A $1820 Bendigo Community Bank grant and a donation from Richard Dalmau, a friend of the Tyaak Cemetery, has resulted in the restoration of a historic headstone.
The Tyaak Cemetery headstone belonged to Ralph Lowes Walton, a miner and shop owner, who was buried on land belonging to Squatter Alexander MacKenzie on January 23, 1869.
According to his headstone, Walton was aged 47 years at his time of death.
Tyaak Cemetery Trust secretary Beverley Bullen said research showed that with Mr MacKenzie’s brief insolvency, the area around the Walton grave was designated as the burial ground.
Further land was donated and the Tyaak Cemetery was gazetted in 1906.
“The burial of Ralph Walton, became a significant part of Reedy Creek history,” Ms Bullen said.
“The grant and donation has significantly extended the life of this historic grave in a community with a gold mining history.
“Knowing local history is important. The work has supported the efforts of the cemetery volunteers and allows visitors to investigate local history.”
Ms Bullen said the Trust was also grateful to the work of local stonemason Steve Baker, who not only restored the three broken pieces and stood the headstone in position, but sympathetically worked to keep all the original engraving.
“We could not have done all this, without the Bendigo Bank grant donation,” she said.
