Why Photograph Cemeteries?People often ask me why I spend so much time in cemeteries photographing............
We are losing cemetery headstones at an alarming rate from weathering, deterioration and old age, lack of maintenance, spreading mould, reclaiming of gravesites and most distressing of all, vandalism. This is why we are committed to preserving this heritage for future generations. By photographing the gravestones of these ancestors, we are actively recording family history not only for those researching now, but those in the future. I do this work because I believe that the legacy of every person deserves to be remembered in photographic form, and that the heritage of the Pioneers of the State of South Australia should be kept for preservation by the National Library and for future generations. Many headstones become unreadable or damaged well before the lease expiry date. |
Our Story.........
For 6 years I have travelled about the state of South Australia photographing complete cemeteries for the benefit of the genealogy enthusiast.
With 681 cemeteries already photographed and over 281,000 photos, this is one of the largest collections available to the public.
I have made an effort to visit as many cemeteries as possible, but are limited to weekends and our 'annual holidays'. It then takes many, many hours looking at the photos to rename them by surnames.
My aim is to photograph at least one cemetery per week. Something we more than achieved in both 2008 2009 and 2010.
In 2005, when I began our 'little project', it became apparent that there is a need for photos to be made available to those who are unable to travel to city, country and remote destinations.
By making available the District CD's to both the State and National Libraries, the headstones will now be a 'living memory' and not ravaged by the sands of time and lost to 'the enthusiast' of the future.
In the past three years we travelled a total of over 30,000 klms, specifically to photograph cemeteries. All proceeds from sales went towards the costs associated with travel, however we still incur losses in the thousands of dollars each year.
I wish everyone well with their research.
What's New?
Working daily on WWI websites - have just spent $2,900 on (5) 1917 All Australia Memorial Books to continue supplying free of charge photos to the public of WWI servicemen - lots more photos coming your way!!!! Mostly South Australian, Queenland, Victoria and NSW
Purchased Bank of NSW Honour Roll Book
Purchased Education Department's Record of War Service 1914-1919 Victoria- 1921 edition (currently uploading photographs)
Purchased National Bank of Australasia War Service Records book.
Working daily on WWI websites - have just spent $2,900 on (5) 1917 All Australia Memorial Books to continue supplying free of charge photos to the public of WWI servicemen - lots more photos coming your way!!!! Mostly South Australian, Queenland, Victoria and NSW
Purchased Bank of NSW Honour Roll Book
Purchased Education Department's Record of War Service 1914-1919 Victoria- 1921 edition (currently uploading photographs)
Purchased National Bank of Australasia War Service Records book.
The 2011 year in review
A mixed year it has been - not a lot of cemetery work with only the Peterborough Cemetery and Lockleys Anglican Parish, Mildura War Cemetery and some Centennial Park sections being photographed. But the WWI Pictorial Honour Rolls for soldiers has really taken off with over 6,100 photographs now available on the various states. My sincere thanks to those that are helping with research, without your generous support I would not have as many photographs currently available to the public. More obituaries have also been added. On a personal note my time has been limited with a snapped tendon off the bone in my right hand, which 5 months later is still giving me problems. Our daughter was married in October in Brisbane, which was a wonderful day.
The 2010 year in review
Once again we travelled far and wide throughout the state, completing the following - Northern Areas Council District, Whyalla District, Mount Remarkable District and the Mid Murray and Light District. Bonus Districts that were completed were Playford, Charles Sturt, Goyder, Kangaroo Island and the Orroroo and Carrieton District has also almost been completed, as well as many of the Ceduna area cemeteries are now available thanks to a kind donation of time and photographs from Beth.
The Obituaries website is going well, with now over 1,000 available.
Also the WWI Pictorial Honor Roll of South Australians had gained momentum and will soon have over 750 photographs of servicemen available.
The Religious Orders pages have been expanded to include all of Australia.
All of which I will be working on over the Summer months to come.
Another website 'Book of Memories' to record where people's ashes have been spread is now also available and looking for contributions.
I have also photographed a large portion of Centennial Park Cemetery - an ongoing project for 2011.
