Honouring the Past: Reinterment Service at Cornelian Bay
On Wednesday 11 June 2025, The Hutchins School held a deeply significant Reinterment Service at Cornelian Bay to honour nearly 2,000 individuals whose remains were uncovered during the construction of the N J Edwards Hub. This service marked the culmination of what is believed to be the largest exhumation project in the Southern Hemisphere — a project that not only required immense technical care but also carried profound historical and emotional weight.
The remains belonged to people originally buried at Queenborough Cemetery, which operated in Sandy Bay from 1873 until the 1930s. The first interment was that of Spencer Williams Gattidge, an eight-year-old boy, on 1 September 1873. Over the following decades, the cemetery became the final resting place for thousands of Hobart’s residents — mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, soldiers, settlers and servants. But by the 1960s, the cemetery’s future had become troubled. It was plagued by poor record-keeping and ambiguity surrounding earlier exhumations, which led to its eventual closure and repurposing.
What lay forgotten beneath the surface of a playing field at Hutchins was rediscovered during the redevelopment of the School’s site — the original, untouched graves of 1,781 individuals. Through careful archaeological work, these lives were brought back into historical memory. As Principal Dr Rob McEwan reflected during the ceremony, “To be reinterred is not to be forgotten — it is, in many ways, a return. A return to the earth with dignity. A return to rest among loved ones. A return to peace.”
The monumental task of exhumation and documentation was led by archaeologist Brad Williams and his team from Praxis Environment, including senior archaeologist Natalie Hart. Their meticulous efforts ensured each individual was handled with dignity and care. This was not merely a technical process, it was, as Dr McEwan described, “a profoundly human one.” The archaeological team’s dedication has made a lasting contribution to Tasmania’s collective memory and helped to preserve an important, if once hidden, part of Hobart’s heritage.
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Among those reinterred was Philip Palmer, a Hutchins Old Boy whose life and legacy are closely linked to the School’s early history. A student of Hutchins in the early 1850s, Philip’s peer year was 1853. He passed away on 7 August 1911, aged 77, and was laid to rest at Queenborough Cemetery. Remarkably, Philip was the nephew (by marriage) of William Hutchins himself — his mother, Harriet Owen, was the sister of Rachel Hutchins, wife of the School’s namesake. His reinterment not only reconnects us to the School’s early generations but also deepens our understanding of Hutchins’ own familial and historical roots in the Hobart community.
The service at Cornelian Bay was attended by School representatives, members of the public and descendants of those originally buried at Queenborough Cemetery. Many shared family stories and connections with each other, bringing another layer of meaning to the event. For those unable to attend in person, a livestream was made available, allowing broader community participation in this moment of shared remembrance.
We are reminded that history is not distant from us. It is something we live, inherit and carry forward — and how we treat our past reflects our values today. The reinterment ceremony is a testament to The Hutchins School’s commitment to honouring those who came before us, even when their stories have been obscured by time.
To all those whose remains now rest at Cornelian Bay, we say: you are remembered. You are honoured. May your peace be renewed.