The Land Title of the Harkaway Cemetery is part of Section 8 Parish of Berwick, County of Mornington. The original Parish Plan for the entire area surrounding the Township of Berwick was established in 1840. It was not until 1853 that the government auctioned off parcels of land generally consisting of one square mile each (640 acres). Section 8 was one such parcel and this parcel was purchased by Robert Gardiner who subsequently subdivided this land into two parts. Ernst Gottlob Wanke purchased the northern portion of Section 8 {318 acres) from Robert Gardiner on 20th February 1856. This part of Section 8 was subsequently subdivided by Ernst Gottlob Wanke. Gottlieb Schache purchased the south east portion totalling 106 acres. The south west corner of his land totalling 3 acres was eventually subdivided off on 3rd Cemetery.
June 1873 to create what is now known as the Harkaway Johann Gottlieb Wanke purchased 20 acres from his younger brother, Ernst Gottlob Wanke on ih December 1858, the land being located adjacent to the west boundary of Gottlieb Schache's land. On 11th December 1869, Johann Gottlieb Wanke conveyed in Trust a parcel of land measuring 100 feet by 100 feet for the sum of one pound for the purpose of a Chapel School. This small parcel of land was located on the south east corner of Johann Gottlieb Wanke's land.
Correspondence dated 3rd June 1873 held by the Department of Human Services confirms the land position and size in a memorialising deed is conveyed for the purpose of a public cemetery under the name "ZIONS HILL" - the document was signed by Gottlieb Schache. It has not been established when the cemetery changed its name to Harkaway Cemetery. The name change most likely occurred when the original Harkaway Cemetery Plan was prepared by G. W Robinson. This plan allocated particular areas to local families who lived in the area, predominately German immigrants. It could be assumed that prior to the preparation of the plan, burials took place in an ad hoc manner on the land. On 20th September 1905, the Victorian Government Gazette recorded the land as a cemetery within the Cemeteries Act of 1890. Harkaway Cemetery Trust members at the time were I Wanke, F Barr, GW Robinson, E Hillbrick and J Durling.
Early Burial records were lost in a house fire at Gibb Street Berwick on 6t h August 1956 so it cannot be confirmed when the first burial took place. From headstones, there were two adults and twenty children buried by 1869 and it was reported that over 100 burials had taken place by 1905. The earliest clear headstone date is 15 September 1863 for Henrietta Koenig.
Five generations (total eight members) of the Wanke family have served as trustees and by 2011 thirty-three members of the family have been buried there. The Hillbrich family has twenty-two family members buried there and three served as trustees, while the Aurisch family has fourteen members buried there, two served as trustees. Two members of the Barr family served as trustees. In recent times Ray Exell and Len Wanke, who are cousins and also the great great grandsons of Ernst Gottlob Wanke continue the family links by both contributing significantly to the cemetery. Ray and Len were life members of the Harkaway Cemetery Trust with Ray serving the cemetery for over fifty-five years, Len for 49 years.
Across the road from the Cemetery stands the bell tower, built in 1869, restored in 1935, and refurbished again in 1974. The bell was imported from Germany at a cost of 16 pounds and once erected was christened "Concordia" by Pastor Herlitz. The Lutheran community built the first school and church on the site as the government of the time would not provide either a church or a school. The church was used as a school classroom until 1883 when the Harkaway School was constructed. The bell is still rung each New Year's Eve, and whenever there is a funeral it tolls when the approaching cemetery hearse is sighted, ceasing when the funeral cortege is inside the cemetery.
