following in the footstep of many before me

Well a wonderful Wednesday Afternoon to all of you the world over in our #WednesdayWalk community!

I hope that you are all well and enjoying the walking wherever you are on this glorious planet I call Mother Earth.

Not so long ago, Spikey and I went up to the cemetery to visit my Mum and while I was there, for the first time ever, I took the opportunity to have a walk around and meet some of the thousands of townsfolk who had walked the cobbled streets of the town for 2 centuries before me, so for this #wednesdayWalk created by the wonderful Hive account@tattoodjay, I take you through to marvel at the numerous type of graves site, their age, styles and wonder at the life stories behind each occupant.

Some of you may think that this is quite a morbid walk to do and could be considered as a bit depressing, but in reality, it is a walk of celebration, commemoration, intrigue and mystery so I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did. Inspired by the awesome WednesdayWalks of Hive account@ellenripley too! 😘

Since I can't give you the history of each grave and the person residing in it, I will use some text from the experts at the Bega Pioneers Museum to give you instead a brief history of the town and if you look closely at the engravings on the headstone, you may even recognise a few names.

And if you want to check out some of the really cool stuff at the Pioneers museum (which used to be a pub!), then click on this link here https://begapioneersmuseum.org.au/product/bega-high-school-celebrating-50-years-of-education-1952-2002/

In 1829 some Braidwood squatters came down Eurambene Mt into Wandella near Cobargo to explore the kangaroo grasslands and open forests.

They returned with cattle in 1832 and William Duggan Tarlinton chose Cobargo for his run.

Other squatters included John Campbell, Henry Badgery, Captain Raine, Thomas Cowper, Curlewis, Major Elrington, Pollack brothers, Alsops and Dr Braidwood, who did not settle in the Valley.

1834 saw the visit of Governor Bourke, followed by the arrival of the three Imlay brothers, who acquired over 65,000 acres of the squatters’ land and began permanent settlement (Biggah) of the region, with their employees, including some assigned convicts, becoming our Pioneers.

I have also mentioned the Imlay brothers in a few of my previous Wednesday Walk posts as I camped in a magical wonderland near Eden in February this year here @chocolatescorpi/so-today-i-come-to-you-from-the-future-to-show-you-a-part-of-our-history-here-in-australia-in-the-gorgeous-far-south-coast-of-ns and here @chocolatescorpi/my-wonderful-wednesday-walk-up-into-an-enchanted-forest-to-discover-a-new-mystery-to-obsess-over-for-the-next-35yrs

By 1844 drought and depression saw the foreclosure of the Imlay properties by the Walker brothers, their bankers.

The Walkers took ‘Kameruka’, leaving George & Alexander Imlay with ‘Tarraganda’, which Peter Imlay purchased in 1847 after his brothers deaths in 1846-7, later moving to New Zealand.

A census of aborigines in 1845 produced a total of 158 living in the Biggah area, employed as stockmen, sheep-washers and farm labourers.

In December 1848 a ship, the ‘Bermondsey’ disembarked immigrants at Twofold Bay (Eden) to work for ‘Kameruka’ or ‘Tarraganda’.

Another ship, the ‘Caesar’ brought German migrants from Hamburg to Twofold Bay in March 1855, also to work for ‘Kameruka’.

Many of these families are still landowners.

May 1851 saw a disastrous flood sweep many families down the Bega River – 17 died and were buried at ‘Corridgeree’ at Tarraganda.

Government Surveyor Parkinson had just laid out a new town at North Bega (on the site of the present Bega Cheese Factory) and the subsequent flooding forced a move to higher ground on the southern side of the river and a new town was founded.

In 1852 the Walker brothers sold out to the Twofold Bay Pastoral Association.

The first town allotments were surveyed in February 1854 and sold at Eden in August of that year. Eden was the only port for communication and transport, until Merimbula port was opened by Kameruka in 1855.

Am I the only one that thinks that it is so totally incredible that even in death we are still divided by religion rather than just being human beings with no barriers?

After all in death, we are all just the same- as equal as all should be.

In 1858 the Victoria Inn was opened in Auckland Street, with the Family Hotel next door, in 1859, on the corner of Bega and Auckland Sts, the site of the present Bega Pioneers’ Museum. Both buildings are still in existence.

The first Bega Anglican Church was built in weatherboard in 1858. The present brick church was built in 1877.

First Post Office at Bega in Tarraganda Lane, in 1858, & moved to Carp St in 1859.

In 1859, Surveyor Bransby surveyed a track from Merimbula via Wallagoot Lake to Jellat Jellat and Bega, running along the sandy beach at times, which caused great delays when the tide was high.

In 1861 the Robertson Free Selection Act enabled free selectors to buy some land -that land left by the larger selectors who took all the waterways.

A wooden courthouse was built in 1860, updated to a brick building on the present site in 1865, extended in 1881.

The first Bega newspaper the ‘Bega Gazette’ was started in 1865 by Robert W Sharpe. The ‘Southern Standard’ was begun in 1868, and the name changed to ‘Bega Standard’ in 1874.

