Kenwick Pioneer Cemetery
Kenwick Pioneer Cemetery is located on Albany Highway, Kenwick, Western Australia.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Location | Kenwick, Western Australia |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 32°02′32″S 115°58′25″E / 32.0421°S 115.9736°ECoordinates: 32°02′32″S 115°58′25″E / 32.0421°S 115.9736°E |
| Owned by | City of Gosnells |
The Kenwick Pioneer Cemetery is part of the 3 acres of land donated by Wallace Bickley for a school for the children of the Canning in 1863.
In 1865 a rammed earth building with shingle roof was constructed by convicts. Kenwick School, sometimes referred to as Canning School, opened with six pupils and was the district’s only school for 20 years. The school, with accommodation for a school teacher and Police Constable, served as school, courthouse, church, post office and social centre for many years.[1]
The first meeting of the Canning Roads Board met in the school room in 1870. Members were W.L. Gibbs, E. Powell, T. Buckingham Jnr, J. White, E.M. Marsh, F. Watts and F. Bird.
A church, St Michael and All Angels, was built on a site next to the school and served the district until the end of the century.
The school closed in 1896 and in 1900 the school and church were demolished. Only the cemetery remains. Over 200 people were buried at the cemetery during its use, however few grave stones remain.[2]