The Smyth Chapel in the Catholic section of the West Terrace Cemetery, built in 1871
The West Terrace Cemetery, formerly Adelaide Public Cemetery is a cemetery in Adelaide, South Australia. It is the state's oldest cemetery, first appearing on Colonel William Light's 1837 plan of the Adelaide city centre, to the south-west of the city. The whole cemetery is state heritage-listed, including Smyth Chapel, and it is one of the oldest operating cemeteries in Australia.
The Adelaide Park Lands were laid out by Colonel William Light in his design for the city in 1837. Originally, Light reserved 2,300 acres (930 ha) for a park, and a further 32 acres (13 ha) for a public cemetery.[1]
West Terrace Cemetery one of the oldest operating cemeteries in Australia.[2]
In 1843 the establishment of a Jewish burial area began the distinctive denominational division of the cemetery. In 1845 a Catholic cemetery was established on land adjacent the main public cemetery, and in 1849 a third of the public cemetery was given over to the Church of England. There was also a section for the Society of Friends (Quakers).[2]
In 1902, the first crematorium in the southern hemisphere was built, and began operating in 1903. It was the only one in Australia for 20 years.[citation needed]
The Smyth Chapel, located in the Catholic area of the cemetery, was designed by E. J. Woods in late 1870 as a result of a competition conducted by the Smyth Memorial Fund. It was built by Peters and Jones for approximately 472 pounds in 1871, as a memorial to the vicar general John Smyth, who is buried in the crypt beneath the chapel. The foundation stone was laid on 18 December 1870 by vicar general Archdeacon Russell, and formally consecrated on 22 October 1871.[3]
In 2019 the Smyth Chapel underwent a large restoration, with project winning the Bob Such Award for Design for Social Benefit, a Civic Trust Award.[4]
It is divided into a number of sections for various communities and faiths, including two Catholic areas, as well as Jewish, Afghan, Islamic and Quaker sections.[2]
With concerns from various patriotic associations about soldiers from the First World War without relatives being buried in unmarked graves in the cemetery, a deputation to the Minister of Public Works in February 1920 sought a "Soldiers Lot" not only for these soldiers but also those whose families wished to bury their "soldier loved ones" there. The minister set aside a half an acre of the Light Oval for this purpose, with a monument to be erected by public subscription and soldiers in unmarked graves to be re-interred there.[5] The first burial was in March 1920 but with slow progress of public fund raising the area was not dedicated until Sunday 10 December 1922.[6]
There are buried (at June 2014) 275 Commonwealth service personnel from both World Wars in West Terrace Cemetery whose graves are registered by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.[7]
