56th Berwick Cemetery Working Bee

 

Approximately 40 volunteers from the Rotary Club of Berwick conducted their annual ‘Working Bee’ at the Berwick Cemetery on Wednesday 20^th January.  This entailed activities such as a general clean-up of fallen leaves and branches, painting wrought iron grave surrounds, pruning, and watering the roses, as well as other allocated duties.  This activity marked the 56^th year that a Working Bee has been conducted at the cemetery, continuing the long partnership between the Rotary Club of Berwick and the Berwick Cemetery Trust.

 

The first Working Bee in1965 was conducted over two days and was organised by Allan Funston, who chaired the Club’s Community Service Committee at the time and later became Club President. Allan was also a member of the Cemetery Trust Committee. One of the highlights of this first Working Bee was the removal of two snakes from the site. 

 

Interestingly, recent Working Bees have been coordinated by Allan Funston’s son Adrian (Better known as Funno).  Funno and his dad both served as Presidents of our Rotary Club.

 

A highlight of the latest Working Bee was a tour of the 2-acre terraced extension on the Western side of the cemetery. This two-million-dollar development will provide the capacity for at least 200 lawn graves and 3,120 niche wall memorial sites for cremated remains.  Cemetry Trust Members, Neil Lucas and Garth Bradbury, explained the complications of the development, which had to accommodate steep terrain, as well as respecting the grave of a  woman buried there in 1854.

 

 

Neil Lucas, Chairman of the Trust, thanked the volunteers for their work and acknowledged the ongoing support of the Rotary Club of Berwick for the Trust, over the last 56 years.