Sandgate Cemetery is online

Sandgate Cemetery is a major Newcastle cemetery which opened in 1881. The Sandgate Cemetery Trust needs to be congratulated on their fantastic website. For those of you who have seen Sandgate Cemetery you will understand why I have never tried to find any relatives buried there.

Whenever we drove past the cemetery when my children were younger they tried to hold their breath. They never managed it, especially as we had to travel along two sides of the cemetery. However, now a visit is not out of the question thanks to the fantastic location tools embedded into the website.



Approximately 95% of graves now have a virtual Google Maps latitude and longitude - the remainder of graves are being progressively co-ordinated by the Sandgate team. The first image on the window that is opened is the location of the grave shown in SATELLITE view on Google Maps as shown.
If Google Earth is installed on your computer, an EARTH button will also appear. Using Google tools in EARTH view, the grave can be zoomed in and out or moved about using mouse controls.
The location of the grave is shown at the base of the orange pointer. Where a latitude / longitude has not yet been determined, then a blank google map screen will be displayed. 
They also use QR codes.
QRcodeThe QR code is like a barcode, that is becoming more and more common and popular these days with the introduction of Smart Phones and other mobile devices such as the iPad. 
To use the facility you will need to firstly download and install a QR code App for your mobile device (there are many available to select from).
Each grave site (or surname set) will have a unique QR code at the top of the Left Hand panel.
Simply open the QR app on your mobile device, snap the code from your desktop computer of the grave that you would like to visit  when you go Sandgate. All the links are now saved in the app - you are all prepared for your visit.
Simply open the app when you get to the cemetery, click any link and the web page showing you the location of the grave in google earth and its photograph will be opened.


To find family members buried there I simply searched for those who had died in Newcastle and entered the surnames in the search box. All the graves I searched for today had a google map attached and photographs of the headstones.Those without a headstone were still photographed.

My most important find was that of my great great grandparents, William Henry and Mary Allsop. I knew they didn't have a headstone but didn't know where to find them. Thanks to the map below and the photograph of their space, I will be able to visit the site on my next trip south.

This is the information from the website.

 ALLSOP, William Henry
Por: ANGLICAN_1  Sec: 14  Lot: 125    Buried on: 3/01/1921    Lat: -32.871136666  Long: 151.707169777


Marker showing grave of William Henry and Mary Allsop at Sandgate Cemetery.

Grave of my great great grandparents William Henry and Mary Allsop.

Do you know of any other cemetery websites which are as well organised as this one? 

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