Graveyard Games
Paddington Cemetery was one of the first to be established in Queensland. In its place there now stands a monument of a different kind.
A view of Milton looking out across the Paddington cemetery (1870-01-01/1870-12-31) by Department of Agriculture and FisheriesQueensland State Archives
Paddington Cemetery operated from 1844 as the primary burial ground for Brisbane’s settler residents. Like other early cemeteries, it was divided by religious denomination and included separate sections for non-believers and paupers.
By the 1860s the Paddington Cemetery was overcrowded, neglected and falling into disrepair. There were calls for a new site and in 1875 the Toowong Cemetery was officially opened. The Paddington graveyard remained, falling into further disorder into the very early 20th century.
Plans showing the old Paddington cemeteries and the present proposal (1910-01-01/1913-12-31) by Survey OfficeQueensland State Archives
In 1907, there were calls to turn the area into a park, including a sports field. The cemetery couldn’t just be demolished so the Queensland Government passed an Act that would allow them to move the bodies to another location.
A register of remains and memorials removed in redeveloping the Paddington cemetery into a park (1913-01-01/1913-12-31) by Lands DepartmentQueensland State Archives
The number of graves was approximately 4,600, although burial records were not always kept. 500 memorials and headstones were moved to a small reserve at Christ Church, Milton, and 186 bodies relocated at the request of the families, the rest remained where they were.
The grounds of the cemetery were divided based on religious denominations. An Elder of the Turrbal people was present while work was carried out within the Aboriginal Cemetery.
View of the redeveloped Lang Park which was the former Paddington cemetery (1913-01-01/1915-12-31) by Lands DepartmentQueensland State Archives
The parkland was established and named Lang Park after John Dunmore Lang. Over the years the park grew and hosted a multitude of sports and activities, becoming the home of Rugby League in Brisbane.
In 1958, it hosted its first Brisbane Rugby League Grand Final in which Brothers defeated Valleys ‘22 points to 7’.
In 2002, a major upgrade was ordered to develop the state-of-the-art facility now known as Suncorp Stadium.
A mock up of what the new Suncorp Stadum (Lang Park) would look like along side Christ Church (2002-01-01/2002-12-31) by Major Sports Facilities AuthorityQueensland State Archives
The perhaps-forgotten cemetery was reintroduced into the minds of Queenslanders when archaeology students from the University of Queensland went to the site to conduct a dig.
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During this time some of Queensland’s earliest European residents were relocated, but not all of them. Many of the bodies remain on the site today, truly dwarfed by the massive structure above, and making Suncorp Stadium truly hallowed ground.
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