Nyngan Cemetery
Date Published
: cemeteries / graves / headstones, cemetery sections, Chinese, burning towers
: Far West (NSW)
: Nyngan
: 1913 to 1924
Nyngan Cemetery
Nyngan Cemetery is located at the eastern end of the town of Nyngan, on Cemetery Road, off Pangee Street. The Chinese section is on the far western side, away from the other sections (Methodist, Church of England, Catholic, Presbyterian, two lawned areas) of the cemetery and beside Cemetery Road. Bogan Shire Council relocated the Chinese grave markers in the early 1990s, removing them from their original context. The graves have been relocated in an orderly manner near the burner. In the twenty-first century the existing Chinese grave markers are lined up in a single row facing north. Each stone is roughly 700 mm high. They are evenly spaced and extend approximately 14 metres from the burner, the opening of which also faces north. Behind the row of markers are three indentations in the ground, indicating where three additional grave markers may have once stood.
Bogan Shire Council recorded the names and dates on each gravestone in 1994; 10 names were recorded. Since then one marker has been lost. Of the stones, six are sandstone or limestone, with the balance made up of two marble and one red granite. All the stones are roughly rectangular, however, one has a flat round top, five are evenly rounded, and the remaining three have bevelled or tapered shaped tops. The markers are inscribed in Chinese and English - the names being in Chinese and the poetry or tributes (where included) in English. The translated inscriptions are as follows, it should be noted that one of the stones has gone missing since the survey was undertaken in 1994, it is unclear which one:
"Kime Moon In Loving Memory We never knew what pain he bore. We never saw him die. We only know he passed away and never said goodbye."
Grave of Mr. Tan Qi Wen 10/10/1915 "aged 61 years from Tiau he Boa Ping Village."
"Man Foon" (no English) Grave of Mr. Wu Wau Kuan 14/01/1915 78 years
"Yee You Chung Grave of Mr Yu Yao Wen Yu village second month early spring 1914 Lunar date."
"No Wood Grave of Mr Wu Ya Huo Born in Yao County. Lived in Mei Village, Liang City. 23/06/1924 aged 68 years."
"Wong Han Soy" (none -illegible -) 21/07/1916
(Possibly "Lee How") (-illegible-) 22/07/1916? Aged 84 years "He was a loving godfather and we loved him ardently. Through his life above all things in the world, He desired love."
"Young Yee" (none) "Grave of Mr Young Xiang Country, Long City Shen Ming Ting (village) 12/11/1918 aged 33 years"
"Sung Jim" (none) (not translated) 11/05/1918 78 years
"Jung Sing" (none)
"Grave of Mr Zhang Gui County 03/01/1913 aged 60 years". (Barbara Hickson)
The Chinese section of the Nyngan General Cemetery is of State significance as one of the largest collections of Chinese grave stones in association with a burner in the State. Comprised of nine grave stones (formerly ten), the Nyngan graves are located near a brick burner used to burn food and money offerings to the souls of the dead. The burner and markers are evidence of Chinese funerary practices as carried out in New South Wales and provide research potential regarding the number of burials exhumed and returned to China.
The Chinese graves and burner in Nyngan cemetery were listed as NSW state heritage in 2009.
Source: NSW Environment and Heritage https://www.hms.heritage.nsw.gov.au/App/Item/ViewItem?itemId=2330233\
Nyngan Cemetery (Gravestones)
Nyngan Cemetery gravestone
