World War One – Joseph Cook and the Peace Treaty at Versailles
Joseph Cook, Image from National Library of Australia
The End of World War One – Parramatta was involved with the signing of the Peace Treaty at Versailles at the end of the war. (more…)
Babes in the Wood
‘Babes in the Wood’ was the name originally given to a timber hut that was built by convicts in 1790.
Catholic Death Rites
St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Cemetery, Parramatta. Photograph by Caroline Finlay, City of Parramatta.
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, was founded by Jesus Christ. It is the largest Christian Church in the world and one of the most important institutions in the history of Western civilization. (more…)
World War One and Indian Soldiers
India played a significant part in World War One. The normal annual recruitment for the Indian army was 15,000 men, during the course of the war over 800,000 men volunteered for the army and more than 400,000 volunteered for non-combatant roles. In total almost 1.3 million men had volunteered for service by 1918. (more…)
World War One and Parramatta Nurses
Australia’s involvement in World War One began on 4 August 1914. Many who joined up believed that the war would be a great adventure, but none could have imagined the scale of the endeavour on which they were about to embark. Sadly, many of these soldiers, sailors, airmen, medical support staff and nurses didn’t make it home. (more…)
Cremation – Hindu Death Rites
In Hindu religion, fire is considered a sacred gateway to the spiritual world. Cremation is the disposal of a corpse by fire. It is an ancient and widespread practice. Cremation of the body has to occur within six hours of the person’s death in the simplest ceremonial way. (more…)
World War One – Parramatta Soldier – Cyril Roy Mcmillan
Image from Parramatta and District soldiers who fought in the great war, 1914-1919. (1920). Parramatta, N.S.W. : The Cumberland Argus Ltd.
Cyril had been apprenticed at Clyde Engineering Cyril and was living in Marsden Street, Parramatta when he (more…)
Orthodox Death Rites
Orthodox all-night vigil (Source: Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church)
What is the Orthodox Church?
The Orthodox stream of Christianity developed from the church’s spread across the eastern Roman, or Byzantine, empire in the first few centuries after Jesus. It was influenced more by Greek culture (more…)
World War One – Indian Relief of Beirut, Lebanon, 1918
Light Horse Soldiers of the Australian Mounted Division throwing snowballs on the Lebanon Hills during their journey from Homs to Tripoli, Charles bean, Volume 12, illustration 681
In early 1915 the Turkish Jew, Alexander Aaronsohn, travelled to the independent province of Lebanon to visit his sister and also report on the locust plague which had just devastated the area. At this time Lebanon (more…)
History Week 2018: Life & Death
Join our researchers for a series of compelling talks – Death Rites – which will be held during History Week, 1 – 9 September, 2018 at Parramatta Library.