A throng at No.1 Mortuary Station

 I was going through some papers a few weeks ago and happened upon a photocopy of a rather interesting photograph of the No.1 Mortuary Station - take a look at it below - 


Now that's quite a crowd, almost a throng I'd say. 

Who attracted such a crowd you ask? 

Mei Quong Tart - an immigrant who simply bounded over any anti-Asian sentiment of his times - someone to admire!

The photograph was taken at his funeral held on the 28th of July 1903 and shows the masses of people who had come to the Necropolis to pay their respects.

I find the photograph fascinating in its depiction of the funeral fashion of the times with not a bare head in sight - bowler hats, straw boaters and the few women I can see are wearing hats of the time that were quite large with many adorned with life size replicas of birds. 

I can also see lots of dark colours and the men of adult age sporting moustaches!

The No.1 Mortuary Station was taken apart brick by brick in the 1950s and relocated to Canberra being repurposed as the All-Saints Anglican Church in Ainslie. The new church build reversed the building by placing the bell tower on the other side to the original design by James Barnet, Colonial Architect. 


All Saints Anglican Church Ainslie - Wikipedia

The angels at the entrance to the Mortuary Station building were relocated to the interior of the building in front of a stained-glass window from St Clement's Attercliffe in Sheffield.


Showing the angels now located to the interior of the church in front of stained-glass window - All Saints own site 


If you wish to see the blog, I wrote about Mei Quong Tart on the 29th of January 2024 just type his full name, Mei Quong Tart, into the search area.

 Over the next few weeks, I will be compiling both large and small contributions to this page as health dictates.

If you have any comments to add to this blog, please do so at the comments area or simply go to the Group Facebook page found under a search for 

Rookwood Cemetery Discoveries 

or simply send me a message via 

lorainepunch@gmail.com

Until next time!

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