St Peters Anglican Church was built in 1838 and was the first church south of the city. The first burial took place on 4 March 1839 of a soldier, John Benfield. The cemetery was consecrated on 26 December 1840 and operated until 1896.
A total of around 2,500 people were buried in the cemetery, although only around 300 headstones remain.
Laurel Horton with assistance from husband Robert has carried out extensive research on the cemetery spanning over 20 years and has written a book "Grave Reflections. The Story of St Peters Graveyard Cooks River". It contains detailed information on the burials and many stories about the people buried there.