Karen Lewis, with the support of her mother Chris, spent countless hours gathering the information. This includes cataloguing old documents, some dating to the 1890s.
Rushworth’s Nick Buzza uploaded her research on to the website, which will be continually updated moving forward.
Meanwhile, trust member Les Hemphill tirelessly photographed the cemetery’s headstones and plaques to complement Ms Lewis’ information.
A casual gathering was recently held to thank the dedicated trust volunteers.
Avenel Cemetery Trust has made a number of significant improvements to the cemetery in the past few years.
This includes a new shed and purchasing a new ride-on mower, both achieved with grants and the support from Bendigo Bank.
The entrance from Queen St has been enhanced with a new sign and a large memorial rock has been installed.
New kerbing was also laid thanks to a grant from the Victorian Government.
A new rotunda has also been installed, receiving many positive comments from the community.
At the entry gates from Ewings Rd, a podium has been installed, providing a brief history of the cemetery and the names of some prominent people resting in peace.
Importantly, where known, name plaques have been placed on graves with no headstones.
Bollard signs have also been erected to assist visitors’ movements within the old monumental section.
Two new bench seats have been installed and more than 80 trees have been planted.
In the ‘old’ monumental section, 50 tonnes of granitic sand has been spread to improve pathway access around the cemetery.
Recently, a mystery surrounding a puzzling grave with a Chinese inscription was largely solved.
With the assistance of an interpreter, the trust can inform visitors that Chi Shen Tian was buried there in the mid-1880s.
Mr Tian was born in Ning City in China and came to Australia, most likely to work on the goldfields.
The Avenel cemetery was established in 1863 and in the late 1980s it was enlarged by the establishment of the lawn cemetery and rose garden.
The recent improvements and developments within the cemetery have been completed largely by dedicated volunteers, who have prepared the cemetery for the next century.
If members of the public are aware of information that could assist the trust, please visit avenelcemetery.com.au/ and choose the contact us link.
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