The commitment of past and present volunteers is helping the Whitefield Cemetery Trust maintain the historic site in Hyem, uncover its mysteries and help it adapt to the requirements of the community today.

The King Valley cemetery is maintained by a band of locals who respond to calls for working bees, ensuring it is neat, tidy and ready to receive interments, with support from the Department of Justice who provide teams to tackle mowing and larger scale projects on the substantial grounds.

The cemetery trust's current secretary, Leanne Jenvey, helped to secure grants from the Department of Health cemeteries and crematoria unit late last year, including just over $5000 for the removal of two condemned trees, and just over $9000 to construct 60 new lawn plot plinths.

Determined to identify and locate about 130 people believed to be buried in the cemetery in unmarked graves, Leanne was excited to recently secure a grant of $35,100 to have a ground survey conducted by a geophysicist who will use a specialised device and Ground-Penetrating Radar to look for soil disturbance, allowing the cemetery to map and potentially identify old gravesites.

"He has estimated it will take approximately 12 days and the trust (and the department) will get a report on his findings, plus a heritage report," Leanne said.

"The spots will be marked for us to peg and plot on our maps, so research can be done to hopefully give an identity to the disturbance - and we can also safely say where new plots will be unavailable."

With the cemetery having been the site of burials since the mid-19th century, at a time when records and registers were limited, burials were sometimes conducted unofficially by community or family members, and timber (or no) markers were used, it is puzzle trying to match names to sites.

Leanne said other challenges include multiple differing records, the use of both formal and common names, those who signed up for military service and altered their birth certificates, and people who were travelling through the region or died leaving no immediate family.

"As I explained to someone who was doing their family history and asked me to go and photograph a headstone (which isn't there) the cemetery is a paddock in the middle of a farming valley," Leanne said.

"If there was a marker (in the late 1800s) it might have been wood, and with a lot of rainfall in the valley, that wood is likely to rot."

Leanne said despite the considerable challenge of identifying the missing "souls" she is enjoying the mission, taking after her parents - long time King Valley residents Marjorie and the late Ken Jenvey - who were both interested in family history and the history of the region.

"The history in the valley which is not recorded, is frightening," Leanne said.

"There is so much which has been achieved by settlers in this valley in the 1870s and 1880s - it is really fascinating, as this place really did thrive - but it has not been recorded or recognised."

The Whitefield Cemetery Trust currently has 10 members, plus its lifetime member David Evans, and practical improvements including toilet facilities and a new pathway to a shady rotunda mean the elderly and all abilities can better access and use the site.

Trust member Marco Martinelli said they were fortunate to have three relatively new and motivated younger members join the team, building on the great work already done by longer serving members, including former secretary and treasurer Dianne Newton, who sadly passed away in 2024.

He said the trust is always looking for more community support, particularly when it comes to occasional maintenance and working bees.

If anyone would like to join the email list "Friends of the Whitefield Cemetery" contact Marco on 0428 298 365 and receive regular updates on activities.

Anyone who believes they may be able to shed some light on where the 130 named people may be located at Whitefield Cemetery, can contact Leanne Jenvey via email to lmjenvey@bigpond.com.

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King Valley in brief

Craft at Cheshunt Hall

Enjoy craft at Cheshunt Hall on the first and third Wednesday of the month from 11.30am.

Bring your own craft project, learn or teach, or simply come along and socialise.

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Trash and treasure in Whitfield

The trash and treasure outlet at the King Valley Community Memorial Hall (former RSL hall in Whitfield) is open on Saturdays from 10am to 3pm.

Shop a wide range of ever-changing stock (cash only) with proceeds going towards the independent maintenance of the hall.

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Myrrhee Community barbecue

A community barbecue will be held at the Myrrhee Recreation Reserve on Saturday, 21 February.

The family friendly event will run from 5pm to 8pm and feature old fashioned games.

Bring a sweet or savoury plate to share.

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Moyhu Lions Country Market on 21 February

The next Moyhu Lions Country Market will be held on Saturday, 21 February at the Moyhu Lions Park from 8am to 12pm.

For stall bookings contact Donna on 0408 295 563.

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