As with most Aboriginal groups in Australia prior to European colonisation, the Birrabirragal people lived a traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle that utilised the natural resources available in their environment to achieve the physical and spiritual nourishment to sustain their way of life.

[1] European exploration into the coastal region of eastern Sydney commenced in 1790 with the establishment of a signal station at South Head.

[1] In 1841 the Reverend Lancelot Threlkeld became the Congregationalist minister at South Head, and requested the Governor make a land grant for a cemetery.

The Sydney Morning Herald noted on 9 September 1845: 'His Excellency the Governor has been pleased, in answer to a memorial from the inhabitants of South Head, to grant one acre of land for the purpose of a general cemetery for the interment of the dead, without any restrictions as to the religious persuasion of the deceased.

[1][5] The first funeral held at South Head for a public figure was that of Margaret, wife of Sir John Robertson, on 8 August 1889.

Sir John was buried with his wife on 10 May 1891, and the Singleton Argus of 13 May 1891 commented: "The cemetery itself, bleak and unornamented, is a dreary enough looking place, but its appearance on Sunday afternoon, with people walking about it, was almost weird."

Sir John's body was conveyed by boat from Watsons Bay to Circular Quay from where the funeral procession proceeded back to South Head by road to allow the public to pay their respects along the route.

[1] In 1895 the Trust appointed a Secretary, Edwin Stanhope Sautelle, who was also the Clerk and Engineer of Vaucluse Borough Council which was established in that year.

[1] The tram line extension from Edgecliff to Watsons Bay opened in 1909 along New South Head Road, passing close by the cemetery.

Two years later in 1925, the Governor's remains were moved to the central avenue and a large Celtic cross monument was erected by public subscription.

[7] An article in The Watchman newspaper on 13 August 1925 stated: 'In the last two or three years the trustees have spent over A£8,000, principally in substantial stone fences, cemented paths, etc.

The move was opposed by Sir John Sulman, president of the Town Planning Association, who stated that the extension would block the proposed cliff walk and drive from The Gap (Watsons Bay) to Ben Buckler (North Bondi), and condemned the practice of having cemeteries in the middle of residential areas.

[1][8] The South Head General Cemetery was the scene of a dramatic series of funerals in 1927, including twelve on one day, following the sinking of the ferry Greycliffe on Sydney Harbour with the loss of 40 lives.

On 3 November the ferry was travelling from Circular Quay and Garden Island heading for Nielsen Park and Watsons Bay when it collided at 4.15 pm with the steamer Tahiti and sank.

From the main gates, a sweeping avenue leads down to the ornately-carved Celtic cross, erected by the people of Sydney, to commemorate the grave of Sir Walter Edward Davidsion (d. 1923), Governor of NSW, 1918–23.

One of the most famous monuments is the marble bust to motor car racer, Phil Garlick (d. 1927), complete with steering wheel and racing cap flaps.

[11][1] South Head Cemetery also features a number of naval burials, often marked with anchors – commanders and captains who now enjoy ocean views.

It is on land originally granted in 1845 and eventually founded in 1868 as part of the attempt to cope with the growing demand for new burial grounds following the closure of Devonshire Street Cemetery in Surry Hills.

It contains the graves of people drowned in the 1927 sinking of the "Greycliffe" in Sydney Harbour and others associated with important events in the history and development of NSW.

[1] South Head General Cemetery is of state heritage significance as a representative example of a burial ground that can demonstrate the principal characteristics of a general public cemetery from the Victorian period in NSW including funerary monuments which have evolved over time and reflect the social values and attitudes of the Australian community towards death and commemoration from the late 19th century to the present day.

The construction of the substantial homes in these suburbs demonstrates the area's popularity with Sydney's political, cultural and business leaders since the nineteen century as does the burial of many of these individuals in South Head Cemetery.

[1] The cemetery is still in use and demonstrates the cultural diversity and changing social values and attitudes of the Australian people towards death and its commemoration over nearly 150 years.

South Head General Cemetery is of state heritage significance for its historical association with a number of high-achieving, famous and notable people from across NSW, Australia and the world.

Over nearly 150 years South Head Cemetery has become the final resting place for over 6,000 people, including 137 listed in the Australian Dictionary of Biography.

[1] The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales.

[1] The cemetery contains a collection of highly intact funerary monuments and grave furniture with a predominance of granite and trachyte, along with some sandstone and marble.

[1] Significant monuments of high aesthetic significance include the monuments to Governor Walter Davidson and Archbishop John Wright, the tomb of Sir John Robertson designed by noted architect John Horbury Hunt, Hunt's own grave of brick, the cenotaph-style monument to Sydney Lord Mayor Archbald Howie (1943), the Foy family gravestone with the family members' signatures reproduced, the finely sculpted bas-relief of an angel and four cherubs on the grave of Fanny Eleanor Elizabeth Wheeler (1932) and the white marble sculpture of motor racing driver "Phil" Garlick who was killed in an accident at Maroubra Speedway (1927).

[1] The cemetery reflects the cultural and religious diversity of the Australian community since 1870 and its contemporary social significance is increased by its public accessibility and regular visitation.

[1] The funerary monuments reflect the social values and attitudes of the Australian community towards death and commemoration from the late 19th century to the present day, with strong representation of the inter-War years.

[1] The ongoing operation of the cemetery and the gradual introduction of different styles of monument (such as lawn graves) demonstrate the changing attitudes of the community towards funerary practices in NSW over time.