Our only target for this year that we didn't achieve was that of the Broken Hill Cemetery - hopefully in 2011.
Once again we travelled far and wide throughout the state, completing the following - Northern Areas Council District, Whyalla District, Mount Remarkable District and the Mid Murray and Light District. Bonus Districts that were completed were Playford, Charles Sturt, Goyder, Kangaroo Island and the Orroroo and Carrieton District has also almost been completed, as well as many of the Ceduna area cemeteries are now available thanks to a kind donation of time and photographs from Beth.
The Obituaries website is going well, with now over 1,000 available.
Also the WWI Pictorial Honor Roll of South Australians had gained momentum and will soon have over 750 photographs of servicemen available.
The Religious Orders pages have been expanded to include all of Australia.
All of which I will be working on over the Summer months to come.
Another website 'Book of Memories' to record where people's ashes have been spread is now also available and looking for contributions.
I have also photographed a large portion of Centennial Park Cemetery - an ongoing project for 2011.
Our only target for this year that we didn't achieve was that of the Broken Hill Cemetery - hopefully in 2011.
The 2009 year in review
Looking back we have certainly achieved a lot this year! With 145 more cemeteries added to the site we are now well on our way to having close to 250,000 headstones photographed - something that I would never have imagined possible when I first started this project. We travelled far and wide this year and completed all the areas in the South East of the State - Barossa and Clare Districts, Salisbury District, Wakefield District and tackled the two large cemeteries of North Road Anglican and Cheltenham Cemetery here in the Adelaide Metro Area. Two highlights were giving presentations to the Fleurieu Peninsula and South East Family History Groups.
We have purchased our own domain name - www.gravesecrets.net and www.webgenaustralia.com to assist you with your research needs on the web.
Our website has been revamped - something that took me many weeks - and I now have added the 'Local History Book' section which I will be working on over the summer months. I hope this adds another useful aspect to your research.
The name search page appears to be another useful tool that everyone appreciates - it was my aim to be able to put in a surname and have available every cemetery where there is a headstone by that name listed - but unfortunately with permission from the Adelaide Cemeteries Authority denied for acess to West Terrace (the most historic cemetery here in South Australia), Enfield and Smithfield cemeteries, sadly this will never become a reality.
Did you know that the South Australian BDM disks will not run on a 64bit operating system with Windows7 Home Premium? (This is what most new computers now have). You can overcome this problem by purchasing Windows7 Professional.
Windows 7 64bit using ‘Windows Virtual PC – XP Mode’
You need to download it from http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/default.aspx
Follow the instructions to install the above. Then start XP mode and install the BDM’s
Looking back we have certainly achieved a lot this year! With 145 more cemeteries added to the site we are now well on our way to having close to 250,000 headstones photographed - something that I would never have imagined possible when I first started this project. We travelled far and wide this year and completed all the areas in the South East of the State - Barossa and Clare Districts, Salisbury District, Wakefield District and tackled the two large cemeteries of North Road Anglican and Cheltenham Cemetery here in the Adelaide Metro Area. Two highlights were giving presentations to the Fleurieu Peninsula and South East Family History Groups.
We have purchased our own domain name - www.gravesecrets.net and www.webgenaustralia.com to assist you with your research needs on the web.
Our website has been revamped - something that took me many weeks - and I now have added the 'Local History Book' section which I will be working on over the summer months. I hope this adds another useful aspect to your research.
The name search page appears to be another useful tool that everyone appreciates - it was my aim to be able to put in a surname and have available every cemetery where there is a headstone by that name listed - but unfortunately with permission from the Adelaide Cemeteries Authority denied for acess to West Terrace (the most historic cemetery here in South Australia), Enfield and Smithfield cemeteries, sadly this will never become a reality.
Did you know that the South Australian BDM disks will not run on a 64bit operating system with Windows7 Home Premium? (This is what most new computers now have). You can overcome this problem by purchasing Windows7 Professional.
Windows 7 64bit using ‘Windows Virtual PC – XP Mode’
You need to download it from http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/default.aspx
Follow the instructions to install the above. Then start XP mode and install the BDM’s
