THE Beerburrum Cemetery has a rich history, including ties dating back to the early 20th century and WWI, but in recent years the site has been left to deteriorate.
This was until Danny and Shirley Cooper volunteered to beautify the cemetery.
Through a lot of hard work and the use of borrowed tools, including Beerburrum State School’s leaf blower, they were able to bring the historic site back to life.
Unfortunately, the blower stopped working due to overuse, so Danny had to replace the leaf blower, which is when Joel from Beerwah Small Engines donated a leaf blower to them worth $349.
“I had to go to Beerwah Small Engines for the RSL and while I was there, I decided to ask if they could provide information on blowers and prices and what I was doing at the cemetery,” he said. “When I returned for the other RSL errand, the owner gave me a leaf blower for my project and when I asked how much, they said no charge and that they fully supported what I was doing.” Further help soon came to hand, including HL Landscapes and Wildhorse Turf, which was able to supply its product to help take the rejuvenation project to the next level.
“HL Landscapes and Wildhorse Turf helped me out by giving me free off cuts from turf jobs they had done previously, turf that mightn’t have been perfect for their clients with weeds,” he said.
“I’m now using it at the cemetery and I’m hoping some of the turf grows in to improve the look of the historic site, we’ve even already gotten a few sprouts from the turf after the rain.” Mr Cooper said because the historic cemetery is hidden away from the public, it has only become a place for the community to visit through word of mouth.
“There are no signs informing road users that we have a historic cemetery right next to our local school, only one sign telling the people when they are 400m away from it,” he said. “We cleaned the sign off with vinegar as it was covered in mould and moss, but we would still like to put a sign on the road so the public knows about this historic site.” Danny said the importance of preserving this site is to ensure the history of the area is never forgotten, and to keep the memories of fallen soldiers from WWI alive. Danny aims to continue preserving the cemetery and also introduce an annual community spirit award to Beerburrum State School students.
