Connecting past with present: Pilot’s grave sparks amazing volunteer effort
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In the heart of Far North Queensland, a heartwarming tale of community spirit and historical preservation is unfolding at the Mareeba Pioneer Cemetery.
A dedicated group of volunteers, about 40 strong, have taken it upon themselves to breathe new life into the final resting places of the town's earliest settlers, including inventors, explorers, and war heroes.
Their mission? To restore pride and dignity to the 360 graves that have already been tended to, with a pressure cleaner, elbow grease, and white paint, with another 600 graves to go.
The initiative was sparked by amateur war historian Michael Musumeci, who, while researching aircraft crashes in the Lockhart River region, stumbled upon the grave of Australian Air Force co-pilot officer Graham Brindley John Robertson.
‘It's not just about recognising our forefathers and pioneers from this district, but bringing back the graves in a respectful way,’ he said.
‘And we're not just painting but collating all the beautiful stories and the history of each and every person buried here.’
Officer Robertson's grave, which lay in a state of disrepair, surrounded by weeds, became the catalyst for a much larger project.
‘I contacted the family of Officer Robertson for permission to respectfully clean and paint his grave, and they said yes,’ he said.
‘It started from there, and before we knew it, we were painting graves of explorers, the first bakers in Mareeba and World War I diggers.’
The volunteers not only restored headstones but also collected and shared the stories of those who lay beneath them.
Each grave tells a tale, and through social media, these stories are being brought to light, connecting the past with the present.
The community's response has been overwhelmingly positive, with families coming forward to request restorations and share photographs and anecdotes of their ancestors.
This connection has allowed the volunteers to put faces to the names etched in stone and to honour each individual's memory in a personal way.
‘What's great is we can now put faces to each of the graves, and we now know the stories of each and every one we've painted,’ Musumeci said.
Among the volunteers is Barry McElligott, a Mareeba resident with deep roots in the cemetery.
‘I've got family buried in the Pioneer Cemetery, including my grandparents, my great-grandparents and an uncle,’ he said.
‘We haven't painted my family's graves yet as we haven't got to that end of the cemetery…but I have permission from the rest of the family to paint the graves.’
Sue Richards, another volunteer who discovered a family connection to the cemetery, was struck by its forlorn state upon her first visit.
‘I don't believe cemeteries should be left to just rot. They should be a place of peace and calm,’ she said.
The local Crime Stoppers group has also supported the volunteers, providing sustenance and camaraderie with sausage sizzles and free coffee.
‘I don't believe there's been as much vandalism since we've started cleaning up the gravesites, which is great,’ Darren Alston said while flipping sausages on the barbecue.
‘The painted graves also stand out as you drive past the cemetery, and it looks so much better.’
Have you been involved in a community project like this, or do you have a story about how your local area has come together to honour its history? Share your experiences in the comments below!
A dedicated group of volunteers, about 40 strong, have taken it upon themselves to breathe new life into the final resting places of the town's earliest settlers, including inventors, explorers, and war heroes.
Their mission? To restore pride and dignity to the 360 graves that have already been tended to, with a pressure cleaner, elbow grease, and white paint, with another 600 graves to go.
The initiative was sparked by amateur war historian Michael Musumeci, who, while researching aircraft crashes in the Lockhart River region, stumbled upon the grave of Australian Air Force co-pilot officer Graham Brindley John Robertson.
‘It's not just about recognising our forefathers and pioneers from this district, but bringing back the graves in a respectful way,’ he said.
‘And we're not just painting but collating all the beautiful stories and the history of each and every person buried here.’
A team of 40 volunteers cleaned and repainted over 300 graves at the Mareeba Pioneer Cemetery. Credit: Mochael Musumeci / Facebook
Officer Robertson's grave, which lay in a state of disrepair, surrounded by weeds, became the catalyst for a much larger project.
‘I contacted the family of Officer Robertson for permission to respectfully clean and paint his grave, and they said yes,’ he said.
‘It started from there, and before we knew it, we were painting graves of explorers, the first bakers in Mareeba and World War I diggers.’
The volunteers not only restored headstones but also collected and shared the stories of those who lay beneath them.
Each grave tells a tale, and through social media, these stories are being brought to light, connecting the past with the present.
The community's response has been overwhelmingly positive, with families coming forward to request restorations and share photographs and anecdotes of their ancestors.
This connection has allowed the volunteers to put faces to the names etched in stone and to honour each individual's memory in a personal way.
‘What's great is we can now put faces to each of the graves, and we now know the stories of each and every one we've painted,’ Musumeci said.
Among the volunteers is Barry McElligott, a Mareeba resident with deep roots in the cemetery.
‘I've got family buried in the Pioneer Cemetery, including my grandparents, my great-grandparents and an uncle,’ he said.
‘We haven't painted my family's graves yet as we haven't got to that end of the cemetery…but I have permission from the rest of the family to paint the graves.’
Sue Richards, another volunteer who discovered a family connection to the cemetery, was struck by its forlorn state upon her first visit.
‘I don't believe cemeteries should be left to just rot. They should be a place of peace and calm,’ she said.
The local Crime Stoppers group has also supported the volunteers, providing sustenance and camaraderie with sausage sizzles and free coffee.
‘I don't believe there's been as much vandalism since we've started cleaning up the gravesites, which is great,’ Darren Alston said while flipping sausages on the barbecue.
‘The painted graves also stand out as you drive past the cemetery, and it looks so much better.’
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