TONGALA CEMETERY TRUST
A Brief History
Tongala Cemetery also known as Deakin Cemetery began operations in 1877, unfortunately the records for the first 10 years have been misplaced. However, the Trust does have in its possession the minutes from March 11th, 1887.
From those minutes:
“Present: Mr A Allen W Lilford and W Day”
“Moved by A Allan seconded W Lilford that W Day be Secretary and J Griffin be Treasurer. Carried.”
“The Secretary was instructed to provide a book for his use and to get the gates of the Cemetery properly locked.”
“The money in the hands of the old committee, two pounds* was handed to the Secretary the meeting was them adjourned until Friday the first of April”
“These minutes were read and confirmed April 1 1887”
NB: *Two pounds would be worth over $1,600 today.
While William Day and James Griffin were elected Secretary and Treasurer, the Chairman was nominated at each meeting from those present. The minutes continue in similar fashion until 1901 when there is a 36 year hiatus until January 19th, 1937 when Trust met in the Shire Hall with A G Hurleston in the Chair and F C Ailwood appointed as Secretary. The appointment of Office Bearers continued in a similar vein until 1970 when another gap in the minutes of Trust occurs.
The original part of the Cemetery was laid out along religious denominational lines: Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian and Anglican, see map of Tongala Cemetery.
The Entrance and Niche Wall of Tongala Cemetery was constructed in the early 1980s from a design by Don Doherty as were the Storage Shed and Toilets. This was followed by the Stone Finish Section in 1984 which was created using part of the Presbyterian Section and was extended to the east of the Methodist Section in 2017.
After several attempts to renumber the rows and graves at the Cemetery, the decision was made in 2022 to go fully digital with a website thus allowing access to Tongala Cemetery records to anybody, anytime, anywhere.
The Department of Health and Human Services has conferred Life Membership on Alan Jones, Bruce Lambert, Ken Chapman and Phyllis Hawker.