<-----Back to Short Stories & Poems

It is one of my laments that in the process of deciding upon an appropriate headstone or marker for a person who had died, most people have ceased to tell the life story of the person, either in design of the headstone or pictures or words upon it. These days increasing numbers of people are pressured by cemetery trusts, or even contractually restricted by them, to limit the size and shape of the marker. This effectively restricts what can be written about the deceased and their relationship/s with the living.

Memorialisation can be one of the ways we express our ongoing relationship with the deceased and recognise their contribution to the meaning of our life. So, in order to encourage interest, discussion and maybe some change in the current trend I am going to add this section to our website.

On a recent visit to Australia's Northern Territory I was wandering around the Memorial Cemetery (as you do) in Alice Springs and came across the graves of some people of significance in Australian history including Albert Namatjira, the Internationally renowned Aboriginal artist, Also spread out across the red earth of this cemetery in the Central Australian desert, were the graves of much loved people and the design of their graves told a story. I thought it would be a fitting memorial and an interesting process to
record some of their images &/or stories for al to see.

Here is the beginning of who knows what.... I will take pictures as I travel the globe and invite you to send in any graves or memorials which make a statement.

Here are a few...

Albert Namatjira
Anyone who grew up in Australia from the middle of the 20th Century will be familiar with his artwork. His grave... well the picture tells a thousand words.

Albert Namatjira
Click on the photo to see a close-up of Albert Namatjira's grave

Too many babies die and too often we don't even know why. We have seen many babies graves but this one will tell you something about who is here even from a distance.

Click on the photo to see a larger version.

Lasseter, that man who achieved fame but alas not fortune. At a time when the outback need to attract settlers and was badly in need of a 'gold rush' Lasseter claimed to have made a significant strike. He marked the spot he could never find it again, though he did die trying.

Click on the photo of Lasseter's Grave to read the words of Theodore Roosevelt placed on his grave as a tribute to the pioneering spirit of Lasseter.

<-----Back to Short Stories & Poems