Pioneer Memorial Park - Merriwa, NSW, Australia - Municipal Parks and Plazas on Waymarking.com

This is a very small Municipal Park, with limited facilities, and more of a memorial to the Pioneers of the area. A three-sectioned wall stands behind the fountain, that wasn't working, but had water in it, when I was there in September, 2018.

Behind the Park is now the Memorial Swimming Pool, and as the Catholic Cemetery was removed for the building of that, some of the headstones were removed and placed here. A white marble cross is from the grave of William and Theresa Egan; with the sandstone headstone being rather weathered and hard to read.

From 'A History of Merriwa', John Oxley the explorer came through here in 1817, and while the first white settlers are believed to have come in the 1820's, the first land sales were held here in October 1840, with land being sold for the equivalent of $8/acre. The Merriwa Shire was incorporated in 1906, later becoming united with Scone into the Upper Hunter Shire. (visit link)

Merriwa is about half way between Newcastle and Dubbo, on the Golden Highway, an easier route than going through the Blue Mountains. It is quite possible that the Pioneer Memorial Park was commemorated in 1988, as there is a Becentennial mosaic there. A brass plaque acknowledges the fact that the headstones are from the adjacent cemetery, that had been used between 1857 and 1908, and that this Memorial Park commemorates the early residents of Merriwa and District.

Address: Bettington Street, Merriwa, NSW, 2329, Australia

Visited: 0758-9, Friday, 21 September, 2018

Name: Pioneer Memorial Park Street Location: Bettington Street (Golden Highway) Local Municipality: Upper Hunter Shire Council State/Province, etc.: NSW Country: Australia Web Site: [Web Link] Memorial/Commemoration: Relocated headstones of Merriwa pioneers Date Established: Uncertain - may be 1988 Picnic Facilities: None Recreational Facilities: Grass lawn Monuments/Statues: Headstones Fountains: Non-pumping when I was there Ponds/Lakes/Streams/Rivers/Beach: None Special Events: None Traditional Geocaches: None Art (murals/sculpture, etc.): Not listed

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