The Australian government currently has a programme to apply for funding to commemorate WW1 veterans lying in unmarked graves however the funding for this project is due to end in June 2021:
“individuals, non-commercial organisations or community groups, who have an interest in arranging to have a marker placed on a currently unmarked grave in Australia can apply for funding assistance.”
https://www.dva.gov.au/.../office.../program-mark-first-2
Not all Australian veterans qualified for an official government issued memorial as they did not meet the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) or Office of Australian War Graves (OAWG) criteria -
Commonwealth War Graves Commission criteria and qualifying dates as follows (http://infromthecold.org/war_grave_criteria.asp) :
First World War - 4th August 1914 to 31st August 1921
Second World War - 3rd September 1939 to 31st December 1947
Additional criteria from the Department of Veteran’s Affairs and the OAWG https://www.dva.gov.au/.../commemo.../official-commemoration:
Veterans entitled to official commemoration are those whose deaths are accepted as being due to war service;
• those in receipt of a Totally and Permanently Incapacitated pension (TPI) or an Extreme Disablement Adjustment (EDA) where the veteran has seen war service;
• multiple amputees on Section 27.1
maximum pension rate where war service has been proven;
• ex-prisoners of war;
• VC recipients;and
• eligible under the Military Rehabilitation Compensation Act 2204
Today we continued on with our research in the historic heritage-listed Lutwyche cemetery in Brisbane. We have so far discovered many returned veterans buried within the grounds who have a civilian headstone and also a number of veterans who currently lie in an unmarked grave. We are also documenting veterans who were killed in action overseas and are memorialised on family headstones.
Today we managed to work our way through another two large portions at Lutwyche cemetery searching for the civilian resting places of returned servicemen and women who were on our list and we documented the final resting place of many more veterans.
Our Lutwyche cemetery spreadsheet now contains the names of over 1500 Australian and foreign veterans and we have many more to document. We will continue on with our research in the Lutwyche cemetery in Brisbane and we will apply for federal government funding for markers for the unmarked WW1 returned veterans graves. We will also attempt to trace descendants of the veterans granite headstones we have recently located to gain permission to voluntarily restore the lettering to them.
Here are a few photos of some of the veterans civilian headstones we documented today along with some of the unmarked graves. Many veterans headstones do not always mention their service and that is why it is important to do as much research as possible to try to uncover the people and the story behind every single headstone.
If you have a local cemetery and would like to undertake similar research then please get in touch with us. We can give you advice regarding cemetery records, research tips and a template you can use to record your research.
Lest We Forget
Facebook Admins ~ Katrina Trevethan & Cate Walker
