Opened for burials on 1 April 1865, the cemetery was divided into two, with one an area designated for Roman Catholics and another for designated for Christians of other denominations.
12 gravestones, including those of Sir Elliot Bovill, Chief Justice of the Straits Settlements from 1892-1893, and Hans Hermann Eschke, the first German Consul-General in Singapore, were moved to Fort Canning Green.