The present ‘Bega District News’ was a consolidation of these papers, and started in 1923.

The original sheep gave way to dairying, which included pig production. Butter and cheese was produced by larger properties and shipped to Sydney, Melbourne and England, winning prizes for quality.

The weatherboard Roman Catholic Church was built in 1862, and the present brick church was opened in 1882.

The Wesleyan Chapel was the first brick church in town when opened in Gipps St in 1869, and the Presbyterian Church was built of stone in 1870.

The first Tathra Wharf was completed in 1862, which assisted in exportation, easier travel and the development of the Bega Valley.

Population of Bega in 1861 was 625 with 100 householders.

Bega Cemetery dedicated in 1862, on site of present Bega High School. The present cemetery was opened in 1909.

And I remember back in the mid eighties when I went to highschool there, they were redeveloping the land behind the buildings to level it all out and make a series of sports fields for us and supposedly the guy driving the earth moving equipment got stuck as one of his wheels fell into an old grave! ( I don't know how true that is, but it wouldn't suprise me) as there is still widespread belief that there are still old graves there as the current council is looking for information on where they might be as according to this article, they are going to redevelop and construct more buildings for the school...https://www.begadistrictnews.com.au/story/1017241/details-of-old-cemetery-sought/

Mr Douglas has a plan of where the known graves were, but even with the help of former gravedigger, Kevin Williams, he is unable to accurately determine where all the graves were, especially those of paupers and suicides.

The suicides would have been buried in unconsecrated ground but nobody is sure where that might be, and little care was taken with paupers, many of whom may have been buried without anyone knowing who they were.

However some families did continue to bury their dead in family plots.

From the 1920s to the 1940s the cemetery remained disused and was not maintained.

It was used to graze livestock and for the illegal dumping of garbage.

The Department of Main Road resumed half an acre of the Wesleyan section in 1938, and this also contained the former Chinese burial section.

In 1943 the Commonwealth Government resumed the remainder of the site under the Bega Cemetery Act.

First Bega Agricultural Show held 1872 in paddock behind courthouse, moving to the present showground in 1876.

Brewery set up at Tarraganda by Richard Rogers in 1876 and forced to close after Tooths was established, However another brewery was built in Auckland St in 1882 by Sharpe brothers, opposite the Public School, closing in 1900.

First North Bega Bridge was opened by Daniel Gowing in 1878, and replaced in 1898. The present bridge was opened in 1975.

Gold found at Montreal, near Bermagui, 1880. Gold rush at Pambula, 1889.
Momsen’s gold mine started at Wolumla 1896, started a boom.

NSW Creamery Butter Company opened at North Bega (‘Yarranung’) in 1894, closed 1899; Bega Co-operative Creamery Company opened 1900.

And I think this tree is just as old, if not older than the first grave here!

And the most important grave of all. Mum surrounded by some of her family with Spikey remembering all of the good times, the snacks, love and cuddles she loved to shower him with.

Uncle Keith- Dad's oldest brother who drowned when he was just 9 on the 31st of January- which was 18 days after mum was born on the 13th of January!

Great Grandpa Bernard who died just a few days before dad was born in August 1935!
I find the death and birth dates to be pretty spooky here!

🐠🐃🐌🕷🐍🐓🦆🐸🐁🐿🦋🐢🐞🦍🐈🦆🐥🐜😊❤️🙏💛🙏💚🙏💙🙏💜😊🦑🐛🐄🦇🐪🦏🐳🐊🦀🦌🐖🐢🐏🐋🐝

Thank you so much for reading my post, I really hope that you enjoyed it and look forward to your comments and thoughts.

🐠🐃🐌🕷🐍🐓🦆🐸🐁🐿🦋🐢🐞🦍🐈🦆🐥🐜🦑🐛🐄🦇🐪🦏🐳🐊🦀🦌🐖🐢🐏🐋🐝

And unless otherwise stated- ALL photographs, all media, material and writings, are all my originals taken by me sometime in the past few decades or so somewhere in my travels and as such, ofcourse they are subject to all international IP and copyright laws and I may have already used them for my own commercial purposes here https://www.redbubble.com/people/CHOCOLATESCORPI/shop And here https://fineartamerica.com/art/chocolatescorpi, So please ask first if you want to use any of them as we wouldn't want you getting into trouble. Thank you 😊

🐠🐃🐌🕷🐍🐓🦆🐸🐁🐿🦋🐢🐞🦍🐈🦆🐥🐜🦑🐛🐄🦇🐪🦏🐳🐊🦀🦌🐖🐢🐏🐋🐝

The Ladies of Hive- your own crypto world girl gang full of fun and suprises, so click on the link to find out more about this brilliant community of caring, companionship and creative contests, such as this one...@ladiesofhive/ladies-of-hive-community-contest-98

Screen Shot 2021-09-28 at 7.36.06 pm.png

Hive account@hiveaustralia, formerly Hive account@teamaustralia check us out now!
(cause we're all such damn cool cats...😁