Port Hedland’s culturally diverse pioneering history will be celebrated with the preservation and enhancement of the Old Port Hedland Cemetery.
Town of Port Hedland Deputy Mayor George Daccache said the Old Port Hedland Cemetery Upgrade (OPHCU) was a significant project that would lead the way in recognising the region’s past and educating future generations on the history of Port Hedland.
“The aim of this project is to preserve our history and honour the community members who have shaped our Town to become what it is today,” he said.
“Whilst Port Hedland is known as a mining and resource town, historically the Town has its roots in cattle farming and pioneering and it is important for our current and future residents to learn about where we come from.
“The project also serves as an educational exercise as the Town and community uncover new information on the Town’s ancestors and historical milestones.”
Phase one of the OPHCU project commenced in 2011, with archaeological consultants conducting Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) works and historical research on the cemetery over a seven-month period.
The GPR works identified 313 burial locations, with 103 remaining headstones and graves counted, totalling 416 burials within the boundaries. The Historical Burial Registry has a record of 522 burials at the cemetery between 1912 and 1974.
The research also revealed that the cemetery was divided into four sections, with people of different cultures and religions buried in each section. A wide range of ethnic groups was interred at the facility, including Indigenous Australians, Japanese, Malaysian, Chinese, Koepangars (from Timor) and Afghanis, reflecting the diversity of the early development of the region.
Phase two of the upgrade has involved extensive community consultation over the plans for the site, including discussion as to the appropriate name for the cemetery. Locals have agreed that the cemetery should be renamed the ‘Pioneer Cemetery’, recognising the history and heritage of Port Hedland and accurately representing the people who are interred there.
The Town of Port Hedland has actively engaged the community in the process of upgrading the Old Port Hedland Cemetery, acknowledging that many of the Town’s residents are descended from those buried in the site and that their stories are crucial to the preservation of the history of the Town.
The project is now at the concept design and planning stage and a workshop was held in March to enable community feedback on the plans.
