Rockhampton City Council is offering guided tours of its historic Southside Cemetery. Held during the winter months, the tours focus on fascinating stories of people buried in the cemetery, including famous and infamous identities, as well as burial customs and practices in Rockhampton’s early history.
Inspiring individuals from Rockhampton’s past include Queensland Premier William Kidston; editor of the Morning Bulletin or ‘Kingmaker’, John Blair; famous aviators Percy and Donald Fraser; and soldier’s welfare worker, Annie Wheeler. More notorious gravesites include those of disgraced Gold Commissioner, Thomas Augustus Griffin and the gold buyer, Patrick Halligan.
Councillor Rose Swadling, said the tours appeal to a broad cross section of the community.
“Family groups, historians, genealogists and tourists have found much of interest during the tours,” she said. “The cemeteries offer a wealth of information for family historians and researchers. Many follow up this tour with a later visit to Council’s Southside Library to locate more information about family members, or Rockhampton history.”
The tour ends with afternoon tea, providing the opportunity for people to share what they found out about their own and Rockhampton’s history.
The success of the inaugural tour during Heritage Week in May last year generated a further three tours. In 2006, another four tours have been conducted.
In July, Council held a free workshop on Accessing Cemetery Records. The workshop focused on useful tools for the amateur or experienced researcher.
