Historians from the East Gippsland Historical Society will conduct a guided tour of the Bairnsdale Cemetery on Sunday, February 8 at 5pm.
The walk is expected to take around 1–1.5 hours and will meander through the historic sections of the cemetery, highlighting some of the district’s identities and stories of those who found their final resting place there.
Cemetery tours are a key fundraiser for the Society’s museum, located at 40 Macarthur Street, Bairnsdale, which houses a large collection of local artefacts from the East Gippsland district, providing a fascinating look into the past. The museum also maintains an extensive archive of historical documents and photographs, accessible for those researching local or family history, with Society members available to assist with enquiries. The museum is open Monday to Wednesday, and on the first Sunday of each month, from 10am to 3pm.
The society has been running tours for 10 years, with its first walk held on March 19, 2016, and they continue to be popular with both locals and visitors interested in the history of Bairnsdale’s former residents and their contributions to the community.
One of the graves featured on the upcoming tour is that of John Jefferson, born at Queenborough, Kent, England, on June 24, 1844, and baptised on July 14, 1844, the eldest son of William Jefferson and Elizabeth T. Smith. John married Harriett Norris in April 1870 at Sheppey, Kent, and they departed from Gravesend aboard the Anglesey, arriving in Melbourne on October 22, 1870. Their first child was born in Baillieston in 1871, and by 1874 the couple had moved to Bairnsdale, where they had a further six children.
Around 1888, John was appointed as Bairnsdale’s first water-works engineer, overseeing the commencement of the town’s first reticulated water system. In the late 1890s, local papers reported on the shire council’s overworking of Jefferson, who often missed family events due to staff shortages and outdated machinery. He remained in the role until his death on November 14, 1906, aged 62.
John is buried alongside his wife Harriett, who passed away on February 28, 1916, aged 70, and two of their daughters, Annie Louisa (died October 27, 1919, aged 38) and Ellen Frances (died August 7, 1962, aged 84).
To book a place on the tour, contact the East Gippsland Historical Society at their museum on Macarthur Street, Bairnsdale.
