Port Macquarie & Districts Family History Society is calling on residents to help save our historical grave sites.
The Society’s Secretary Trysha Hanly said for over 25 years the group has compiled cemetery records including burials on a number of private property cemeteries, but unfortunately many of those with knowledge of the locations of those properties have now passed on.
One of its new projects is to try to expand its records about historical burials and to do so, it needs to contact the property owners to seek permission to record and photograph the sites and any surviving monuments, she said.
This is where the Society needs your help: Do you know of any unmarked graves or graves on private property, or know the current owners and/or location of any of these properties?
Rawdon Island – Rawdon Villa.
Rollands Plains - BrillBrill, Clarefield, Cogo, Glen Esk, Glencoe, Hallidays.
Telegraph Point – Cornberry Park.
Pappinbarra – Cedar Vale, McCarthy Farm.
Forbes River – Fern Hill, Filly Flat, Holey Flat.
Wauchope – Rosewood. Yarras – Catcooey, Catharbark, Greenvale, Ravensworth.
Kindee – Bert Kirkmans. Ellenborough – Kirkmans.
Mrs Hanly said it was important to our community to save these graves if possible.
“Those burial places are a tangible gateway to the past — not only our own individual past, but also that of our local community,” she said.
“The inscriptions on the monuments can give family information not found elsewhere, and can provide an understanding of the relationships and attitudes.
“So it is increasingly important to locate, record and photograph any surviving graves on private properties now, before they are lost forever.”
Please contact Trysha Hanly on 6583 4353 or PO Box 1359, Port Macquarie, or pmdfhs@yahoo.com.au if you can help.
