Devonport
City Council is seeking community input on its draft Don Congregational
Cemetery Master Plan 2022-2032, which is aimed at sustainably managing the site
for current and future community needs for the next 10 years.
Council
sought community feedback on the top priorities for management of the cemetery through
a survey, which attracted 90 responses earlier this year.
Devonport
Mayor, Councillor Annette Rockliff said Council was pleasantly surprised at the
level of interest in the historically significant cemetery, with the majority
of respondents based in Devonport and 9% from interstate.
Cr
Rockliff said the cemetery is considered to be one of the oldest congregational
cemeteries in Tasmania, with more than 700 known recorded burials and several
unmarked sites. The first recorded burial was on 17 October 1865 of Elizabeth
June and Jane Hodgkiss.
“The
cemetery is culturally significant to many visitors as a source of genealogy
and the resting place of many prominent individuals in Devonport’s history,” Cr
Rockliff said,
“The
survey revealed that 92% of respondents ranked conserving of the cemetery’s
heritage values as a ‘high’ or ‘very high’ management priority. This presents a
maintenance challenge for Council, as Council has no legal obligation to
maintain or conserve headstones and plots unless elements pose a risk to public
health or safety.
“We’re
asking the community to assist Council conduct research to find the descendants
of those buried to assist us coordinate plot maintenance or restoration.”
Survey
respondents were asked for their suggestions to improve the cemetery. The top
three improvements suggested were:
• General maintenance (weed control,
clean).
• Historical and interpretive
information (on site and online).
• Plot maintenance/restoration.
Cr
Rockliff said in response to community feedback and staff input, the Master
Plan outlines three guiding principles with seven actions aimed at preserving
the cemetery’s heritage value, while allowing Council to sustainably manage the
site. Actions will be undertaken over a 10-year period at an estimated cost of
$87,000.
“I
encourage cemetery visitors and interested community members to complete our
short two-minute survey to see if Council is on the right track,” Cr Rockliff
said.
The Don Congregational Cemetery survey closes at 9am on Monday, 31 May 2021 and can be completed online through Speak Up Devonport [1] via Council’s website.
A hard copy is also available
at Council reception or by contacting Council at [email protected] [2] or calling 03 6424 0511.
03 6424 0562 | 0427 132 972 | [email protected] [3]