Beneath the shade of ancient trees lies St Thomas Rest Park. This tranquil haven in Crows Nest holds secrets. It whispers tales of Sydney’s past.
St Thomas Rest Park wasn’t always a park. It began life in 1845 as a cemetery. The first European cemetery on Sydney’s North Shore. A significant place in the city’s history. The land was a generous gift. Alexander Berry a prominent landowner and merchant donated it. He gave it to the Anglican Parish of St Leonards. His wife Elizabeth inherited the land. It was her brother Edward Wollstonecraft’s land. He’d died in 1832. He was buried in the Devonshire Street Cemetery. Later his remains were moved. They were placed in a tomb. Alexander Berry built the tomb for his wife in St Thomas’ Cemetery. Berry himself was later entombed there. That tomb still stands in St Thomas Rest Park.
Many notable figures rest within this park. Among them are colonial politicians. There are renowned explorers and artists. Even a former premier of New South Wales. George Dibbs served in the late 1800s before Federation. Thirteen members of four generations of the Dibbs family are buried here. The oldest Sophia Elizabeth Dibbs was born in Sydney in 1809. She’s George Dibbs’s grandmother. George Dibbs fought in World War II. Even Rev W B Clarke the “Father of Australian Geology” is buried here. He was the rector of St Thomas’ church.
In 1967 an Act of Parliament changed the park’s destiny. The cemetery became community land. It was transformed into a Rest Park. It officially opened in 1974. The sexton’s cottage dating from around 1850 was restored. It opened as a museum in 1985. It houses the burial register and stories of the area. Many monuments and headstones remain. They stand as silent witnesses to the lives lived and lost. An interpretive history trail offers access to their stories. It is available twenty-four hours a day.
St Thomas Rest Park is more than a park. It’s a living history. It’s a place where the past meets the present. It’s a place of quiet contemplation and reflection. A place to remember those who came before. A truly unique and significant place in Sydney.