Can anyone shed some light on Cemetery records for me. There are a lot of cemetery records available either on-line now or on CD or micro-fiche. But nearly all (if not all) are transcripts of headstones. Which means of course that those people without headstones (and thats a lot) are not recorded. Why do they do it from the more laborious transcription method and not the actual interment records? According to the Cemeteries Act a cemetery must make available their records to the public any time they are requested during business hours and they may be copied if the person requesting pays reasonable costs. According to state and federal privacy offices the Cemeteries act, which is very clear and specific, would over ride any privacy laws. So am I missing something here?? The reason that I am asking is because my grandfather died in 1930 and is buried in a public grave at Rookwood. (the old paupers burial, now called a destitute funeral). According to the cemetery they have lost the "map" for the section he is in. So while they can tell me the section and grave number they cannot specifically identify the 9 x 3 plot he is in. Hence they are saying we cannot place a headstone or other memorial. The section in question is a disgrace - its being used as a dump with old monuments, bricks etc in the middle of the section and someone is using it to keep commercial bee hives. Many of the graves have sunken and the whole area is covered in brambles etc. Its a complicated issue as to who is responsible because the government has the burial rights so theoretically they are responsible for the upkeep. I want to create a public campaign to clean up the area and if the map really cant be found to erect a memorial for everyone who is buried there - giving the families the option of personalising a name on a memorial wall. Most of these folk were destitute only because they died during the depression. The trust who has this particular plot does not have a great record for being co-operative, in fact when I rang they were VERY rude and insensitive. (I dont appreciate comments like why would you bother wanting to know he died so long ago or its only a some old bones buried in some dirt) and I just dont want to run into privacy issues. So far I cant see that there are any - but I may be missing something. And although current legislation days that they cant reuse graves I worry that that may change - its bad enough knowing that my grandmothers grave in Nyngan may have been re-used bu an unscrupulous undertaker many years ago I dont want that to happen to her husband. Karen - researching Schuler, Miller, Reed, Carrick and a host of other names in the Central West.

There must be a lot of unmarked graves around. As well there must be some people buried in graves and the death never registered as it was too far to town to register. I have a Charles Henry Read who I cannot even find a registration of his death. We know he was a boundary rider out between Gilgunnia and Mount Hope. We know he was alive in 1909 as he gave permission for his daughter Ada to marry in Penrith. His wife Isabella apparently remarried about 1924 a Thomas Carroll. I can only imagine Charles died in the Mount Hope, Gilgunnia, Nymagee or Hermidale area. Maybe someone out west may be able to help me. My guess is he is under a gum tree at Gilgunnia somewhere. Apparently he was a great pastry cook as well.. It is sad to think there are graves that are not marked and kept clean and tidy. Regards Elaine ----- Original Message ----- From: "Karen" <karens@optushome.com.au> To: <AUS-NSW-WEST-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, January 02, 2005 4:59 PM Subject: [NSW-W] Cemetery Records > Can anyone shed some light on Cemetery records for me. > > There are a lot of cemetery records available either on-line now or on CD or micro-fiche. But nearly all (if not all) are transcripts of headstones. Which means of course that those people without headstones (and thats a lot) are not recorded. > > Why do they do it from the more laborious transcription method and not the actual interment records? According to the Cemeteries Act a cemetery must make available their records to the public any time they are requested during business hours and they may be copied if the person requesting pays reasonable costs. > > According to state and federal privacy offices the Cemeteries act, which is very clear and specific, would over ride any privacy laws. So am I missing something here?? > > The reason that I am asking is because my grandfather died in 1930 and is buried in a public grave at Rookwood. (the old paupers burial, now called a destitute funeral). According to the cemetery they have lost the "map" for the section he is in. So while they can tell me the section and grave number they cannot specifically identify the 9 x 3 plot he is in. Hence they are saying we cannot place a headstone or other memorial. > > The section in question is a disgrace - its being used as a dump with old monuments, bricks etc in the middle of the section and someone is using it to keep commercial bee hives. Many of the graves have sunken and the whole area is covered in brambles etc. > > Its a complicated issue as to who is responsible because the government has the burial rights so theoretically they are responsible for the upkeep. > > I want to create a public campaign to clean up the area and if the map really cant be found to erect a memorial for everyone who is buried there - giving the families the option of personalising a name on a memorial wall. Most of these folk were destitute only because they died during the depression. > > The trust who has this particular plot does not have a great record for being co-operative, in fact when I rang they were VERY rude and insensitive. (I dont appreciate comments like why would you bother wanting to know he died so long ago or its only a some old bones buried in some dirt) and I just dont want to run into privacy issues. So far I cant see that there are any - but I may be missing something. > > And although current legislation days that they cant reuse graves I worry that that may change - its bad enough knowing that my grandmothers grave in Nyngan may have been re-used bu an unscrupulous undertaker many years ago I dont want that to happen to her husband. > > Karen - researching Schuler, Miller, Reed, Carrick and a host of other names in the Central West. > > > ==== AUS-NSW-WEST Mailing List ==== > To read previous messages to this list, for at least the last twelve months, go to: > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/AUS-NSW-WEST/ > > >