Kangarilla Chapel and Cemetery
The land on which the Chapel and Cemetery are located, on the corner of Sand Road and Kangarilla Road, was originally donated by Mr John Botrill (the land owner at the time) as he was declaring some of his holdings for the township of Kangarilla. Mr Botrill’s main reason for this donation was so that the whole community of Kangarilla would have a place to “Worship the Lord forever”.
The Chapel dates back to 1853 when the original Chapel was built. When this timber structure fell down, the community raised the money to rebuild a stronger building, which was completed and opened in 1855, this building plus more recent additions, remains standing today.
The Methodist Cemetery was used from 1855 to 1905.
The records of the burials, as to identities of the people who were buried in the cemetery, are unfortunately incomplete, as the official records kept by the church were destroyed. From local knowledge and the remaining intact headstones (which give us some of the names), we believe that the Kangarilla Methodist Colonist Cemetery holds more than the 32 listed persons in the Kangarilla/Clarendon Cemetery book
The history of Eyre Flat (the original name before the township was developed in Kangarilla) is full of riches from the early settler families meeting and mixing (e.g. working, sharing meals, worshipping with, and together forming the Kangarilla community) together with the local Aboriginal people. Today’s community still has many descendants of the early settlers and continues to have a strong community spirit.
The Church and the Cemetery are now 156 years old, and they have served the community of Kangarilla well.
Happy Hunting.
CPwanderer,Doctor Owl and Ismartis