The South East Family History Group and Wattle Range Council recently unveiled a plaque to mark the area of Millicent’s first cemetery
It is located behind the Sheoak Lodge nursing home on Towers Road and the land in question is owned by Millicent Hospital.
Although no burial records exist, it is understood the cemetery was in use between February 1873 and September 1877.
The area is believed to be the final resting place of numerous people as sources state that 26 adults and 34 children died in Millicent in this period.
Stone monuments commemorating the nearby Geltwood shipwreck of 1876 off modern-day Canunda were placed in this area several decades ago.
The graves of three unknown Geltwood sailors and passenger James Nelson are buried there and are marked by the tombstones.
Mr Nelson was identified by his signet ring and his family in England paid for the memorial.
The SEFHG’S oldest member Tom Telford recalled seeing the Nelson tombstone around 90 years ago.
The 95-year-old was given the honour of unveiling the commemorative plaque along with SEFHG president Noel Boyle.
“I remember the tombstone from when the showgrounds were here and I would come to the Millicent Show,” Mr Telford said.
Attended by a gathering of 30, the public ceremony was opened by Wattle Range Mayor Des Noll with a Welcome to Country.
Mayor Noll praised the efforts of Mr Boyle and the SEFHG and said much of the history of the community could be learned from its cemeteries.
Mr Boyle acknowledged the cooperation and support of Wattle Range Council and Millicent Hospital in the placement of the marker.
“We are standing on high ground which was formerly known as Flagstaff Hill,” Mr Boyle said.
“The local Boandiks had used this area for their dances and meetings.
“The death records state that many children died from diphtheria or scarlet fever.”
According to Mr Boyle, the cemetery was deemed to be too close to the Millicent town centre and so a new one was established 3km to the south and it is in use to the present day.
He said it was likely in pioneering times that persons who died on distant properties would have been buried on those farms.
SEFHG vice president Kelvin Edlington read out the names of the likely burials in Millicent’s first cemetery.
They included members of such prominent local families as Giddings, Kent, Skeer, Redden and Altschwager.
