Kirkconnell Catholic
Off Sunny Corner Road,
Burials at this cemetery date from 1863. There is a wide range of monuments, from sandstone to granite, and most are in good condition and legible. Large marble stones are a feature of the cemetery and are standing erect. We found only one fallen stone and one broken stone.
The general area surrounding the church and parts of the cemetery were mown and well maintained, although other parts of the grave site were yet to receive attention to the Summer growth. Within the grounds is a time capsule that was installed as part of the jubilee celebrations of the parish in 2000; it contains a history of the parish and is to be opened in November 2050.
Jean and I visited the cemetery on 22 February 2006 and listed and made digital images of every visible inscription. In compiling the list, we also referred to the NSW indexes of births, deaths and marriages for further information.
Kirkconnell is a locality on the Great Western Highway between Lithgow and Bathurst about 7km west of Meadow Flat. Turn onto Sunny Corner Road at the Kirkconnell Correctional Centre sign and drive for 700m. Turn right at the indication of the Church, from where it is 250m to St Mary's RC Church and cemetery.
St Mary's, in the Parish of Portland, is within the Catholic Diocese of Bathurst. Enquiries should be directed to the Chancery Office, 84 George Street (PO Box 246), Bathurst NSW 2785 (email: chancery@ix.net.au).
22 Feb 2006