Graytown Cemetery

Graytown is on the land of Taungurung traditional owners. This was a gold rush town for a few short years between 1868 and 1870 when a massive flood filled the gold mines with water and emptied the town. The cemetery was first called Spring Creek Burial Ground, then it was registered in 1870 as Graytown Cemetery. It covers a large plot of flat ground in patchy eucalypt forest, dotted around by small craters from caved in mine shafts. Only a very small amount of graves have survived to the present day. Access is by a rough dirt road, which had deep pools of water over several flooded sections when I visited. 4 wheel drive or walking is recommended, it's less than a kilometer off the sealed highway so probably a 15 minute walk for most people. There is no water or facilities except for a couple of wooden bench seats in the yard, and shade from the many trees. The front gates are not locked. There is a small noticeboard with some information about historical burials, and some photos of the town in its heyday. Many graves are lost. There's a memorial to the unknown number of Chinese miners buried there, and a brass plate for the one Chinese miner whose name was known. The cemetery is well kept, leaf and tree litter is cleaned up to reduce fire risk and the headstones that survive have been cleaned and in some cases repaired and restored to be readable.
Aug 18th, 2021

It's hidden, apparently because people kept stealing headstones. Google Maps sends you the wrong way into unused bush tracks. It's actually just down a small dirt track, just outside the east end of town (about halfway up the hill). It's an interesting old cemetery, especially the notice board with information about how many residents ended up in here. There's also some newspaper clippings from the time, which make interesting and often amusing reading. Thanks to the local volunteers who keep up the maintenance, well done!
Jul 8th, 2020