Pioneer Women Take Centre Stage in South Brisbane Cemetery Walk

In the quiet of night, beneath a canopy of stars, South Brisbane Cemetery will come alive with the forgotten voices of Queensland’s earliest women pioneers.

Read: Bringing the Dead Back to Life: Guided Ghost Tour of South Brisbane Cemetery

This Friday, 25 July, the historic grounds at Dutton Park will host The Pioneer Women of South Brisbane Cemetery, a compelling guided evening walk that uncovers the grit, resilience, and hidden contributions of women who helped shape the foundations of Brisbane long before it became the city we know today.

Presented by the Friends of South Brisbane Cemetery, this torchlit tour promises an unforgettable journey through time, sharing stories drawn directly from historical records, many of which have long gone untold. 

The event builds on the group’s acclaimed Women of South Brisbane Cemetery tour, digging even deeper into the early colonial era to spotlight women who battled isolation, harsh conditions, and social barriers to leave a lasting legacy on the Queensland landscape.

Guests will meet figures like:

• The woman laid to rest beneath the cemetery’s oldest known headstone
  
• Queensland’s first horseback courier — a fearless rider who made history on dusty tracks
  
• A young daughter of the early Zion Hill settlement, raised in the shadows of Moreton Bay’s convict outpost
  
• An Irish matriarch who survived over a century of upheaval, famously calling Brisbane a “dirty old hole for women,” and staying anyway

Guided by passionate local historians including award-winning cemetery researcher Tracey Olivieri, this night-time walk is equal parts reverent and revealing. It’s a rare opportunity to see the cemetery in a new light, or rather, in torchlight, and to reflect on the stories that shaped the city from the ground up.

Tickets are just $15–$20, with all proceeds supporting vital cemetery history and maintenance projects. Suitable for all ages, the event runs from 7:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. Bookings are essential via Friends of South Brisbane Cemetery.

Venue: South Brisbane Cemetery, 185 Annerley Road, Dutton Park
Date: Friday, 25 July
Time: 7:30pm – 9:45pm
Tickets: $15–$20 (all proceeds go to cemetery conservation)

Read: Now 150, South Brisbane Cemetery Hosts Belated Anniversary Event

Come walk with the past — and meet the women who built Queensland’s future.

Published 23-July-2025