Peel Island Lazaret Cemetery

Over 180 souls rest here, in the Peel Island Lazaret Cemetery. Their stories are etched into the very ground we stand on. This cemetery, a poignant reminder of a bygone era, served the Peel Island Lazaret from 1907 to 1959. The lazaret was established as a place of isolation for those suffering from Hansen’s Disease, then known as leprosy. Peel Island, just a short distance from the mainland, became a world apart for these individuals. Many patients arrived at Peel Island, thinking it a life sentence. More than 180 patients died on the island. They were buried here, in this cemetery. Some graves bear simple numbered cast iron crosses. Others remain unmarked, lost to time. The lazaret itself was a complex of buildings. There were separate compounds for male, female, and “coloured” patients. The living conditions varied drastically based on race. White patients had individual timber huts. “Coloured” patients initially lived in rudimentary structures made of bush timber and tea tree bark. These were later replaced with corrugated iron huts, which offered little comfort. The lives of the patients were often monotonous. Some found solace in fishing, gardening, or raising poultry. Others worked within the lazaret as laborers, carpenters, or seamstresses. The arrival of the drug Promin in 1947 brought a glimmer of hope. The lazaret closed in 1959. The remaining patients were transferred to Princess Alexandra Hospital. The Peel Island Lazaret Cemetery stands as a testament to their resilience, their struggles, and their forgotten lives.