eHive Object Details

Name/TitleJewish Graves : Old Melbourne Cemetery, c. 1920

About this objectColourised photograph of an area of the cemetery that was occupied by graves of the Jewish community. Selby tells us that in "the Jewish Ground there were sixty bodies, but only nineteen names were on the tombs. The other memorials were either destroyed or never erected." (p.399, OPMHoM)

In the foreground, in a swath of long grass, are two upright tombstones surrounded by railings. The stone on the right, with its inscription written first in Hebrew and then in English, belongs to Samuel Barnet who died, according to Selby's records, 2nd September, 5613 [1853], aged 40 years. The grave to the left, according to Selby's plan of the cemetery, belongs to Cecelia Sarah Cohen. Another photograph in the collection (AL045-0077) is a close-up of the inscription which includes lines of Hebrew. It reads:

Here Lieth The Mortal remains Of
CECELIA SARAH
The Beloved Wife Of
SIMEON COHEN
And Daughter Of
FRANCES and LEWIS WOOLF
(Of Liverpool)
Who Departed This Life Oct 11th 5614 [1853]
On Board The Great Britain Steamer
At Sea
And Interred On The 17th inst.
Aged 19 Years

Behind these graves is a row of horizontal stones, one surrounded by a railing. Again with reference to Selby's plan of the cemetery, this is probably the burial site of Edward Hart who died 18th March, 5614 [1853], aged 36 years. These horizontal stones lie in front of the cemetery fence that runs along Peel Street. Buildings on the other side of Peel Street can be seen in the background of the image. The left side of the photograph shows gravel paths and trees.

This image is attributed to Everard Studley Miller who photographed many graves and tombstones in the Old Melbourne Cemetery (established in 1837) around 1920 as part of a project led by Isaac Selby to record and commemorate all aspects of Melbourne's second cemetery (the first being at Flagstaff Hill). The RHSV holds original glass negatives and albums of the photographs from this project.

One of the many glass slides purchased from retailers or specifically made for illustrated lectures given by Isaac Selby between c. 1930 and c. 1955 to raise money for the Old Pioneers Memorial Fund.

For more information about this image contact Royal Historical Society of Victoria.

MakerMiller, Everard Studley, 1886-1956.

Maker RolePhotographer

Measurements8.2 x 8.2 cm

Period1910-1920

Object TypePhotograph

Subject and Association KeywordsSelby, Isaac, 1859-1956

Subject and Association KeywordsMiller, Everard Studley, 1886-1956.

Subject and Association KeywordsOld Melbourne Cemetery (Melbourne)

Subject and Association KeywordsJewish community

Subject and Association KeywordsMonuments and memorials

Named CollectionImages collection

Object numberGS-TM-31

Copyright LicenceAll rights reserved