North Road Cemetery

02/06/2026

14/05/2026

Cravens Department Store - Shaping the State

Cravens was a prominent drapery, clothing, and department store in Adelaide located on the north-eastern corner of Rundle Street (now Rundle Mall) and Pulteney Street.

John Craven was born in Killala in County Mayo Ireland in 1860. He left London 29 December 1879 and arrived in Adelaide 14 February 1880.

Having worked as draper in Dublin he quickly got a job at John Martins before leaving and partnering with William Armstrong in 1886. Initially known as "Craven and Armstrong", the store became J. Craven & Co. with Armstrong retiring in 1910 and the store known simply as "Cravens".

Cravens was known for wide merchandise ranges with John travelling to London and Europe regularly where he purchased direct from factory outlets in substantial quantities, offering goods in his store at low cost, ensuring fast turnover and quick profits.

The store expanded multiple times, including a significant renovation and expansion next door in 1918. It was considered a reputable, value-for-money, "old-fashioned" department store with a diverse range including fashion, manchester, toys, and particularly well-known for dress materials.

John carried on the business until 1920 when the business was floated as a limited liability company with John as Managing Director. A further expansion in the 1920s created a substantial four-level shopping space.

John died in 1932 and his son Thomas took over the store.

The store experienced a damaging fire in the mid-1960s which led to a well-remembered fire sale before it closed.

The building was sold before being demolished in the 1970s to make way for the Centrepoint Shopping centre development currently on the site.

John’s ashes are interred in the family plot at North Road Cemetery in Path 34 South, plot 5001.
William Armstrong is buried in Path 5 South, plot VLT EH1

08/05/2026

Mother’s Day 2026
For those wishing to visit their mothers on the Mother's Day weekend, the vehicle access gates will be open on Saturday as usual and Sunday 8.00am to 6.00pm

04/05/2026

St Matthew’s Anglican Church and Cemetery, Hamilton

As mentioned in a previous post, North Road Cemetery are now responsible for the management and operations of the St Matthew’s Anglican Cemetery adjacent to St Matthew’s Anglican Church in Hamilton, South Australia.

St Matthew’s Anglican Church is one of the most beautiful and artistically decorated places of Anglican worship in the state. Funded by Mr Henry Dutton of Anlaby Estate, the church was built in 1896. The foundation stone was laid by Mr Dutton on 9 September 1896, and the church was consecrated by Bishop Harmer on 2 December of the same year.

The church was erected in memory of Dutton’s uncle Frederick Dutton, his wife, and most especially his only daughter, Ethel, who died tragically at the age of 16 after a fall at Granite Island while the family was holidaying at Victor Harbor.

Ethel was initially buried at North Road Cemetery following a service at Christ Church, North Adelaide. In October 1901 her body was exhumed and reinterred at St Matthew’s Anglican Cemetery in Hamilton.

The Dutton name has been closely associated with Kapunda and its district since the earliest days of settlement. The Anlaby property was acquired in 1841 by Frederick Dutton. In the early days Anlaby extended from near Kapunda to Tothill's Creek occupying an area of 160,000 acres. Anlaby was once among the finest pastoral properties in the state. By 1851 the property had been reduced to 70,000 acres and supported a flock of up to 65,000 sheep. Frederick Dutton died in 1890 and left Anlaby to his nephew Henry Dutton, who was responsible for making significant extensions to the house and gardens. Over time, Anlaby’s importance as a wool producing centre has declined, and today the shearing operations handle no more than 5,000 to 6,000 sheep annually.

Henry Dutton died on 25 August 1914 at the age of 70. He was laid to rest alongside his wife and daughter at St Matthew’s, following a quiet and private service.

