Bowenfels Catholic Cemetery appears to date from around the 1850s. It contains an interesting array of beautifully engraved stones - mostly of marble - and shamrock and flower motifs are common. There are two fine examples of Celtic crosses. However, the overshadowing by trees has caused deep staining from sap and nectar on many of the monuments that are now difficult to read.
The grounds are unfenced at the front and poorly fenced with post and wire on the other three boundaries. It appeared to us that the grounds had been partly mown some months before our visit, but much of the area is in rough condition. A considerable amount of tree litter and a few sheets of galvanised iron made access to some of the graves difficult. Council has used the verge at the front of the cemetery to store roadmaking material.
Several stones have fallen and broken and there is evidence of some vandalism but mostly the monuments were in good condition apart from the staining mentioned above. Jean and Reg photographed and listed every visible inscription on 14 November 2007. The images may be downloaded from the list of inscriptions for this cemetery. That list was compiled with reference to the NSW BDM indexes and World War 1 military records for additional information.
The old Catholic cemetery is on what was once a section of the Great Western Highway that was realigned many years ago. It can be accessed from the present highway by taking the signposted turnoff to the old Bathurst Road about 100 metres on the Lithgow side of its junction with McCains Falls Road. The cemetery is close to and visible from the highway.