Peachester cemetery plaques replaced after callous theft last year
By Sonia Isaacs
FAMILY members say they have found a sense of peace as 10 memorial plaques stolen from Peachester Cemetery have now been replaced and reinstalled
In the lead-up to last year’s Remembrance Day, callous thieves stole and defaced several brass plaques honouring well known community stalwarts from the Beerwah-Peachester district, including Nev Anning, Cliff Barr, John (Jack) Barry, Bill Neill, Keith Simpson, and Alan (Dick) Strong.
Helen Page, President of the Peachester History Committee (PHC), expressed relief at the reinstatement of the memorials, noting the distress their initial loss had caused. Her father, Clifford Walden Barr, was among those commemorated on the stolen plaques.
Thanks to an unexpected donation from a local benefactor in February this year, the PHC was able to commission replacements.
Mrs Page said that the history committee’s long-running involvement in the installation and upkeep of the plaques ensured the PHC had ready access to information and pictures to assist in their replacement.
‘“Fortunately we had extensive records on file to assist us to replicate the plaques,” she said.
In early May, family members were invited to a special viewing of the new plaques at Peachester Hall, bringing a sense of consolation and comfort to those present.
Despite delays due to adverse weather conditions, the plaques were eventually installed onsite by committee members last month.
Mrs Page highlighted the collective effort involved in the installation.
“We had a fair bit of rain these last few months which meant we had to keep postponing the actual installations at the cemetery,” Mrs Page said
“In the end, we had a few of our members come down and spend a few days installing the plaques. It was a definitely a team effort.”
“We are just all very happy to finally have the memorials of our loved ones laid back in the cemetery,” Mrs Page said.
Two men, aged 38 and 45, from Caboolture, were later charged with several offences related to the thefts, which also impacted sites at Beerwah Cemetery.