Good Morning; I am undertaking further research intothe Preston Cemetery, just out of Melbourne, Victoria. The following is some brief data on it. * It has been known over the years as Darebin Creek Cemetery, McLeans/Macleans Cemetery, Strathallan Darebin Creek, McLean's Cemetery Darebin Creek, Strathallan Cemetery and finally Preston Cemetery. * the cemetery site was part of Crown allotment 10, Parish of Keelbundora, purchased at the crown land sale 12 September 1838 by Neil Campbell. Like many of Darebin's first land purchasers, Neil Campbell was a speculator and in 1842 sold the land to Malcolm McLean. For the next 40 odd years, the land known as Strathallan/Strathallan Estate, was leased for grazing. * In 1864 Malcolm McLean donated one acre from his property for a cemetery. Anecdotal evidence notes that early graves belonging to the McLean family existed on the site. The site became a cemetery on 21 December 1864. * The cemetery was known as Strathallan Cemetery, and for many years it was a private cemetery. On 7 March 1917 the site of 2 acres 1 rood 14 perches was gazetted as a cemetery [VGG 1917-865] and so became a public cemetery. The extra land had been added to the original 1 acre over the years. * The Council of the City of Preston was appointed as Trustee of the cemetery on 7 November 1928 [VGG 1928-2932]. * The name of the cemetery was changed from Strathallan Public Cemetery to Preston General Cemetery, following a request from the Preston City Council. * Parish Records note the following two buried at Darebin Creek. They may be the first burials in the land set aside by the family for the cemetery: - Allan Maclean, 80 years, 4 November 1844 - Hannah Maclean, 73 years, 9 February 1846 [Wife of Allan] I do have the Parish records for their burials There is more to the history of the cemetery and if people are interested I can provide a more detailed overview of the history of the cemetery. The above is a brief outline of its early history. In 1931, the wooden structure in the cemetery burnt down taking with it all the early burial records. The only data left re these earlier burials is from the headstones that are in the cemetery. The Memorial Inscriptions were transcribed by B. C. Grayden in 1987. Both the GSV and the AIGS hold copies of the list. My request: What I am trying to do is to put together a list of the earlier burials in the cemetery from 1844 (Maclean) to 1870. I do have a few burials in the cemetery (collected via death certificates) but I was wondering if any list members had information for burials in the cemetery during this time period; most data would probably be from death certificates. If anyone does have any information I would appreciate hearing from them. The 1850s/1860s is a lean year for data; the earliest three I have located to date are: WATTS, Ann, Aged 86 years, Died: 23 January 1860. CHAPMAN, Sally, aged 36 years, Died: 13 December 1860 PARTINGTON, James, Aged 96 years, Died 21 December 1860 Any help would be greatly appreciated. Regards, David Weatherill