29/04/2026

22/04/2026

ANZAC DAY 2026
At the outbreak of the First World War, Australia called upon its young men to serve King and country. The response was overwhelming, as thousands enlisted, many drawn by a sense of duty and the promise of adventure in distant lands. It was not long before the harsh realities of war became clear.
Australia’s first major engagement came on 25 April 1915, when troops landed at Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The campaign that followed was a tragic and costly failure, claiming the lives of more than 8,000 Australian soldiers. Among those who never returned are the twenty-one young men remembered here—though laid to rest overseas, they are honoured on family graves at North Road Cemetery.
On Anzac Day, we pause to remember their sacrifice, and the sacrifice of all who have served and died in conflicts throughout the years.
Lest we forget.

08/04/2026

E. S. WIGG – Shaping the state

Edgar Smith Wigg (7 June 1818 – 14 September 1899) was a bookseller, stationer and founder of the Adelaide firm E. S. Wigg & Son.

Edgar Smith Wigg commenced work as a bank clerk, at which time he developed a book club for the benefit of his fellow workers opening a bookshop in Warwickshire. He married F***y Neale Morewood in September 1846. Their first child, Edward Neale Wigg, was born in 1847 and the family emigrated to the colony of South Australia.

Edgar Wigg rented a shop at 4 Rundle Street in 1849, where he started a business selling books and homeopathic medicine. He recognized the opportunity to manufacture stationery after South Australia’s Municipal Corporations Act was passed, requiring many records to be kept, including those of council accounts, religious congregations, licences and taxation.

In 1857 the business was moved to larger premises in Rundle Street. Wigg bought another competing bookseller and became the largest bookseller in the colony, expanding the printing and manufacturing side of the business within a few years whilst also opening a pharmacy at 34 King William Street.

The company quickly expanded as it supplied educational needs and Sunday schools whilst Wigg maintained a close relationship with the North Adelaide Baptist Church and supported the Institution for the Blind.

In 1871, Edgar's son, Edward Neale Wigg, married Janet Davidson whose brother William Laidlaw Davidson emigrated to Adelaide and joined the company. Edgar Smith Wigg, also an Adelaide city councillor between 1871-74 and 1876-80, retired from the business and handed over to eldest son Edward Neale Wigg and son-in-law William Davidson. In 1885, Wigg’s daughter Mary married William Davidson, who by that time was managing the business.

The company opened branches in Western Australia and, after Edgar Smith Wigg died in 1899, expanded further. In 1901, William Davidson bought and installed the first envelope machine in South Australia and land was purchased at Port Road in Southwark (later Thebarton) for a factory to produce the envelopes. The partnership between Edward Neale Wigg and William Davidson was dissolved in 1910, with the Wigg interest sold to the Davidson family.

Edgar Smith Wigg is buried at North Road Cemetery in Plot 1838 Path 3 North along with other family members in Plots 1837 and 1919.

William Laidlaw Davidson is buried at North Road Cemetery in Plot 6032 Path 24 South.

Sadly the licences on the plots have expired.

02/04/2026

The cemetery management and staff wish you a blessed and joyful Easter.
The cemetery gates will be open as usual across the Easter long weekend.

28/01/2026

Dr Lainie Anderson OAM

Congratulations to Lainie Anderson for being awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the 2026 Australia Day Honours.

Lainie, a Churchill Scholarship recipient has long been a friend of North Road Cemetery.

Her interest in Sirs Ross and Keith Smith and the first Great Race from England to Australia in 1919 culminated in her book LONG FLIGHT HOME and her DVD THE GREATEST AIR RACE.

Lainie was heavily involved in the celebration service for the centenary of the Epic Flight, also anniversary services commemorating the death of Sir Ross Smith at North Road Cemetery and St Peter's Cathedral.

Her work on the EPIC FLIGHT COMMITEE was instrumental in the relocation of the Vickers Vimy to its current location in the new facility at the Adelaide Airport preserving this priceless asset for future generations.

As a proud Minlaton girl, Lainie was also involved the achievements of Minlaton aviator Harry Butler and was Master of Ceremonies at the commemoration service held at the graveside in 2024.

Congratulations Lainie OAM, a well-deserved honour.