This graveyard was first used in the last quarter of the 17th century. Presently 5 Dutch and 33 British graves are sited within its compound. This cemetery was used in two stages - between 1670-1682 and between 1818-1838.

When the British took over Melaka in 1795, they initially used St. Paul's hill as their burial ground and only in 1818 did they begin to make use of this cemetery. The first British person to be buried here was a sea captain by the name of John Kidd, while the last was the wife of a British army officer in 1838. Most of the British buried here were naval personnel. A number of wives of army officers were also buried here.

The grave that attracts the attention of most visitors is the one that has a tall column. It is the grave of two army officers, who were killed during the Naning Wars( 1831-1832 ) fought between the British and the Malays in Naning ( a district in the interior of Melaka).This graveyard has been gazetted a national monument under the Antiquities Act 1976.