Bachelors Grave, Tooroona, Tasmania, Australia

Date: 29 Sep 2017 [unknown]
Location: Tooroona, Tasmania, Australia
Surnames/tags: Cemeteries Australia Tasmania

Bachelors Grave is located off a walking track alongside the waterfront in Tooroona. The nearest access road is Niree Parade. The cemetery was photographed by Neil Croll in 2017.

Text of information board at Bachelors Grave

Time and tide This site marks some of the oldest known European graves in Australia. The grave marker has been lost beneath the undergrowth, discovered again, broken into pieces and restored. The inscription has been overpainted many, many times and invariably some of its accuracy has been lost. This version is as close to the original as we can manage, given the passage of time.

Jas Bachelor History has recorded little about James Bachelor. We know him only as a strapping young seaman who died aboard ship on a journey from Calcutta. In some places he is recorded as Second Officer on the Venus, and in others as First Officer. Whatever his rank, and whatever the cause of his death, one thing is clear: in this central location, safe above the high water mark, James was buried according to the custom of sailors, wrapped in a hammock or sailcloth.

2nd Offr Sh Venus A fine ship' of 350 tons, equipped with two guns and a crew of 50, the Venus was built at Chittagong, in the Indian province of Bengal, and made two voyages between 1808 and 1810 to bring wheat to the hungry colony of New South Wales. She also brought many other items in her hold, including 'candles, 5 tons of Iron, 13 Tubs of Sugar Candy, Tea, Lard, Large Rawhides, Fish Sauce, Boots and Shoes, Canvas, Coir Rope, 132 casks of Rum and Brandy and half a pipe of Madeira Wine.'

E. Bunker Comr This voyage as Commander of the Venus was a special one for Eber Bunker: he married while in India and brought the new Mrs Bunker home with him to Australia where he had set up a comfortable home at The Rocks on Sydney Harbour. After the burial service the Venus called at Adventure Bay on Bruny Island, where Captain Bunker found a bottle with French words on it – probably left by the explorer Bruny D'Entrecasteaux.

J. C. Burton Ownr Former resident of India, J. C. Burton was commissioned to supply grain to the fledgling colony of New South Wales in 1808, after its own crops were wiped out by floods. Burton traveled to Calcutta, bought the Venus, and negotiated the purchase of 3000 bushels of wheat. For his efforts he was rewarded with a land grant of 500 acres west of Sydney. In 1809 he was called on to do it again, and it was in the last stages of this second voyage , as the ship neared Hobart Town, that James Bachelor died.

o.b. Jan 28th 1810 This is the one point on which the historical records agree: James Bachelor was buried here on this day almost two hundred years ago. May he rest in peace.

Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania Department of Tourism, Parks, Heritage and the Arts

Sources:

• http://ontheconvicttrail.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/batchelors-grave-taroona.html
• http://taroona.tas.au/history/batchelor-s-grave/
• https://topics.revolvy.com/topic/Taroona,%20Tasmania&item_type=topic

Transcription

Name	Born	Died	Age	Inscriptions and Notes	Photo #	Location
Bachelor, James		28 Jan 1810		Jas Bachelor 2nd offr Sh Venus Jas Bunker Comr ob Jan 28 1810	Bachelor's Grave 1; Bachelor's Grave 2; Bachelor's Grave 3; Bachelor's Grave 5; Bachelor's Grave 6	42°57.103 S 147°21.270 E