Bumberrah Cemetery

27/07/2026

We're pleased to let everyone know our new memorial rock has now been installed at the entrance to our Natural Burial Area. The rock will hold memorial plaques for those laid to rest in the Natural Burial Area. A big thank you to the Barnetby family, whose generous donation paid for the purchase, delivery and installation of the rock. We really appreciate your contribution. A plaque acknowledging the family's donation will be placed on the memorial rock.

Bumberrah Cemetery relies on government grants to carry out improvements to the cemetery. Donations from individuals and families also play an important role in helping us complete projects. You may have noticed other plaques around the cemetery recognising donations that have helped fund projects over the years. While we are happy to acknowledge donations with a plaque if requested, we also completely understand that some people prefer to remain anonymous, and we are equally grateful for their support.

Some of the projects we're currently working towards include:

- Post and rail fencing around the Natural Burial Area (grant application submitted and granted :))
- A new toilet amenities block
- A granite niche wall for future ashes interments
- Extension of drainage to help alleviate flooding in lawn grave areas
- Development of a pet burial area (subject to Department of Health approval and guidelines)
- New bin containment holders
- Additional seating where needed throughout the cemetery
- Continued planting of native trees to provide shelter and windbreaks

These projects will be completed as funding becomes available through grants, donations and other sources of support.

We're always keen to hear from our community too. If you have any suggestions, ideas or feedback - positive or otherwise - we'd love to hear from you. You can contact our Secretary by phone (0417 241 562) or email ([email protected]), or simply send us a message here on Facebook.

Thank you to everyone who continues to support the Bumberrah Cemetery. Whether it's through volunteering, sharing ideas, providing feedback or making a donation, every contribution helps us care for and improve this special place for future generations.

23/06/2026

04/06/2026

At the recent opening of the Apex Time Capsule, local historian, Tim Gibson, retrieved and kindly passed on an envelope the Bumberrah Cemetery Trust had included in the 2001 capsule.

An updated envelope with current information was placed in the Time Capsule by our Secretary for retrieval in another 25 years.

28/10/2025

Some more interesting information about our area. Like and follow our page so you don't miss future posts.

𝐂𝐇𝐔𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐘 𝐁𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐀𝐇 𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐘

𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵 2 - 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘊𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘕𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘴𝘰𝘯
With the Land Act of 1869, the former Swan Reach run was now open for selection. At Lower Nicholson, land had been previously taken up by Mr Bates on the east bank of the Nicholson River near the river mouth. However, he left due to heavy losses in a drought and the land was taken up by brothers, William and Thomas Broome.

In 1869, two friends came down from Omeo; James Arbuckle, who took up land adjacent to the Broomes', and John McFarlane, who shortly after took up land next to Arbuckle’s and on either side of what is now the Princes Highway.

As the settlement at Nicholson began to expand, it is believed religious services were conducted in 1873 in the Broome home by the Reverend Marsland. In 1874, these services were conducted in the Walkers’ home at the river mouth, as they owned a harmonium to lead the singing. (Perhaps readers can sense a small element of competition here!) Rev Marsland walked from Bairnsdale and cut across the swamp on the west side of the river mouth and it is assumed was picked up by boat. A punt service began at Lower Nicholson where the bridge is now located, with Christian Bosse operating the punt and later the Gordon Hotel. This allowed Rev Marsland to visit via horseback.

(Nicholson was known as Lower Nicholson until some time after WW1, and Upper Nicholson became Sarsfield.)

“Sometime in the 1880s, it is believed a minister would come to Nicholson on a horse-drawn coach and be met by the late Jessie Irvine, who would take him home to 'Glenirvine' for tea. Members of the family would then take him to Johnsonville to a church service and return to 'Glenirvine' for the night.

Next morning, the minister would be driven to Bruthen for another church meeting, after which he would catch the coach for the return journey.”⁽¹⁾

In 1888, Lower Nicholson School, its first iteration in 1875 being a bark hut towards the river mouth, was moved, for the second time, to its present site on land donated by John McFarlane. Church services were held in the school until 1890.

Although the early selectors were of a variety of denominations, a small community such as Nicholson would have realised that there was no possibility of building a number of churches. So, as was done in other remote areas, a group of trustees representing five denominations banded together to construct a Union church, for which John McFarlane donated land adjacent to the school.

The settlers contributed £5 each to a church building fund and the church was completed in 1890, but not before the builder, Mr Latham, probably affected by the 1890s depression, withdrew, as his quote was too low. It is believed the job was completed by volunteers.

