History

BRIEF HISTORY

CRESWICK CEMETERY- OLD AND NEW

On November 7th 1856 Alexander Lewers wrote to the Colonial Secretary asking how we are to obtain a Cemetery in the township :

“Previous to the survey of this town the diggers and the residents buried their dead on a piece of ground within two hundred yards of the township boundary and which ground has since proved to be on a lead of gold…. the crowded state of the small plot of ground used as a burial ground at present makes it dangerous in the highest degree.”

This would mean that the local residents of Creswick were probably burying their dead at this site as early as 1852. More research will need to be done to determine this as fact. It also means that the Old Cemetery which was near the Black Lead, now known as Calembeen Park, was never a gazetted cemetery and therefore a proper register was probably never done.

In March 1858 Alexander Lewers, Aenaes Ross McLeod, John Thomas Jebb, Jeremiah Coffey and Gilbert Amos were appointed as trustees of ground set apart at Creswick as a site for a general cemetery, this being off the Clunes road at North Creswick.

It was not until December 20 1858 that the first burial took place, this being John James Bunyan, 2 yrs old.

In March 1858 the Clunes road cemetery was originally gazetted it being 20 acres in size. On March 12th 1869 an area of twenty five acres, one rood, thirty three perches was temporarily reserved and gazetted. This gave the cemetery a further one rood, thirty three perches.  In August 1869 improvements to the cemetery meant  a substantial iron rail fence with a blue stone basement being erected along the south side with the original gates being moved down to the new fence. 

A sexton's cottage was built in the cemetery in 1860 with an underground tank also being erected behind the cottage as the town water did not go as far as the cemetery at that time. 

The long driveway has seen many changes over the years, originally it was planted with trees to form an avenue and after 1900 this was changed to lovely gardens the full length of the driveway.

In 1909 a permanent memorial was erected in the centre of the cemetery to remember those who perished in the Australasian Mine Disaster of 1882. Of the 22 miners that died on that fateful day 19 are buried at Creswick, two in the Old Ballarat Cemetery and one in the New Ballarat Cemetery.

As times changed so to did the facilities at the Cemetery. A Memorial wall for ashes was built in 1963 and extended in 1986, this in turn was also changed with a rotunda being built closer to the front of the cemetery and 7 walls erected to hold the existing ashes and many more.

In 2010 a rose garden for ashes wasestablished behind Lawn C with 45 plots, this has been extended with a second row of roses and 88 plots. This has a lovely gravel path winding from the gate between the roses and up to the rotunda. 

In 1965 the lawn section was planned and over the next four years a water supply, paths and plinths for headstones were provided with the first burial in this section in 1969. The lawn section now consists of Lawns A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and J. 

In 1953 thirty graves were set aside for returned servicemen and was dedicated in December of that year. In 2015 to commemorate the centenary of WWI all cemeteries in Victoria were presented with a lone pine tree, ours is near the Soldiers graves and in 2017 this area was extended with a further 30 graves and in 2018 a flag pole, seats and monument with the "Ode" were installed to beautify the area. 

The first sexton of the New Cemetery in 1858 was Mr. Benjamin White until his death, his son then became sexton until 1886 when Mr. Robert Wall junr., took that role with a annual income of £120 with residence. His duties included keeping the grounds in good order and the whole of his time was to be given to his duties as sexton. With seven sexton’s since 1922 the last official sexton was Mr. A. Ellis who resigned his position in 1956. The sexton’s house was let out from 1955 until June 1969 when it was advertised for demolition or removal.

The cemetery has been run by trustees since 1858, all of whom have been volunteers until their death or resignation. Since 1995 all new trustees are gazetted for five year terms.

The current trustees in 2020 are: Ms. Sally Kennedy (Chair), Ms. Colleen Baker, Mr. Kieran Moore, Mr. Daryl New, Mr.Frank Whitfield, Mr. Bernie Charleson, Mr. Paul Ford and Mr. David Preston.

There have been over 12,200 burials in the new cemetery since December 20, 1858.