The 2024 "wrap up" blog with some book recommendations!

 We are coming to the end of 2024, and this blog is one of reflection upon all the blogs that have been published under “Rookwood Cemetery Discoveries”.

This year I have highlighted many people who gave their lives for others; those that turned their lives around and benefitted others; many tragic unfortunate deaths and of course those that went off the deep end and shocked us all!

The most popular blog this year was the one devoted to Euphemia Bridges Bowes. Mother of eleven children, wife of a Wesleyan minister performing all the duties associated with her role as well as establishing the First Woman’s Christian Temperance Union and other organisations. She worked constantly until she died - at the age of 85! A woman we should all be proud of who until a few months ago had fallen through the cracks of time.

Another woman that caught your eye was Ada Hannah Coffill, a woman who completed the full funeral parlour experience as being the first Australian born woman to receive an overseas affiliated certificate in embalming.

The next most popular blog was the demise of George Moon who died whilst performing the act he most enjoyed in life - duck shooting!

"Fighting" Bill Sparkes who almost became the bare-knuckle champion of England matching blow for blow with Nat Langham during 62 rounds until his arm was broken was a popular read! Amazingly he kept on fighting with one functional arm for 5 more rounds!!!

There were some tragedies that elicited your interest; The Lord Howe Island plane crash of 1948 - five headstones now stand sentinel in Rookwood to their tragic passing. The horrific fire at the Anthony Hordern's store in 1901 was a tale of unimaginable horror and the freak boating accident on Sydney Harbour in 1893.

Many people were honoured such as Thomas Elliott, the 22-year-old Captain, who obeying orders led his troops into certain death at Fromelles in 1917, Charles Freestone who survived the K13 WW1 submarine disaster and led a successful life in north-western Sydney, Official war artists who brought us vision of WW1 and its devastation and ending the year with John Woods Whittle.

There were heroes and heroines and so many more but I can't mention them all. I am happy to say that there was more engagement with the blogs than ever before and I thank you all for reading them and obviously appreciating them.

Now I have had a request for a small list of books that mentions and/or deal with those that call Rookwood "home"

I have to admit the general books I supplied you with last year are still, in my opinion, the best.

The Sleeping City - the story of Rookwood Necropolis edited by David A Weston for the Society of Australian Genealogists (available via the Friends of Rookwood or at the various offices at the Cemetery or failing that Abebooks).

Sydney Cemeteries - A Field Guide by Lisa Murray (also above or from all major booksellers).

Murder, Misadventure and Miserable Ends - Tales from a Colonial Coroner's Court by Catie Gilchrist (available from above and major booksellers).

Dead and Buried - a curious history of Sydney's earliest burial grounds by Warren Fahey (also via above or major booksellers).

Celebrating 150 years of Rookwood Catholic Cemetery by Wendy Lewis (via Friends of Rookwood, the Catholic Office or Abebooks).

Pathfinders - the history of Aboriginal Trackers in NSW by Michael Bennett (via major booksellers).

There are many more books dedicate to individual people such as Louise Collins and "Nosey" Bob but the one I read this year and couldn't finish as it was quite harrowing was "Bee Miles" by Rose Ellis a wart and all account of the famous bohemian rebel's life. Bee is not buried at Rookwood (a coffin could never contain her spirit) but her ashes were scattered at the family grave which sits prominently on Barnet Ave.

Some of these titles may be available at your local library, I can vouch for each one of them being excellent reads.

I wish to thank you, my loyal followers for buoying me along this year, it’s not been a fabulous year for me, but it was always nice to know there were people awaiting their Rookwood "fix"!

I thank my new followers who have jumped on board, and I hope to keep you coming back to this blog again and again with new and fresh stories of important people we know nothing about!

I will be taking a few weeks off as I prepare for 2025's blogs and I have a list already, murders and mysteries, important people, more fabulous woman - yes you have spoken loudly and clearly.

May I suggest in the quiet time over the Christmas New Year break you scroll through my blogs (so far there are 128 of them!) and immerse yourself in the many wonders of Rookwood Necropolis.

See you next year!!!

If you have any comments, please add them below or to the comments via the group Facebook page found at

Rookwood cemetery discoveries

or send me a personal message at

lorainepunch@gmail.com

Until my greetings on News Year Eve!