Cobram Cemetery Trust secretary/treasurer Rachel McKay, assisted by Margaret Moxham, is writing and compiling The Pioneers and is hoping people might have information to her complete the work.
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The booklet is Mrs McKay’s fifth and recounts the stories of those buried in the cemetery.
Previous works include Where streets get their name (2015), Employees of Murray-Goulburn (2016), The Italian Influence (2017) and Soldier Settlement (2018), which have profiled around 200 of those buried at the cemetery.
The booklet, supported by Moira Arts and Culture Inc, will be available to buy in November for $5. Mrs McKay said the annual project was a labour of love and she felt it was important for the district to recognise those who came before them. ‘‘I love hearing the stories,’’ she said. ‘‘Everybody has a story, these people may have done their own thing but they were all a part of our community.
‘‘This is not about money, this is about recognising our community.’’
The release of the booklet coincides with a pioneers walk at the cemetery on a yet to be determined Sunday in the second half of November. The walk will be free with Mrs McKay leading a tour around the cemetery grounds, visiting the sites of people referred to in the booklet and retelling their story.
Mrs McKay would like to speak to people related to descendants of those buried at the cemetery. Anyone who can help can call into her business (BP Cobram) or email mckayrachelcct@bigpond.com
She would like to hear from the descendants of: Ashenhurst, Bland, Blows, Breen, Brewell, Brentall, Barrington, Cahill, Cantlon, Carrol, Cleave, Collie, Cox, Crawford, Davey, Doyle, Eldridge, Elligate, Fears, Fisher, Fleming, Fox, Hanranhan, Harris, Hatty, Haynes, Houlihan, Holden, Hyde, Irving, Jones, Jordan, Kenny, Levings, Leahy, Loughman, Maidment, Mansell, May, McGifford, Mitchell, Morris, Mudge, Mulquiney, Naughton, Newnham, O’Brien, Rebbechi, Ritchie, Ross-Soden, Rowe, Ryan, Stokes, Teitz, Thomson, Tilton, Thomas, Walsh, Watson, Weiss, Wightman and Woodgate.