A Grave Case Of Neglect At Cemetery
Illawarra Mercury
Wednesday May 14, 2008
A FIGTREE woman is disgusted by the dilapidated state of Wollongong Cemetery, where graves of pioneers and war veterans have been left to rot. Michelle Manea, 41, has been mortified by the condition of the Swan St cemetery since recently undertaking a search of her family ancestry. "The graves of two of Wollongong's early church leaders lie among rubble and rusting iron fences with yellow top bins and old cyclone fencing as a backdrop," Mrs Manea said. "Trees are growing through graves and headstones have been vandalised or have fallen apart due to neglect. "Grass, branches and rubble obliterate graves altogether. In general, it's disgusting." The greatest shock, however, was the graves of an Anzac and a veteran of the Boer War. She said while the men might not have any living relatives to tend their graves, society owed it to them to maintain their final resting place. "What ever happened to Lest we forget? We've certainly forgotten them." The newer section of the cemetery was not much better, the graves littered with broken bottles and syringes. The mother of three, who teaches visually impaired people, said someone occasionally ran a mower over the grass. She believed Wollongong City Council should upgrade its maintenance program while setting aside funds to restore the many broken headstones. "There are cemeteries throughout Australia that are immaculate; I can't see why we cannot expect the same of our own." A spokesperson for Wollongong City Council said maintenance of headstones was the responsibility of the family of the deceased. "However, if a headstone is damaged, council makes every attempt to contact the family to advise them of the damage," she said. "Making contact with the family is difficult if the grave is more than 20 to 30 years old, as often the contact details for the family have changed." She said the council, as trust manager, was responsible for maintaining the grounds.
© 2008 Illawarra Mercury