After completion of the church, with its modest weatherboard exterior and mini-orb sheet lining, it was discovered that it had been partially built on school land. The generosity of John McFarlane, who, as stated, had also donated the land for the school, was not repaid when the Education Department insisted the trustees pay the three Guineas for survey and conveyancing fees to rotate the school boundary ninety degrees to make its long boundary run north-south! This was paid by Mr McFarlane under great protest, unfortunately into the wrong account and he was billed again! John McFarlane’s reply is not recorded, perhaps fortunately!

It is believed that the Reverend Daniel Gunson opened the church; the accompanying photograph of the memorial plaque unveiled in 1935 shows the names of the original trustees. As Nicholson did not have a public hall, the church also served, right from its beginning, as a place for meetings, fund raisers, send-offs and welcomes-home for WW1 soldiers, school celebrations and recitals. To accommodate evening gatherings, a carbide lighting system was installed.

It is probably hard to comprehend the pride and appreciation the hardy settlers of those early years would have felt in this newly established centre of their small community. The Bairnsdale Advertiser regularly reported on the activities at the church in both its spiritual and community meeting place roles and today articles found on Trove provide a warm snapshot of community gatherings.

Over the years , eleven weddings are recorded, the first being George Stephenson and Maryanne Walker, and Alfred Gilsenan and Ruth Walker, both in 1893. The last was in 1930, when Ruth Stephenson married Frank Kramme.

The annual Sunday school picnic was a feature of community life, with John Stephenson Snr’s boat the “𝘍𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘭” and the Broomes’ “𝘌𝘯𝘪𝘥” taking groups to places, including Eagle Point Bluff.

(On Christmas night the boats also picked up families along the Nicholson River to have Christmas tea on the Sarsfield flats. On Boxing Day and New Years Day there were excursions to regattas at Paynesville and Metung and there was usually an excursion to Ocean Grange.)

Sadly, these congregation and overall community-bonding boat trips ended with WW2.

In the 1950s, the church was re-blocked, with Mr Bounds Snr, the father of the teacher at the time, in charge of the work.

A ladies' guild was formed in 1935 and by 1936 had raised the amount needed to construct an extension onto the rear as a Sunday School room. This was overseen by Norm Hildebrandt and his team of workers, with labour free of cost. Mrs Harding, the wife of the last teacher to live in the school residence, a room in the school building, provided afternoon tea every day.

In 1970, the last church service was held. Nicholson did not have a hall, despite endless meetings over the years to discuss the need; in 1971 a Nicholson Citizens’ Committee was formed and subsequently the Tambo Shire handed over the building and land to the Nicholson community for use as a recreation area. The small Sunday School extension on the south was removed, a larger east-west extension added and the weatherboard exterior re-clad in cement sheet. To allow the building of two tennis courts, Mrs Lane, who now owned the adjoining property, donated the strip of land required to enlarge the area.

In 1990, the centenary of the Union Church was celebrated with a large attendance of past and present residents of Nicholson. A link with its very beginnings was also celebrated when Mary Cubbins and Emma McFarlane, daughters of original selector, church and school land donor and original church trustee John McFarlane, planted a tree and unveiled a plaque in memory of the early years.

Today the former church continues to serve the community as its hall.

Much of the information for this post has been sourced from the booklets “𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘊𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩 1890 -1990” and “𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘕𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘴𝘰𝘯”

⁽¹⁾ 𝘋𝘢𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘴 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘯, 1991, 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘊𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩 1890 - 1990.

30/09/2025

Another interesting post by Trust member, Tony Barton. Like and follow our page so you don't miss future posts.

𝐂𝐇𝐔𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐘 𝐁𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐀𝐇 𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐘
𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵 1 - 𝘚𝘵 𝘑𝘰𝘩𝘯’𝘴 𝘔𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘨

On February 14 1788, Lieutenant Philip Gidley King, Governor Arthur Phillip’s Lieutenant on the 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴, sailed for Norfolk Island on 𝘏𝘔𝘈𝘚 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘺, under instructions from Phillip to establish a settlement. Just over 100 years later, his grandson, John Parker King, with wife, Antoinette, and family, paid one pound an acre for land at Metung on the shores of Lake King. About 1886, the first religious service was held in a room in their home, Mairburn.

The King family lived in three successive homes in Metung: the first at Tambo Bluff, followed by “Kingscote” (since demolished) in what is now Leighton Bay Drive, then “Mairburn” with its beautiful garden in what is now Mairburn Road. Parts of the Mairburn house and garden are still there.

In 1891, John King built the Church of St John on land at Mairburn. The first service was held on Christmas Day 1891, and Gay Halstead records information from “Miss King” that six-year-old Ethel Grant was christened. It would appear that Margaret Antoinette (Netta) King, later Bond, grand-daughter of John and Antoinette King, was the first child christened at St John’s after the church was relocated and rededicated.

