Paddys Gully Cemetery
Address: Paddys Gully Road, Backwater 2365 NSW
The information for these burials has been provided by Mrs Dorothy Griffey who visited the cemetery and transcribed the inscriptions in 1987. She says that the stones had badly deteriorated when she saw them and only a few were readable.
More recently, additional information on this Cemetery has been supplied by Heather Burke. The data was collected for the "Cemeteries/Burials New England Project (2000)" initiated by Professor Iain Davidson and funded by a Research Infrastructure Block Grant, University of New England. The data was collected with the assistance of Arnold Goode (Uralla), Helen Nancarrow and Bruce Cady (Kelly's Plains), Nan Mullen (Wollomombi), Peter Chambers (Saumarez Ponds), David and Beverley Barratt (Tamworth).
Keith Paull has passed on the following information relating to the the early days of this area that he gleaned from the book "Our Grandchildren Won't Believe It" (Compiled by Wongwibinda, Aberfoyle and Ward's Mistake Historical Research Group Armidale NSW, 2004)
Richard Newby and his wife arrived in Grafton in 1848 and travelled inland to Glen Innes, then on to Moredun Station at Ben Lomond where Richard worked for Andrew Wauchope as a shepherd. Later, in 1858, he took up a large area of 45,000 acres known as Paddy's Land Station which was transferred from Rundle Dangar and Co. This is where he learned about cattle. Legend has it that they encountered an aborigine, known as Paddy, whom they learned to know and respect. He showed them the spot where they later built their home, hence the name Paddy's Land. At times over two hundred aborigines camped on the station. While living at Paddy's Land the Newbys lost two children to diphtheria as well as others buried there.
Two isolated burials at Paddys Land, some distance from Paddys Gully Cemetery, have been included on this list. Details may be viewed on the list of all inscriptions for this cemetery.
Currently, there are no images of the inscriptions available. Anyone who is willing and able to photograph the inscriptions, please contact Reg McDonell.
How to find it
The cemetery is on the southern side of Paddys Gully Road, 4.4km from Backwater and on the corner of Deans Road. Lat -30.07797 Long 151.922893.
More information
Whether or not the cemetery reserve is the responsibility of any authority could not be determined. It is located within the boundary of the Guyra Shire Council.
Inscriptions
The number of inscriptions for this cemetery is 9
The listing was last updated on 2012-09-13
The listing was complete as at 2000-12-31
See the list of all inscriptions for Paddys Gully Cemetery.
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