Celebrated Australian folklore collector, cultural historian, author, and performer Warren Fahey presents a special talk on his new book, Dead & Buried. Cemeteries hold fascinating stories, and Sydney’s three main early cemeteries - The Old Burial Ground on George Street, Devonshire Street Sandhill’s Cemetery and the grand Rookwood Necropolis - all played roles in the story of the city. These are tales of notable and ordinary people, the high and the low, and the good, bad and the ugly. There are also stories of architecture, sculpture, religious practices, and the ever-changing attitude to burial and remembrance.
Dead & Buried illustrates how the three early cemeteries evolved. Remarkably, Rookwood is the most significant Victorian necropolis in the southern hemisphere and one of the largest in the world, it has serviced Sydney for over 155 years.
These are by no means morbid stories. They present a slice of Sydney’s early days with tales of sensational murders, tragedies and disasters, diversity, and, at the same time, celebrate poets and politicians, artists and dreamers.
Refreshments will be provided and be sure to bring some cash on the day as signed copies of Dead & Buried will be available to purchase on the day (800 pages, $35 paperback, $45 hardcover).