(Six years later, Ethel’s father, working with two bullock teams, moved the church to its present site.)

Before the advent of an ordained man, Archdeacon Langley then later Archdeacon Armstrong paid periodical visits for the celebrations of sacraments. The first ordained clergyman was the Reverend Poynder.⁽¹⁾

It would have been no easy journey for those conducting services in the earlier times, travelling via horseback on rudimentary tracks through the bush and all its attendant dangers and foibles, be they weather, fire, fallen timber, or flood.

“The Metung community was reluctant to use the church, because they thought it was a private chapel” also “The Anglican Church passed a regulation that consecrated churches could not be located on private land.”⁽²⁾

Following John King’s death, Mrs King organised completion of her husband’s work by having the church moved to its current location, on land purchased by King, his brother Essington King (owner of Clovelly) and Mr Herbert Henty of Kew to meet this Anglican Church requirement.

“The furniture, consisting of sanctuary chairs, pulpit, altar rails and prayer desk, were contributed by Mrs King and family as a memorial to the founder of the church. The designs were carried out in fiddleback blackwood, by Messrs Godfrey and Howitt, Architects, then of Melbourne.”⁽¹⁾

“A chancel and vestry at the cost of seventy five pounds were added. Around August 1897, after buildings and furnishings were completed, an evening dedication service was held. Mrs King, on returning from a trip to England, brought with her the panels in oak frames of the Ten Commandments, the Belief and the Lord’s Prayer, patterns for the altar frontal and the embroidered hangings. These materials were supplied by a firm in St Paul’s Churchyard, London.”⁽¹⁾ “The kneelers and altar frontals were worked by the family, the book markers were given by a friend in London, the alms dish by a cousin, and the hymn board by Mr Philip King.”⁽¹⁾

Construction of a church hall, to the south of the church, began in 1920, and it became the social centre of the village. Due to irreparable deterioration, the hall was demolished in 1969. The blocks of land on which it sat were sold. For 20 years it was hoped that a replacement hall could be constructed, but this was not financially viable until the family of the late Mrs Phyl Fergie honoured her memory by contributing $20,000 to St John’s. Plans to build a new hall were now a reality and the new hall was an extension of the church: "The extension must match as close as possible to the existing building.” It was dedicated on January 29 1989.⁽¹⁾

As well as Sunday School classes, the current hall, like its predecessor, is used as the village hall for Metung, providing a venue at different times for Metung District Day Care Centre for the elderly, a children’s playgroup, a craft group and meetings and fundraising activities of the Metung Red Cross Branch and the Bloodhounds.

Relatively unprepossessing from the outside, the beautifully timbered interior and fittings of St John’s are enhanced by the marvellous stained glass windows and door panels that have been added between 1951 and 1986. In 1991 through to January 1992, the Centenary of this beloved centre of the community was celebrated via a wide variety of programs. A 125th anniversary celebration was held in 2016 and two new stained glass windows dedicated. Through a small but committed congregation, St John’s continues to serve Metung today.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘯 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢 𝘓𝘦𝘨𝘨𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘗𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘦𝘳’𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬.

⁽¹⁾ Molly Palmer, 1992. A Hundred Years Above Lake King: The Story of St. John's Metung 1891-1991

⁽²⁾ Gay Halstead, 1977. The Story of Metung and its First Inhabitants.

19/09/2025

Part 3 of our Interesting Facts contributed by Trust member, Tony Barton.

Why not like and follow our page to keep up with the news and further interesting snippets.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐁𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐀𝐇 𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐁𝐘 𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

For many of those of more recent generations, the importance to a great majority of our population in earlier times of not just the Christian faith, but of belonging to a particular denomination is perhaps greatly underestimated.

Cemeteries of any consequence were thus divided into sections for religious denominations, with Bumberrah having Catholic, Church of England, Methodist and Presbyterian. The interment of non-Christian Chinese people in those early years was outside the consecrated area of the main cemetery; these graves are now a part of our natural burial area.

This map shows the clear delineation of the areas allocated to the various denominations as mentioned. Many larger cemeteries have signage indicating these areas and possibly Bumberrah did so too in earlier years.

𝘛𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦𝘥

12/09/2025

Part 2 of our Interesting Facts written by Trust member, Tony Barton.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐍'𝐓

(A recap on a much earlier post with some additional information)

In 1883, land for the Bumberrah Cemetery was temporarily reserved. The Bumberrah Cemetery Trust was formed, with the original appointment of trustees, being Messrs J.E. O’Brien, E. Foley, M. Poulson, M. Brearley, A. Ross, J. Walker, W. Broome and J. Vipond.⁽¹⁾

(W. (William Cavill) Broome’s son, Alfred Charles, followed on as a trustee and office bearer for 50 years.)

