THE ELTHAM CEMETERY
The Eltham Cemetery, in Mt Pleasant Road, Eltham, is of great significance for the Carrucan clan as it marks the final resting place of many of those early Eltham pioneers who forged new lives in what was then an untamed and wild land.
Bridget, Patrick and Peter, who all came from Ireland to start new
lives in Eltham, are all buried at the Eltham cemetery as are their
spouses and many of their children. The burial details of this first
Eltham generation is as follows:
| Peter Carrucan | Born 1837 | Buried 28 Nov 1895 | Noted in records as Cemetery ID 2746 |
| Hannah Carrucan (nee Woods) |
Born ? | Buried 3 March 1920 | Noted in records as Cemetery ID 2888 |
| Patrick Carrucan | Born 1831 | Buried 9 Oct 1894 | Noted in records as Cemetery ID 2741 |
| Mary Carrucan (nee O’Brien) |
Born 1838 | Buried 4 Nov 1927 | Noted in records as Cemetery ID 2774 |
| Bridget Coleman (nee Carrucan) |
Born 1833 | Buried 29 Sept 1901 | Noted in records as Cemetery ID 2753 |
| John James Coleman | Born 1811 | Buried 30 Oct 1886 | Incorrectly noted in Eltham Cemetery records as S. Coleman – ID 2729 |
Only Patrick Carrucan’s headstone remains as a reminder of those early
Irish immigrants. He died on 6 October 1894 at age 63 and is buried in
the family plot shown below, in the Catholic section of the Eltham
Cemetery. His gravestone was in such disrepair that Betty Erickson (nee
Carrucan) paid to have a new one erected in the late 1970s.
Unfortunately, this gravestone, like the original, only honours Patrick
and does not record the other family members buried here. His wife Mary
Carrucan (nee O’Brian) is also buried in this family plot as are some
of their children.
This and much more information can be gleaned from the Eltham Cemetary
records which are accessible via the Eltham Cemetary Trust website at http://www.elthamcemetery.com/
A visit to the Eltham Cemetery is well worth the effort and there are a
number of family members available to help with a guided tour.