William McIntyrePrint Page

The monument erected over the grave commemorates Presbyterian Minister, William McIntyre who died in 1870. 

In 1841 McIntyre was inducted to Maitland and was moderator of the Synod of Australia . On 10 October 1846 McIntyre and most of his congregation withdrew from the Synod of the Established Church of Scotland and with Tait, Stewart and others established the first Synod of Eastern Australia in connexion with the Free Church of Scotland. McIntyre was elected its first moderator.

In 1860 he advertised a lecture on `The Heathenism of Popery, Proved and Illustrated`, which upset Irish Catholics and led to the famous Maitland riots, said to have involved over 1000 people. McIntyre was injured and seventeen prosecutions followed. In February 1862 he became minister of St George`s, Sydney. The congregation was in dire financial straits with a building debt of over £10,000. He proved not only a faithful pastor but also ministered without stipend and succeeded in paying off the debt. He died in 1870 and a massive monument with a Latin inscription by Professor Badham marks his grave in Rookwood cemetery.

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