Taphophile Tragics # 19

In a quiet chapel in North Sydney, surrounded by commercial high-rise, a stone's throw from the harbour bridge, and within cooee of the busy 'High Street', lies the tomb of Mary MacKillop, Mother Mary of the Cross, the foundress of The Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart. Born in 1842 in Melbourne, Mary died in 1909 in North Sydney. She was beatified in 1995, and was entered in the pantheon of Roman Catholic saints in 2010 at Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome.

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Welcome to the 19th week of Taphophile Tragics.

Your contribution is most welcome. Please ensure that you include some details of the cemetery in which you took your photographs, and link directly to your post, rather than simply to your blog in general.

This week, Mr Linky opens at 10pm Sunday, Sydney time (GMT+10) instead of the usual Monday, because the Tuesday being the first of the month, it is the City Daily Photo Bloggers 'Theme Day', so my allegiances are compromised!!

When you can, please visit the other contributing bloggers to show your appreciation of their endeavours. Due to time zone variations and overcrowded schedules, some contributions are made later than Tuesday/Wednesday.

As per usual, we are working with the Linky with thumbnails, and displaying the oldest entry first, with no randomising.

Taphophile Tragics # 18

Let me introduce you to QR codes. I thank Gene from Oakland for alerting me to them. They were all over the media last week, even here in Australia. However, in my usual head-in-the-sand way, I went blithely on my ignorant way, until Gene's comment.

A Quick Response code is the trademark for a type of matrix barcode first designed for the automotive industry. Now, the system has become popular because of its fast readability and large storage capacity compared to standard UPC barcodes. The code consists of black modules (square dots) arranged in a square pattern on a white background. Here are some examples:



However, what if a QR code were attached to a headstone ... would that help us keep in touch ... but perhaps watch the video ...

Taphophile Tragics # 17

Last week I showed you a pair of Kohanin Hands from Rookwood. This week I am still in Rookwood but over on the Lidcombe side were the very first interments were made in 1867. I am a beginner at this funerary symbolism lark, but I am going from lists of symbols freely available via Google.

The wreath is a symbol of eternal life, with no beginning and with no end. The crown indicates victory, that is, triumph over death. But why angels? Do angels escort us on our journey to the Promised Land? And why two of them? And why are their eyes closed? And are their fingers pointing upward to the one true God in Heaven?

Any ideas?

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Welcome to the 17th week of Taphophile Tragics.

Your contribution is most welcome. Please ensure that you include some details of the cemetery in which you took your photographs, and link directly to your post, rather than simply to your blog in general. Mr Linky opens at 10pm Monday, Sydney time (GMT+10). When you can, please visit the other contributing bloggers to show your appreciation of their endeavours. Due to time zone variations and overcrowded schedules, some contributions are made later than Tuesday/Wednesday.

We are working with the Linky with thumbnails, and displaying the oldest entry first, with no randomising.

Taphophile Tragics # 16

This funerary symbol can be found in the old Jewish area of Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney, just off Necropolis Drive, close to the intersection with William Lane. This is a Jewish symbol known as Kohanin, representing the members of the priestly tribe of Aaron. There are a range of spellings, eg Cohn, and Cohen. Hands in this formation are a priestly blessing. This symbol was adapted for use in 'Star Trek' where it became the Vulcan salute, meaning 'live long and prosper'. However, in this use, it was single handed.

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Welcome to the 16th week of Taphophile Tragics.

Your contribution is most welcome. Please ensure that you include some details of the cemetery in which you took your photographs, and link directly to your post, rather than simply to your blog in general. Mr Linky opens at 10pm Monday, Sydney time (GMT+10). When you can, please visit the other contributing bloggers to show your appreciation of their endeavours. Due to time zone variations and overcrowded schedules, some contributions are made later than Tuesday/Wednesday.

So we are continuing with the Linky with thumbnails, and displaying the oldest entry first, with no randomising.

Taphophile Tragics # 15

Pukumani poles mark the burial sites of the Tiwi people of the Bathurst and Melville Islands. They are erected at the beginning of a long funeral ceremony known as the Pukumani ceremony. These poles are on display at the Australian Museum in College Street, Sydney, and have been acquired over the years from the islands, which are part of the Northern Territory. Ranging in height from 100 cm to 250 cm, the poles are sculpted and painted with a mixture of natural ochres and brightly coloured synthetic pigments.They are also called funerary poles, grave posts or 'tutini' in the local Torres Strait Island language.

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Welcome to the 15th week of Taphophile Tragics.

Your contribution is most welcome. Please ensure that you include some details of the cemetery in which you took your photographs, and link directly to your post, rather than simply to your blog in general. Mr Linky opens at 10pm Monday, Sydney time (GMT+10). When you can, please visit the other contributing bloggers to show your appreciation of their endeavours. Due to time zone variations and overcrowded schedules, some contributions are made later than Tuesday/Wednesday.

I had a good experience with a different Linky over the weekend, so have changed Taphophile Tragics over to this new method. However, I have not implemented the 'random' facility, because, although fair, I found it tedious when trying to work out who to visit next. However, I am open to listening to your opinion on the topic of the Linky and its implementation.