The land was subsequently cleared and then gazetted in1885.

Originally, the cemetery was to sit within the proposed Johnsonville township. Some parish maps show the cemetery bounded on three sides with blocks referencing the names of the owners. As it transpired, it would appear no houses were ever built. Instead, Johnsonville township was located where it is today, where Punt Road intersects with the Princes Highway, and closer to the Tambo River. The surveyed blocks became part of surrounding farmland. The maps also show what we believe to be the road to Bairnsdale passing in front of the cemetery on the north then turning sharp along the western side. Today, that corner is cut off, with Harmans Road and Wyatt Road following the original alignment.

The road leading into the proposed township is today the alignment of the Princes Highway.

𝘛𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦𝘥

⁽¹⁾ 𝘉𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘯𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘖𝘮𝘦𝘰 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘖𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘳 9, 1883.

Planning Scheme version of a parish map from the Gippsland History page courtesy of John Hyett.

26/08/2025

The following post is written by Bumberrah Cemetery Trust member, Tony Barton.

EARLIER TIMES

The traditional owners of much of Gippsland, from Cape Liptrap to Cape Everard (Point Hicks) are the Gunaikurnai; within this structure the Brabralung clan lived in areas including around the Mitchell, Tambo and Nicholson Rivers as far north as Bruthen.⁽¹⁾

Within this area, lies the Parish of Bumberrah. The exact origins of the name Bumberrah are uncertain to us at this point, but it is quite possibly of Indigenous origin.

With European settlement, the area (now including the Parish of Bumberrah) became part of the large Swan Reach Station run. The run was bounded on the west by the Nicholson River, the south by Lake King, to the east by a line two miles east of the Tambo Bluff and to the north by a line around three miles from Lake King. It was first taken by Octavius Batten Sparke in 1842 and named Swan Reach for a family property at Hinton, in the NSW Hunter Valley. The next owners from 1847 were Messrs Loughnan and Taylor. The Turnbull brothers, who owned the adjoining Kilmorie run on the north boundary, took over in 1850. By 1859, John Johnson, the MLA for Gippsland and after whom Johnsonville is named, was the owner. In its final years as a run pre selection, the owner was John Edward O’Brien.⁽²⁾

Also recorded is the observation of a visitor to the area in 1885:

“A few grand looking poplars and some fruit trees are all that mark the site of what was the chief homestead so far back as twenty or fifteen years ago. The fences around the few graves are broken down and moss covered and it seems a pity that the last resting place of those who were probably the earliest settlers in these parts should be thus reflected.”⁽²⁾

In 1866 the land was opened for selection, and a Land Act established in 1869 to encourage more permanent settlement.

The Bumberrah Cemetery was gazetted in 1885 to serve the emerging communities of Bumberrah and the adjoining parishes.

⁽¹⁾ 𝘎𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘪𝘬𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘪 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘈𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘨𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘪𝘬𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘪.𝘰𝘳𝘨

⁽²⁾ 𝘈𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘴, 𝘑𝘰𝘩𝘯.(1981) 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘰 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺. 𝘑𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘰𝘯𝘴.

To be continued.

26/07/2025

For many years, information on the whereabouts and occupants of the “Chinese Graves” at Bumberrah Cemetery has been a mystery. Local residents, now in their eighties, recall from their childhood a tended area outside the boundary of the current cemetery but of which there is now no trace.

Over the years there have been several attempts to find answers via newspaper articles and private enquiries. Several years ago, the Trust made renewed efforts to find information. This included speaking to the Ah Yee family and to Leanne Dyson from the East Gippsland Family History group, herself a descendant of the Ah Chow family. At Leanne’s suggestion, well known historian Tim Gibson was invited to speak at one of our Trust meetings. Subsequently, a successful grant application for a ground radar survey to find unmarked graves within the cemetery included a search for the Chinese burial site, and a small number of graves were located. These are in the new Natural Burial section of the Cemetery.

While no further information has come to light regarding those interred, the Trust has memorialised the area with a Chinese Elm, granite slab and a plaque. Dr Michelle Wong from Surrey Hills kindly liaised with relatives in Hong Kong to provide a translation for the plaque. We appreciate the help and encouragement we have received to this end, and whilst we have possibly drawn a line under this chapter of the Bumberrah Cemetery story, we remain hopeful of learning more sometime in the future.

17/07/2025

❤️❤️❤️ FAQ Friday ❤️❤️❤️