An easy-to-use book provides a guide to cemeteries across the local government area.
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Port Macquarie-Hastings Cemetery Trail is Port Macquarie & Districts Family History Society’s latest publication.
Deputy mayor Lisa Intemann launched the book on March 2 at the Port Macquarie Historic Cemetery.
The full-colour book contains notes about the history of each cemetery in the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council area.
It has maps to help find the cemeteries.
Each cemetery is detailed with a date range for the known burials, as well as contemporary and historic photographs.
Port Macquarie & Districts Family History Society president Diane Gillespie said the Cemetery Trail was a slight departure from their past cemetery publications because, while it was still historically factual, it was not especially a family history book.
“It is written in a more informal way for a wider audience to make it easy for the reader to consult at their leisure,” she said.
Ms Gillespie said the diversity of our naturally beautiful areas and the pioneering spirit, the determination, the difficulties faced in settling many of these areas, was brought to life with the stories of a random selection of the people buried in each of our area’s cemeteries.
“We are proud of those courageous pioneers and their descendants and love telling their stories,” she said.
“We would like to encourage readers, whether they are locals or visitors, to follow the Cemetery Trail around our naturally beautiful and diverse areas.”
Author Trysha Hanly’s research delved into stories about a selection of people buried in the cemeteries.
“It makes you just be so proud of the courage of people,” she said.
“They made us the strong people we are today.”
David Hanly, who was responsible for the photography, said the book was designed to entertain and give people the information they needed to enjoy visiting each cemetery.
The publication is the work of society members Trysha and David Hanly, with editing from Margaret Blight, Jennifer Mullin and Clive Smith.
Deputy mayor Lisa Intemann congratulated everyone involved with the book.
“It’s so important we remember our history and the contribution of our pioneers,” she said.
Cr Intemann said it was wonderful to be able to visit almost right around the Hastings and see the examples of historic cemeteries commemorating our pioneers.
Port Macquarie-Hastings Cemetery Trail is available for sale at Port Macquarie Museum, Lighthouse Beach Post Office and from members at PMDFHS Local Studies/Family History Room at Port Macquarie Library on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
There will also be copies available to borrow at the library.
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council supported the publication as a 2018 Bicentenary Project.