The oldest Catholic burial ground in NSW, McCarthy’s Cemetery is not associated with a church building, but evolved from a private burial ground to a consecrated cemetery, always with a strong community focus. In 1806, a time when Catholicism was not officially recognised in the colony, ex-convict settlers James and Mary McCarthy buried their daughter Elizabeth at the southern end of their Cranebrook property. The land was consecrated in the 1830s, and became a cemetery for many Catholics in the Castlereagh community. ======================== Access to the cemetery is via Penrith Lakes Development Corporation (PLDC) - Phone: 02 4729 0044. Open for about an hour on the 1st Saturday of the month. Meet at the PLDC Office on Old Castlereagh Road (Gate 1) about 10 minutes before 10am, where you will be driven around to the cemetery.