William Henry Belpitt MOH commemorated at Rookwood
His early years may have been spent in humble beginnings, a street urchin finding trouble where none was to be found, which later led to a stint in Fremantle Gaol at the age of 18 years, but William Henry Belpitt would leave his mark on society in later years as a hard-working man with a sense of justice and duty.
CAPTION: Descendants of William Henry Belpitt who attended his commemorative service at Rookwood Cemetery. Photo courtesy of Julie Rusten (Friends of Rookwood).
Not only that, he wrote his name into the history books when he was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1884, ensuring his name would live forever more.
On 29 November 1912, he passed from this life into oblivion when he was interred in an unmarked grave at Rookwood Catholic Cemetery, after dying a lonely death in the Rookwood Asylum, where records indicated he had no family.
How this error was made will never be known. But, not only did William have a wife and child, he also had extended family living in many areas of Sydney and other locations in New South Wales.
For more than a century he lay forgotten at Rookwood with not even a burial clover to show his last resting place – his lonely grave hidden in a bare patch of ground under the reaching branches of a large tree would have been trodden on over the years by countless cemetery visitors, totally oblivious to the hero who lay where they walked.
That is, until a dedicated group of men and women, most of whom were born more than a generation after his death, decided to ensure William Henry Belpitt received the recognition he so rightly deserved, with the placement of a monument that not only marked his last resting place, but also recognised his award of the Medal of Honor.
After many years of hard work and copious research into his life and deeds, the grave and life of William Belpitt was commemorated on Saturday 11 October 2025, in a moving ceremony that had been many months in the planning by the US Legion Post AU01 led by retired US Army Colonel Ken Studerus, the Warwick Group led by retired ADF Major Darryl Kelly, the Medal of Honor Historical Society and US Veterans Administration.
Great support was given to the commemoration by many organisations and groups with both Australian and US connections and volunteers from the North Ryde RSL, Ingleburn RSL Sub Branch, Oatley RSL Sub Branch and American Legion Post AU01 ensured the day was a great success by providing logistical support for the ceremony.
Belpitt family descendants were in attendance on the day, with representatives traveling from Western Australia and Tasmania to partake in proceedings.
Participants also traveled from all across Australia to attend the Commemoration.
It is to be noted that the North Ryde RSL will soon provide a permanent display to honour the memory of one of their local sons.
No longer does this hero rest in “A Bare Patch of Ground”
By Shane Dell, Warwick Group
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