| Brighton General Cemetery | |
| Established: | 1854 |
| Country: | Australia |
| Location: | Caulfield South, Victoria |
| Coordinates: | -37.9°N 145.0208°W |
| Size: | 28acres[1] [2] [3] |
| Website: | Brighton General Cemetery (Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust) |
| Findagraveid: | 1967501 |
Brighton General Cemetery is located in the Melbourne suburb of Caulfield South, Victoria, but takes its name from Brighton, Victoria.
The Cemetery pre-dates the Caulfield Roads Board – the first official recognition of the suburb of Caulfield. Established in 1854 it became, together with St Kilda Cemetery, an alternative resting place for those who had lived south of the Yarra River. There are up 70,000 people interred, including famous Australian artists, politicians and military heroes.
The first representative of the Jewish community of the Board of Trustees was Phillip Blashki. He organised the building of the Tahara house, where the deceased were watched until buried. He instigated the idea of half-graves for children, as they were expensive and child mortality was high in the 19th century. Blashki also founded the Jewish burial society, Chevra Kadisha, still in existence today.
the cemetery contains the identified war graves of 156 Commonwealth service personnel, 135 from World War I and 21 from World War II. Most are members of the Australian Armed Forces, but three served for New Zealand Army (1) and British Army (2).[4]
Some of the notable people buried there include:[5]
| Name | Born | Died | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1838 | 1909 | 22nd Premier of Victoria | ||
| 1861 | 1928 | Senior and career (federal) public servant | ||
| Annie Bright | 1840 | 1913 | British-born journalist and spiritualist | |
| 1826 | 1915 | British-born police magistrate and justice of the peace; later as novelist (Rolf Boldrewood) | ||
| 1891 | 1921 | Soldier of the First Australian Imperial Force in Europe during World War I and recipient Victoria Cross (VC) | ||
| 1844 | 1936 | English-born fiction author, poet and autobiographer | ||
| 1845 | 1931 | Politician (Australian MP, NSW MP and state cabinet minister) | ||
| 1854 | 1918 | Founded Brighton Grammar School in 1882 | ||
| 1884 | 1926 | Market gardener, newspaper publisher, businessman and aviator | ||
| 1847 | 1924 | English-born civil engineer and railway pioneer | ||
| 1934 | 1976 | Australian activist, author, and lawyer | ||
| 1916 | 1991 | Theatre, film and television actress | ||
| 1833 | 1870 | Azores-born poet, jockey, police officer and politician (South Australian parliamentarian) | ||
| 1894 | 1982 | Music academic, conductor, Director of Sydney Conservatorium of Music | ||
| 1826 | 1892 | Politician, Chief Justice | ||
| 1868 | 1949 | World War I General with First Australian Imperial Force | ||
| 1878 | 1972 | Goldminer, teacher, federal and state politician (Australian MP and Victorian Legislative Councillor) | ||
| 1889 | 1986 | World War I Victoria Cross recipient (First Australian Imperial Force) and Australian Army officer during World War II; later as publisher and author | ||
| 1857 | 1925 | Victorian politician and brother of James Menzies and uncle of Sir Robert Menzies, former Prime Minister of Australia | ||
| 1865 | 1931 | Civil engineer and World War I General with First Australian Imperial Force | ||
| ca.1858 | 1916 | Derry-born businessman and founder of Australian retail stores | ||
| 1881 | 1949 | Soldier with First Australian Imperial Force and officer with the Australian Army, recipient of VC | ||
| 1887 | 1968 | Soldier in the First Australian Imperial Force (WWI) and Second Australian Imperial Force (WW II), recipient of VC and later as custodian of the Shrine of Remembrance | ||
| 1855 | 1912 | Inventor | ||
| 1888 | 1961 | English-born landscape painter, print maker | ||
| 1888 | 1927 | Career criminal and gangster | ||
| 1874 | 1927 | Australian rules footballer; later as bookmaker, cricketer and golfer | ||
| 1866 | 1917 | Postman and test cricketer | ||
| 1848 | 1921 | Operetta singer/actor | ||
| Merric Boyd | 1888 | 1959 | Australian artist, ceramacist and potter |