008). The wrought iron entry gates to the cemetery were erected in 1894 by R Kent and Co, a local company (Bennett 1993). The Sexton s Office at the cemetery was originally located at the entry of the cemetery (Victorian Heritage Database nd). It is believed to have been constructed in 1887 by P Cruse and Son, a local carpentry and cabinet making company (Bennett 1993). The office is composed of two wooden buildings which were later relocated to their present position. Originally, the cemetery was bordered with trees, predominantly evergreens donated by Baron Ferdinand Von Mueller, the Government Botanist and Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens. Cyprus Pines which were planted along Cape Nelson Road have been removed to make room for a lawn cemetery which has been used from 1994 (Wallace 2008). The cemetery reserve was extended in 1917, due to the requirement for additional space (Wallace 2008). The South Portland Cemetery is still in use. Relevant Historical Australian Themes 9 Marking the phases of life 9.7 Dying Dealing with human remains Mourning the dead Remembering the dead Description Physical description The South Portland Cemetery is entered by wrought iron gates. The area immediately within the gates is the original location of the Sexton s Office, which has archaeological potential. The main roads in the cemetery retain the original curvilinear design, however a grid pattern has been utilised for the arrangement of the graves. The cemetery contains a variety of headstones from the Victorian era, Edwardian era and the present day. The original Sexton s Office, composed of two wooden buildings, is located in the centre of the cemetery, moved from its original location at the gates. A small chimney at the back of the building (partially damaged) is made of local Portland bricks. The buildings are constructed from weatherboard that was originally likely to have been painted white. The roofs are pitched and gabled corrugated iron and appear to be new. The front of the main building has a finial and a decorative finish along one of the eaves. The door has three concrete steps leading to it. There is a semi-circular window with four panes (one of which appears to be missing). There is an arched window with three sections adjacent to the door. The top section of this window is semi-circular, similar to the window above the door; the middle section is a six pane sash window and the lowest section a single pane sash. The window and door frames are timber which has been painted white. The second building has a decorative pattern carved into the weatherboards. The building has a door with a slight cement ramp approaching and a rectangular window with two sashes. The top sash has six panes and the lower sash has two panes. The door frames and the window frames are timber and have been painted white. There is a wooden bench located under the window of the second building. 4

5 The interior of the buildings was not inspected. Physical condition The South Portland Cemetery is in good condition. Usage/Former usage Cemetery Recommended management Maintain generally as existing. Comparative analysis HO195 New Cemetery, Racecourse Road, Casterton, Glenelg Shire New Cemetery is located within Casterton with the first burials occurring in There is a timber, octagonal sexton s office and shelter within the cemetery. The office has a corrugated iron roof with an exaggerated eaveline. The cemetery is of historical significance as a record of the lives of the people who have been buried there. It is of social significance as a reflection of the customs of the community, which varied according to religion, and economic and social status. Finally, the cemetery is of aesthetic significance for the range of headstones, memorials and iconography reflecting the different periods and groups using the cemetery, and for the overall design of the cemetery within the wider landscape. The sexton s office is unusual in form, scale and design. It is also rare for a structure like this to be found within a rural cemetery. HO222 Hotspur Cemetery, Gough s Road, Hotspur, Glenelg Shire The Hotspur Cemetery was gazetted in 1871; however historical records suggest that it was in use from the 1860s. The cemetery does not have a clearly defined layout. The cemetery is of historical significance as a record of the lives of the people who have been buried there. It is of social significance as a reflection of the customs of the community which varied according to religion, and economic and social status. Finally, the cemetery is of aesthetic significance for the range of headstones, memorials and iconography, and for the overall position of the cemetery within the wider landscape. HO245 Strathdownie East Cemetery, Off Casterton-Mount Gambier Road, Strathdownie, Glenelg Shire Strathdownie East Cemetery is a small cemetery, commencing in the 1860s, containing approximately 150 burials with 140 headstones. The cemetery is of historical significance as a record of the lives of the people who have been buried there. It is of social significance as a reflection of the customs of the community which varied according to religion, and economic and social status. The cemetery is also of aesthetic significance for the range of headstones, memorials and iconography, and for the overall position of the cemetery within the wider landscape. Summary The comparative analysis indicates that cemeteries within Glenelg Shire have historical and social significance for their association with the previous inhabitants of the town and area in which they are located, and the burial customs of the local community. The cemeteries also all have aesthetic significance from the setting within the landscape and the range of headstones, memorials and iconography present in the cemetery. The Sexton s Office is rare within Glenelg, with only one listed cemetery having an extant building. 5

6 Statement of significance What is significant? The South Portland Cemetery was the second cemetery gazetted in Portland, with burials occurring from The following components of the cemetery are significant: The Victorian, Edwardian and modern era headstones, which are made of a diverse array of materials. The original curvilinear pattern of the cemetery. The wrought iron entry gates. The Sexton s Office. The graves. The archaeological potential of the original site of the Sexton s Office immediately within the entry gates. How is it significant? The South Portland Cemetery has historical significance (HERCON criterion A), potential to yield information (HERCON criterion C), aesthetic significance (HERCON criterion E) and strong or special association with the local community for social, cultural or spiritual reasons (HERCON criterion G). The Sexton s Office, although not in its original position, is a rare feature (HERCON criterion B). Why is it significant? The South Portland Cemetery is historically significant as it is the location of the remains of many of the early residents of Portland. The oldest headstones at the South Portland Cemetery are in good condition, allowing them to be utilised as resources for historical research and family histories. The cemetery also has social significance to the people of Portland as it is their current burial ground. The cemetery has aesthetic significance due to the range of headstones from the Victorian, Edwardian and modern eras present, and evidence of the original curvilinear design. The Sexton s Office, located within the cemetery, is a rare feature within cemeteries in the Glenelg Shire, with only one other example being included on the Heritage Overlay. Finally, archaeological investigations within the cemetery have potential to yield information about the use of the Sexton s Office when it was within its original location near the entry gate. Recommended Controls (2016) External Paint Controls Internal Alteration Controls Tree Controls Fences & Outbuildings Prohibited Uses May Be Permitted Incorporated Plan Aboriginal Heritage Place Yes References Bennett, G Portland w and Then A Guide to Portland's Historic Buildings. Portland: Gwen Bennett. Sagazio, C Cemeteries Our Heritage. Melbourne: National Trust of Australia. Victorian Heritage Database nd Sexton's Cottage Site, South Portland Cemetery. Retrieved 20 May 2016 from 6

7 Wallace, B The Historic South Portland Cemetery. Portland: Portland Neighbourhood House Inc. 7