Crib Point Cemetery is a tiny cemetery.
It is bordered by Morradoo Railway Station not far from Westernport Bay, Mornington Peninsula.
No fancy graves are here.
No fancy statues are here.
It is easy to believe that no fascinating stories may be associated with such a simple place.
But this cemetery does have a story.
Clem Kleinig, long-serving member of the Cemetery Trust, is the caretaker.
He knows many of the people who lie here and mows the property by hand.
There is the local doctor who was called out to attend a car accident, only to find out that the victim was his wife.
There is Colin Joseph Whiston – the first Australian serviceman killed in Vietnam, at the battle of Long Than.
Pte Whiston, Colin J Unit: 6RAR; Age: 21;
National Serviceman Born: Sydney, NSW
Civ: Postman; Single
KIA - Gunshot wounds
Commem: Garden of Remembrance, Vic
Buried at: Crib Point Cemetery, Vic
But there is a particularly beautiful story attached to this place.
Because the Trust is purely voluntary, it is the cheapest cemetery in the state, which means that they get the state trustee funerals – people who die with no money and no family.
See more of this story HERE!
The cemetery is behind the trees on the left of the photo.And now to turn to the name of the nearby railway station.
From 1960-1996, Morradoo railway station was simply SP 15 (stopping place 15).
The area was still in the Crib Point region, so there seemed to be no haste to give it a name.
Morradoo appeared to be a suitable choice because it was the original name of Crib Point, meaning "powder and shot".
More details HERE!
(Cerberus, a major naval base is nearby.)
This fact seems to further enhance the idea of the cemetery being almost without identity.
Unvalidated!
This is the only other photo I have of the cemetery.
(Notice the uniform style of the "raised bed" graves!)
I took both photos in 2008, thought that the place held no real interest and drove on.
Not till creating this post did I know the background of this cemetery.
Now I am sorry I did not spend more time here.
I must go back!!!!
A small special place
Crying for identity
Seeking some wonder
P.S.
1. Notice the blue sign to the left back of the photo.
It reads BITTERN - the name of the next suburb.
2. In Julie N's database I found this note in her Crib Point Cemetery listings:
463 ANDERSON Gustav no dates Swedish Seaman Erected by his Shipmates
I must go back!!!!!!!
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9 comments:
What a beautiful post and series of pictures. I just love the one burial site with the white picket fence around it. It sounds like the caretaker does a labor of love each time he cuts and trims the grass. Ironically, I am friends with two women - both nurses - whose children were killed just a little way from their homes. In both cases people ran to their homes to get them to help at the scene. One was a 7th grade boy who was killed riding his bike at the end of their street. The other was a high school girl I had taught who was driving too fast on her way to cheerleading practice and hit a tree head on. It is a real heartbreaker. genie
Oh, the cemeteries I have visited and now realize I must go back to because I mistakenly thought there wasn't much of a story within!
Interesting stories, I guess every grave has one if you know who to ask. Some of the markers look quite elaborate for the cheapest cemetery in the state.
I find it really interesting that the first Australian death in Vietnam was buried in 'the cheapest cemetery'.
interesting!
but those raised beds should be expensive? more expensive than "just" a headstone?
nice huh,when you find out stuff, do go back!! :)
I was grinning my head off by the time I got to the end of your post this week, Gemma. You are a born story-teller.
I agree with Sanna about the cemeteries I have to go back to now that I know what to look for. Nearly every grave has a story that can be researched.
That is sad about the National Serviceman CJ Whiston. I bet he is on the wall down at the AWM. I will add him to my list so that I take a photo next time I am down in our national capital, which will be October sometime.
Thanks for this. I enjoy myself down here each week.
On the AWM site there is a photograph of Colin Whiston
http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/P03539.002
You should never judge a cememtery by it's graves. Sounds like an interesting place to revisit.
I recently worked beside this cemetery it is really lovely. First grave I saw is Baby Nell she lived for 1 day 19th May 1941 no other information .. To the right of Baby Nell are a number of graves with the surname Myers .. I was wondering if they could be related to the Myers family?
I was there a week and lots of people frequent it .. Visiting sites, cleaning up and just being.
Thank you for posting
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