Very little is known about the graves - the stones and ornaments decorating them have been placed in the last few decades, before which they were simply mounds of earth.
Local myth regarding one of the graves
On particular grave has white painted stones and elaborate decorations, and has an interesting myth attached to it.
There is a local story that a prostitute died in the area in the mid 19th century and was denied burial within the cemetery by the Cemetery Trustees. This particular grave was thought by locals to be the resting place of the prostitute, and it has been restored over the years to its current state.
There is no evidence that this is the prostitute's grave, and when local historian John Tully asked the oldest resident in Dunolly he could find who could recall the grave, he was told that a miner had buried his dog by the track in the 1930's.
Regardless of exactly who is buried in these scattered graves along Waanyarra Cemetery Road, they have been beautifully adorned with stones and flowers, are maintained by locals, and are yet another remarkable feature of the fascinating Victorian Goldfields.
More to explore nearby