TWO of the area’s historians prove a buried cemetery is one serious undertaking.
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Four years of research and thousands of old newspaper clippings later, Terry and Wendy Nunan are set to launch their new 500 page book, Shellharbour’s Forgotten Cemetery.
The book takes readers back to the 1820s, when the old Shellharbour cemetery was first established by Darcy Wentworth as part of the private township of Peterborough, and follows the history of a graveyard that was seemingly forgotten.
It was the earliest cemetery south of Wollongong and in 1889 it was resumed and it was owned by council.
The first recorded burial was in 1829 and the last burial was in 1896-97. Over the next 60 years the cemetery slowly fellinto disrepair and at some time between the late ’50s - early ’70s it became a caravan park.
By piecing together countless amounts of records, clippings and documents, the Nunans confirmed 190 people were buried in the cemetery and another possible 69.
Wendy said the driving force behind the years of research was the desire to reveal the untold stories and mysteries surrounding those who were once buried there.
“Because if we don’t find out, who will? and their stories will never be told,” she said.
“It’s a matter of connecting the dots. Most of these people were convicts and quite often didn’t have family here and they deserve to have their history told.”
The first known burial at the cemetery was John Roan in 1829, following on from that Mr Nunan said several respected local figures were buried there.
“A few became local leaders, Edward Killalea’s grave was here and he became the town mayor,” he said.
“Convict William Baxter ended up becoming the main shipping service provider between here and Sydney.
“Baxter would travel up the cost with cattle, wattle, bark, and other goods and take them up to Sydney on his sail boat.
“The book covers both biographies, the history of the cemetery itself and also includes a 63-page chapter on the history of shipping from Shellharbour.”
As the history of the cemetery slowly revealed itself, so too did the interesting tales of a much earlier time.
“There were a lot of deaths from carts and agricultural accidents. At one stage typhoid went through the area and caused a number of deaths,” Mr Nunan said.
“There was one women who was killed by her husband with an axe and many bigamy cases. During the ’50s there were reports where skeletons had been uncovered after rough seas and one letter went before council in 1953 stating that someone had dug-up and stole a skeleton.”
The book contains a list of 190 people who were buried there and another 69 people whose definite burial places are unknown but are likely to have been buried there. Most of these 69 are early pioneers who died prior to death registration, which began in 1856.
The Tongarra Heritage Society is offering a $45 pre-publication price until October 31 and after publication the book will be $55.
The book will be launched by Ben Meek OAM at the Tongarra Museum Saturday, November 22 at 10am. For further information email at tongarrasec@gmail.com or call 4261 3934.