East Perth Cemetery, dating from around 1829, was the main Perth cemetery until Karrakatta opened in 1899. Although it has been estimated to contain about 10,000 graves, much of the original site has been redeveloped and only about 1000 inscriptions are now to be found in the remaining cemetery enclosure. The site originally embraced individual denominational cemeteries and is therefore often referred to in the plural - East Perth Cemeteries. An excellent history of the cemetery and a list of known burials can be accessed from the URL below.
The inscriptions still to be found date from the early days of the Colony of Western Australia and refer to many notable citizens, public officials and politicians. The Anglican Church of St Bartholomew, within the cemetery grounds, was used both as a parish church and as a cemetery chapel for funerals that took place there. Although the cemetery was officially closed in 1899, some subsequent burials were permitted in existing graves and a few memorial plaques have been erected in much more recent years. All inscriptions found have been included here.
For some years, East Perth Cemetery has been in the care of the National Trust. It remains closed for all but two hours per week, opening between 2pm and 4pm each Sunday. Visitors are charged a fee for admission. The images of existing inscriptions were made in July 2011 by an anonymous contributor. They may be accessed via the list of inscriptions for this cemetery.