The heritage-listed Central Station is always abuzz with activity, with rush hour commuters and the never-ending noise of trains and buses a constant at the transportation hub. As the busiest and largest railway station in Australia, it serves millions of travellers annually. In fact, ninety-six percent of Sydney’s train services pass through Central. Yet, few are aware of what lies beneath it. The station stands on what was once the site of the Devonshire Street Cemetery — the main burial ground for Sydney between 1820 and 1866. Before its closure in 1867, it was the final resting place for many prominent figures from Sydney and across Australia in the 19th century. Here’s what you might not know about the station’s fascinating history.
Central Station and the Devonshire Street Cemetery
This expansive cemetery spanned the area between Sydney’s Elizabeth, Pitt, and Devonshire streets — where Central Station now stands. According to the City of Sydney archives, the cemetery quickly reached capacity in the years following its opening in 1820, becoming overgrown and neglected as the city rapidly continued expanding around it. The cemetery was officially closed to new burials in 1867, but it wasn’t until 1901 that the NSW Government reclaimed the land to make way for Central Railway Station.
While the majority of the graves were relocated before the station was built in 1901, over 60 graves and five vaults have been discovered since then, in part due to poor record-keeping. During the construction of the new metro platforms, brick vaults, crypts, and eventually human remains dating back over 200 years were found.
Central Station has undergone a major transformation in recent years with new metro platforms, art fixtures, escalators, and high ceilings, but echoes of its 19th-century past still linger beneath all the modern upgrades. Read more about Devonshire Street Cemetery here.