Rev. John Burdett Wittenoom, M.A., was born in England in 1789 and died at his home in Perth on Tuesday, January 23, 1855. The 66-year-old clergyman died after a lingering and painful illness which had lasted for several weeks.

The funeral was performed the next afternoon and was a mark of the respect Rev. Wittenoom had earnt from everyone in the colony. It was the largest funeral ever witnessed up till then and residents from Perth, Fremantle, Guildford and the Swan all joined the procession.

The Governor and all the Civil and military officers of Government attended the funeral, as did a portion of the detatchment of the 99th Regiment which was stationed in the colony. John Burdett Wittenoom had been the Chaplain of the two Freemason's Lodges in Perth since their formation, and their members attended the funeral with their collars and aprons draped in crape. Members of the 'Society of the Sons of Australia' also paid their last respects to their late Chaplain and draped their banner in crape.

Rev. W. Mitchell, of Middle Swan, read the service in the Church, while Rev. Z. Barry, of Fremantle, officiated at the grave. Rev. Williams was also in attendance.

Rev. John Burdett Wittenoom arrived in the Swan River Colony on January 30, 1830 aboard the Wanstead with his mother, sister and four sons. His first marriage was to Mary Teasdale who died in England in 1828. He married a second time to Mary Watson Helms on January 3, 1839.

He had five children from his first marriage - Edward, John Burdett, Henry, Frederick Dirck and Charles - and all but Edward, who died young, migrated with him. He had three more children by his second marriage - Mary Eliza Dirksey, Augusta Henrietta Maria and John Burdett Cornelius.

Rev. Wittenoom was granted land at Beverley, and also took up 5000 acres on the Swan at 'Gwambygine.' He leased out the latter until his sons were old enough to manage it themselves.

Originally he was the headmaster at Newark Grammar School in England from 1813 to 1828. He was an Anglican clergyman and was appointed by the British Government to be the Colonial Chaplain for the Swan River Colony from 1829. He served from when he arrived in 1830 until he died in 1855.

For many years he was the only minister of any denomination in the colony and in time, the size of his flock grew from a few hundred to many thousand.

[Perth Gazette & Independent Journal of Politics & News, Fri. January 26, 1855, p2]

It is with deep regret we report the death on Tuesday morning of our much respected Colonial Chaplain, the Rev. J.B. Wittenoom, after a lingering and painful illness of several weeks. the Reverend gentleman arrived in the colony early in 1830, only a few months after the first settlement with the appointment from the home government for Colonial Chaplain and for several years was the sole minister of any denomination in the province; this circumstance, and the old associations and memories connected with it, naturally caused Mr. Wittenoom to be regarded with a respect and affection, by the early settlers, which communicated itself to those of more recent arrival, and will cause his loss to be felt the more acutely. He has departed at a moment when a few months more will, in all probability, find the charge originally confided to him, then numbering but a few hundreds, but now swelled into many thousands, presided over by one of the highest dignities of our Church, a consummation which we believe our late pastor had long wished for, still in this coming change his memory will not be forgotten -- the blank he leaves in the Society so long accustommed to his ministration, will not be readily filled. The funeral, which took place on Wednesday afternoon was a striking realisation of the respect of all classes for the deceased gentleman. It was the most numerously attended we have ever witnessed in the colony. Perth, Fremantle, Guildford and the Swan all contributed to swell the procession which indeed was joined by all whom the melancholy intelligence had reached. The two Freemason's Lodges of which Mr. Wittenoom had been the Chaplain, since their first formation, attended wearing their collars and aprons draped in crape. The Society of the Sons of Australia also joined in paying their last token of respect to their late Chaplain, with their banner draped in crape. In the procession we also noted the presence of his Excellency and all the Civil and military officers of Government, and also a portion of the detachment of the 99th Regt. The service in the Church was read by the Rev. W. Mitchell, of the Middle Swan, and at the grave by the Rev. Z. Barry, of Fremantle Church; the Rev. Mr Williams, was also present.