Site Details

Name

Brocks Creek Cemetery

Status

Permanent Declaration

Type

Place

Description

Six remaining gravesites situated on a flat area in open woodland covered by thick grass. Two wooden posts with some fencing wire attached remain at the northern and southern extremities of the remaining gravesites (approximately 56 paces apart) and at the western side of the area in which the remaining graves are located. It is likely that these are the remains of the fence erected around the cemetery in 1902.
A marble headstone in the shape of a cross resting on a concrete block marks George Alwynne Wilson's grave. Iron railings set in concrete featuring ornamental ironwork on the corner posts surround the grave. Clara Caddy's grave is marked by the top half of a rusted tin memorial head plate and has iron fencing around the grave featuring a repeated fleur-de-lis pattern. Two seashells have been placed on the grave inside the fencing. Another small grave is marked with a concrete border, one other is marked with a slate headstone and another with a border of rusted tin.

Statement Of
Heritage Value

Brock's Creek Cemetery, established by the South Australian Government in 1898 as a last resting place for deceased Europeans in the Brock's Creek mining area, is of historical significance to the Northern Territory. Those who died and were buried there were pioneers of the Territory's early mining history and their efforts were a contribution to the formative years of this industry. The many activities, which took place in the Brock's Creek were reflected in the occupations of those laid to rest in the cemetery. These included miners, Zapopan Mine managers, a mounted police constable and local pioneer pastoralists.
Brock's Creek Cemetery is the burial place, of Adam Johns, a prominent pioneer of mining in the Territory who was responsible for building the plant and buildings of the Zapopan Mine in 1895 and whose death led to gazettal of a cemetery reserve. The circumstances of the deaths of those interred are evidence of the lack of medical services, harsh physical environment and hazards faced by the pioneers whose deaths were often a consequence of mining accidents and outbreaks of malarial fever. Two of those buried in the cemetery were victims of the water problems, which plagued Brock's Creek mines, and of attempts by English mining companies to use inappropriate modern mining methods in the area.

The cemetery documents the influx of English miners, particularly Cornish miners who brought their skills and knowledge of mining technology to Brock's Creek. Brock's Creek Cemetery was a ceremonial place of assembly of prominent local and Territory identities for burials of Brock's Creek residents.

Nominated

16/09/1997

Nomination Refused

Nomination Accepted

30/10/1997

Provisional Declaration

Assessment Report
Considered

25/02/1999

Report Action

Comment sought

Report Comments

Recommended

Not Recommended

Refused By Minister

Referred Back

Signed By Minister

07/10/1999

Publish notice of
declaration

17/12/1999

Gazetted

27/10/1999

Revoked

Destroyed

File No

H97/554

Value

Historic

Conservation Policy

LGA

Un-Incorporated Area

Comments

Further Reading
Pedersen - McLaren, B. 1990. Brock's Creek: a history of it's mining, it's expectations and disappointments 1870-1911. Unpublished MA (Qualifying) thesis, University of Queensland, Brisbane.

Photo

	Name	Description	Date Added
View	BrocksCrkCemetery 120616_LR1.jpg	Plaque erected by the NT Government at the site	22/JUL/21
View	BrocksCrkCemetery 120616_LR2.jpg	Grave site of George Alwynne Wilson (Died 11 June 1911)	22/JUL/21
View	BrocksCrkCemetery 120616_LR3.jpg	Fencing around a grave site. The headstone is no longer extant	22/JUL/21
View	BrocksCrkCemetery 120616_LR4.jpg	Headstone with no indication of name	22/JUL/21

1 - 4

Scan

	Name	Description	Date Added
View	Instrument.pdf	-	10/FEB/09

1 - 1

Further Information

no data found

Approximate Location

LAIS Key	Street Number	Street Name	Suburb	Location Code	Lot Number	LTO Plan	Part	Tenure
000 07122	3377	STUART	DOUGLAS-DALY	000	7122	-	-	PPL

1 - 1

Status Explanations

Nomination Period - a nomination has been accepted by Heritage Branch, but has not yet been accepted by the Heritage Council; OR a nomination has been accepted by the Heritage Council but the place/object has not yet been subject to a heritage assessment.

Assessment Period - a nomination has been accepted by the Heritage Council and the place/object is in the process of being assessed.

Consultation Period - Heritage assessment has been completed and s24 of the Act has been instigated, ie comment has been sought on a proposal to declare the place/object.

Recommendation Period - the Heritage Council has made a recommendation to declare the place/object and the Minister's final decision is awaited.

Not Recommended - a decision has been made by the Heritage Council not to recommend to the Minister that a place/object be declared

Declared - the Minister has made a decision to declare the place/object

Refused - the Minister has refused to declare the place/object