Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council (CGRC) has recently digitised burial records that will allow people to search for loved ones online.
Grave location records for each of the cemeteries located in the Local Government Area (LGA) can be accessed, along with a location map and any headstone/plaque pictures. Providing accessibility and direction for visitors to find graves and monuments and memorials in the region’s cemeteries.
Flyers displaying QR codes accessible on most devices will guide people through the cemetery of their choice, showing grave sites, sections, and access to historic stories.
Links to each cemetery are also online showing the name, deceased date, age, and plot location with pictures of actual headstones where possible.
The system is an integral part of cemetery mapping, the process is all about managing a cemetery’s operations, including day to day tasks and access cemetery plot records and data. Digital cemetery mapping allows for new ways to keep accurate records and solve historical issues.
Senior Regulatory Officer, Ms Janelle Chapman said the project was a labour of love and very rewarding and is pleased that the information is now available.
“The cemetery mapping project has been a huge project, scouring through scores of records, speaking with local historians, taking photos of cemeteries, headstones, memorials and deciphering historical documents. Not only will it assist with keeping accurate records for our cemeteries, but it will also assist those who are seeking information on loved ones or chasing down historical information,” Ms Chapman said.
CGRC Mayor Cr Charlie Sheahan said this was a massive task to document, record and verify graves over 1500 throughout the LGA’s 13 cemeteries.
“The historical narrative, the information collected and the ability to continue to add to the records will be invaluable to council and to those who are seeking chronological information on loved ones, family connections and past friends.
“It’s a great effort to have this information available and to get this project up and running, with the demerger coming having all these records in place will be fantastic for the new councils moving forward,” Cr Sheahan added.
