The Macarthur Cemetery

The Macarthur Cemetery is a place of remembrance and historical significance, marking the lives of generations of the Macarthur and Macarthur Onslow families. Closely connected to Camden Park and Belgenny Farm, the cemetery reflects the personal, military and agricultural history of one of Australia’s most influential rural families.

The Family Tomb

At the heart of the cemetery is the Macarthur family tomb, which houses 11 family members, including John and Elizabeth Macarthur and several of their nine children. Additional family members are named on the monument, although not all are interred within the vault.

Some family members commemorated but not buried here include:

• The Macarthurs’ second child, who was born and died during the voyage of the Second Fleet
• John Macarthur (junior), who died in England
• James Macarthur, who is buried at Elizabeth Farm, Parramatta

John Macarthur died in the Cottage at Belgenny Farm following a long illness. Elizabeth Macarthur died in Sydney, at the home of her daughter Emmeline Parker.

Access to the tomb was originally via a stairway beneath the visible steps at the front, leading to an entrance approximately 2.5 metres below ground level. The vault is approximately 2.2 metres high, corresponding to the footprint of the visible concrete borders, and is brick‑lined.

Notable Graves

One of the most recognisable graves in the cemetery is marked by a sword, identifying the burial of Brigadier General George Macleay Macarthur Onslow.

George Macarthur Onslow:

• Commanded brigades of the Australian Light Horse
• Served with distinction during World War I
• Was wounded during a skirmish at the Battle of Wellington Hill (Palestine) and later returned to fight at the Battle of Beersheba
• Built “Murrandah”, now the site of the Camden House Retirement Village

His wife, Violet Marguerite Macarthur Onslow, is buried beside him and lived to the age of 102.

The Macarthur Onslow Name

The combined surname Macarthur Onslow reflects deliberate efforts by successive generations to retain the Macarthur family identity.

• The name originated when Elizabeth Macarthur, granddaughter of John and Elizabeth Macarthur and sole heir to the estate, married Captain Arthur Onslow
• In 1892, through Royal Letters Patent, she formally assumed the additional surname Macarthur, and she and her children became known as Macarthur Onslow
• Elizabeth’s eldest son James inherited the estate, but when his only son James Arthur was disinherited, ownership passed to his daughter Helen
• Helen married Sir Reginald Stanham, Paymaster General of the British Army during World War II
• To retain the Macarthur name, Helen requested that her only son Quentin adopt the name Macarthur Stanham

Today, Camden Park House and its surrounding land remain the private home of the Macarthur Stanham family.

No further burials are permitted in the cemetery; however, family members may be cremated, with ashes deposited in accordance with established family tradition.

Burials and Memorials

Burials

The following individuals are buried in the family cemetery
(the first 11 are interred within the tomb):

• John Macarthur (1767–1834) – Head of family and wool pioneer
• Elizabeth Macarthur (1766–1850), née Veale
• Sir William Macarthur (1800–1882) – Fifth son of John and Elizabeth
• Elizabeth Macarthur (c.1792–1842) – Eldest daughter
• Mary Bowman (1795–1849), née Macarthur
• James Bowman (d.1871) – Son of Mary and James Bowman
• James Macarthur (1798–1876) – Fourth son
• Emily Macarthur (1806–1880), née Stone
• Arthur Alexander Walton Onslow RN (1832–1882)
• Emily Susan Macarthur Onslow (1869–1876)
• Arthur Alexander Norman Onslow (1881–1883)

Additional burials include:

• Arthur Foot Onslow (1846–1919)
• Constance Faith “Pixie” Macarthur Onslow (1903–1962), née Herbert
• James Arthur Macarthur Onslow (1898–1959)
• James William Macarthur Onslow (1867–1946) – Major General
• Enid Emma Macarthur Onslow (1868–1952), née Macarthur
• Violet Marguerite Macarthur Onslow (1879–1981), née Gordon
• George Macleay Macarthur Onslow (1875–1931) – Brigadier General
• Francis Arthur Macarthur Onslow (1879–1938)
• Rose Sibella Macarthur Onslow (1871–1943)
• Sir Reginald George Stanham (1893–1957) – Major General
• Helen Maude Stanham (1899–1967), née Macarthur Onslow
• Michael Quentin Stanham (1963–1963)
• Blake William Saunders (1988–1988)

Memorials (Not Buried Here)

Memorial 1

• Elizabeth Macarthur Onslow (1840–1911)

Memorial 2

• Sir Edward Macarthur (1789–1872)
• John Macarthur (1794–1831)
• James Macarthur (1797–1797)
• Emmeline Emily Parker (1808–1888), née Macarthur

Memorial 3

• Anthony Waldemar Fredrik Rothe (1938–1959)
• Elizabeth Enid Rothe (1903–1990), née Macarthur Onslow
• Fredrik Ludwig Rothe (1898–1992)

Memorial 4

• Antonia Macarthur Stanham (d.1989), née Blaxland

Memorial 5

• Edward Macarthur Onslow (1909–1980)

Visiting the Cemetery

The Macarthur Cemetery is preserved as a heritage and family site. Visitors are asked to treat the area with respect, remain on designated paths, and recognise the cemetery as both a place of historical significance and personal remembrance.