Attractions

Coober Pedy First Cemetery

The town's original burial ground, used from the early 1920s — the resting place of some of the very first people to live and die on the opal fields.

Highlights

  • Coober Pedy’s original cemetery, in use from the early 1920s
  • Around 50 graves — pioneers, miners and children of the early field
  • The oldest marked grave dates to 1921

Coober Pedy’s First Cemetery (Lot 187) is the town’s original burial ground, in use from the early 1920s — barely a few years after opal was first found here. It holds around 50 graves, among them pioneers, early miners and a number of infants and children, a sobering record of how hard those first years on the field could be. The oldest marked grave belongs to James Connelly (d. 1921).

It’s a small, quiet, historic spot rather than a polished attraction. The Coober Pedy Historical Society keeps a full directory of the graves, which is invaluable if you’re tracing family history. Please treat the site with respect.

For the town’s main (and decidedly more colourful) cemetery, see Boot Hill.

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Last checked 2026-06-30. Something wrong? Suggest an edit.

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