General News
25 August, 2025
The inner workings of Warrack Cemetery
The Warracknabeal Cemetery Trust is located at the southern end of the township of Warracknabeal, and is managed by volunteers.
There are nine Trustees, at present, who meet quarterly to manage the affairs of the cemetery.
President David Baxter oversees the Trustees, with secretary Judi Armstrong being the first base contact, and she is doing a fabulous job.
Trustee members Graham Drage and Russell Dart have extensive knowledge of the history within the cemetery, while Shirley Liersch and Geoff Stewart oversee the grounds with busy apprentices Sandra Taylor and Lorraine Sleep.
Leigh Cooksley offers fabulous skills in grant applications as well as professional structure and ideas.
The Registry of the Cemetery was commenced on May 25, 1875, with the burial of a stillborn child with the surname of Mitchell, and the first burial in the lawn cemetery was Neil Alexander McQuinnon on August 1, 1969.
A niche wall was built in the 1970s and upgraded in 2021.
A remembrance wall was built in 2013, which is a place for plaques with names of people who have lived/have connections in Warracknabeal but are not interred at the Warracknabeal Cemetery.
The interred are now digitally documented and available on the Warracknabeal Cemetery website as well as on the Rotunda in the cemetery grounds, so community members and visitors may find who they are looking for.
The cemetery is similar to cemeteries across Victoria in that the layout includes sections for religious groups (Catholic, Lutheran, etc.) and a section for culturally based (Chinese).
Today, we have lawned areas that see interments as they occur.
On average, the cemetery has 40 to 50 interments per year, and there are over 6500 memorials within the grounds.
The Trust is responsible for overseeing the operations of the cemetery, which includes interments, maintenance and development of the site.
Volunteers are extremely important, as well as the Service Clubs and regular contractors, all who do a fabulous job in keeping the site clean so visitors may show respect, be at peace and enjoy a place to remember loved ones interred.
The Lions Club keep the general grounds tidy while Woodbine keeps the lawned cemetery tidy.
Contractors, GTS Plumbing, who dig the graves and maintain the watering system, are invaluable, while the Trustees and a number of the general public assist to maintain the site, including the two Gatekeepers of the Cemetery, Geoff Stewart and Shirley Liersch.
Financially, the cemetery is reliant on the fees collected for interments and, like many volunteer organisations, grants and donations supplement its finances.
The Warracknabeal community are proud of the cemetery and finds it a place of respect, a place of history and a place that is welcoming to those wishing to visit their interred loved ones.
If you wish to assist our cemetery in any way, through maintenance, financial support, or by becoming a Trustee, please contact secretary Judi Armstrong or president David Baxter.
Contributed by the WARRACKNABEAL CEMETERY TRUST