West Terrace Cemetery drawing record crowds

Ida Dorthea Schultz, from Holland, Rebekah Webber, from the UK, Wendy Meesters from Holland, and Alisha Osborne, from the UK, at the West Terrace Cemetery. Picture: MATT TURNER Source: News Corp Australia

IT is a haven of peace for those passed but West Terrace Cemetery is also alive with tourists.

The state’s oldest cemetery has become a magnet for visitors keen to discover the heritage in its rows of headstones.

Popular new guided tours and self-guided walking trails have seen visitor numbers hit record levels.

Figures released by the Adelaide Cemeteries Authority show there were 12,672 tourism-based visitors to West Terrace Cemetery last year, the highest number of visitors on record.

The result represents a 26 per cent increase on visitor numbers compared to 2013 and is more than double the 6153 people who visited the State Heritage-listed cemetery in 2011.

Ida Dorthea Schultz, Rebekah Webber, Alisha Osborne, and Wendy Meesters at the West Terrace Cemetery. Picture: MATT TURNER

Adelaide Cemeteries Authority chief executive Robert Pitt said he was delighted with the massive spike in tourist numbers.

“(Last year) was a fantastic year for tourism-based visitation to West Terrace Cemetery, which continues to grow its reputation as one of South Australia’s tourism hot spots,” he said.

“The result is a reflection of the hard work the Adelaide Cemeteries Authority has undertaken to develop the historical significance of West Terrace Cemetery and the many fascinating stories of those buried there.

“Our guided tours and self-guided walking trails proved extremely popular last year, including the new night tours we launched on Friday evenings incorporating a theatrical sound and light experience with period actors.

“The cemetery was also inducted into the SA Tourism Hall of Fame last year for excellence in heritage and cultural tourism, so it was certainly a big year which we’re already looking to build on in 2015.”

West Terrace Cemetery is Australia’s oldest operating capital city cemetery and now features five self-guided themed trails for visitors to walk, including the “Heritage Highlights”, “Beliefs, Attitudes and Customs”, “Trailblazing Women”, “Stories of the Everyday” and “Natural Heritage” trails.

There are also guided tours every Tuesday and Sunday, and special night tours every Friday evening.

These reveal the tales of triumph and tragedy, success and scandal among the state’s great leaders, pioneers, humanitarians and scallywags.

Mr Pitt said the Adelaide Cemeteries Authority continued to develop as the state’s most innovative provider of cemetery, burial and cremation services, while providing welcoming places for people to visit all year round.

“As well as managing funeral needs, Adelaide Cemeteries Authority acknowledges its responsibility to the wider community, and our guided tours and self-guided trails at West Terrace Cemetery are a great example of that,” he said.

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