Pioneer Cemetery

The Pioneer Cemetery is a multicultural cemetery that saw the beginnings of the philosophy “one people, one future. It bound is by Richardson, Crowther, Carey and Young Streets within South Carnarvon.

Visiting the Cemetery

The Carnarvon Pioneer Cemetery is open to visitors daily between 9:00am and 4:00pm from the 1st August 2026.

To access the cemetery, visitors can obtain the access details by booking through the following page:

Carnarvon Pioneer Cemetery Access Booking

History

The earliest recorded burial in Carnarvon was in 1880, and the oldest headstone in the cemetery dates from 1884. The cemetery has a distinctive layout and contains the remains of many notable personalities who played significant roles in the development of Carnarvon and the Gascoyne region.

The Carnarvon Pioneer Cemetery records the lives of those who pioneered the pastoral industry and helped establish the town of Carnarvon. Areas containing more recent burials remain important to the local community as lasting reminders of family, friends and the region's history.

Burial records from 1919 show the cemetery was divided into denominational sections, as well as dedicated areas for Chinese, Aboriginal and Mohammedan (Afghan) burials, many of which were in unconsecrated or unmarked plots. These sections provide an important historical record of Carnarvon's diverse multicultural community and reflect the social practices of the time. The earliest recorded non-Christian burial is of two Japanese people in 1903.

The oldest graves can be found to the left of the main entrance, defined by a horseshoe-shaped pathway. Immediately to the right are the remaining two graves of Afghan men, while the far left-hand corner contains the few remaining graves from the cemetery's Asian section.

A stroll through the cemetery offers visitors a unique opportunity to step back in time and discover the stories of the pioneers who shaped Carnarvon's history.

The Pioneer Cemetery gradually fell out of use due to the rising water table, which meant burials could only occur at low tide. The cemetery was officially closed by Government Gazette on 29 August 1980.

Browns Range Cemetery, located on North West Coastal Highway, opened in the early 1970s and continues to serve as Carnarvon's active cemetery today.

More information can be obtained from the Local History section at the Carnarvon Library and Art Gallery, 18 Egan Street, Carnarvon, or from the Shire office at 3 Francis Street, Carnarvon.