BY DI SNEDDON
Tracing family history is an addictive hobby and so often people want to know where their ancestors have been laid to rest.
There is nothing quite like visiting the grave of a relative from a long, lost past and now Family History Society Singleton Inc. have made that opportunity somewhat easier.
Members Carol Garvie, Michael Heffernan and John Tindale have been painstakingly visiting cemeteries and columbariums in Singleton to record the names of the people and where they are laid to rest.
Given there are 67 cemeteries in Singleton, it is fair to say it has taken some time.
“You have the larger cemeteries like Sedgefield but there are also places where only one person is buried,” John said adding that there are two cemeteries they have not been able to gain access to but are hoping to do so once arrangements can be sorted.
There are also 1800 unmarked graves amongst the thousands of names.
The names have been collated into books with some covering just the one cemetery and others incorporating several small, country cemeteries into the one publication.
All are available for purchase for $20.
Carol Garvie, who has a close association with St Clement’s Church at Camberwell has gone one step further with her publication and her booklet includes the history of the church that was deconsecrated in 2013 after it was subject to a malicious vandalism attack and set alight.
Mrs Garvie has also included obituaries of those buried that she could track down and this publication sells for $30.
Unfortunately the society, whose home is at the Mechanics Institute at 74 George Street, Singleton, is closed due to covid for the time being but you can visit by appointment by calling society president Lyn MacBain on 6572 2235 or emailing fa**************@ya***.au
