Collarenebri Aboriginal Cemetery facts for kids

The Collarenebri Aboriginal Cemetery is a special burial ground and ceremonial place for Indigenous Australians. It's located on Gundabloui Road in Collarenebri, New South Wales, Australia. People started building it in 1907. The Collarenebri Local Aboriginal Land Council owns this important site. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on December 19, 2014, meaning it's officially recognized as a significant historical place.

History of the Collarenebri Aboriginal Cemetery

Before British settlers arrived, Aboriginal people had their own ways of burying the dead. They sometimes placed remains in hollow trees. These trees were often marked with special designs. This traditional practice became harder when settlers watched them closely.

A New Burial Ground for the Community

Aboriginal people then started burying their dead in the ground. They often chose sandy areas near water. Burials were usually in small family groups. Even with new settlers, families kept burying their loved ones together. They also continued to care for the graves.

An Aboriginal camp grew near a lagoon east of Collarenebri. This led to a new burial ground. In 1907, a baby named Myrum Mundy died. This event led to a burial ground being set up closer to the camp.

Why a Separate Cemetery?

At that time, people were often kept separate based on their race. This separation in Collarenebri made Aboriginal people want their own cemetery even more. Having their own space allowed them to mourn and remember their dead in their own traditional ways.

How the Cemetery Shows Community Ties

The cemetery's layout shows how different groups of people in the Aboriginal community are connected. It reflects their relationships and how they mourn. A leader named Isabel Flick saw the cemetery as a powerful symbol. She felt it showed her community's deep connection to each other and to their land.

Unique Grave Decorations: "Crystalled" Glass

One special way of mourning at Collarenebri is decorating graves with "crystalled" glass. This involves breaking glass bottles in a unique way. First, people carefully choose bottles of the right color. They wash and dry them.

A fire is lit in a pit. Once it's hot coals, the bottles are placed on them. More coals and ashes cover the bottles. After about an hour, the bottles are removed with a shovel. They are quickly plunged into cold water. This makes tiny cracks appear inside the glass, making it look like crystal.

Then, the "crystalled" bottles are carefully broken into pieces. The size of the pieces depends on the family's choice. These pieces are then packed tightly onto the grave. This glass cover helps stop weeds and protects the grave from animals or weather. It also sparkles beautifully in the light, like water.

Other Traditions at Collarenebri

Other traditions are also important at Collarenebri. Graves must be dug by hand. The digging is done by community members who are not immediate family of the person who died. The grave is usually dug in one day.

Graves are also arranged so that the deceased are "with their mob" (their family group). Families are buried together. Graves are decorated in ways that show family ties. People with unclear connections to the Collarenebri community were traditionally buried in a specific section.

Isabel Flick and her partner chose to be buried just beyond this "strangers' place." This was a deliberate choice to include everyone in the wider community. It showed Isabel's lifelong work for justice for Aboriginal people.

Fighting for Access and Land Ownership

From the 1970s, the Collarenebri Aboriginal community worked to improve access to the cemetery. In the early 1980s, a local housing company refused building funds until an all-weather road to the cemetery was built. This road was finished in 1983. It was later named Bel's Way, honoring Isabel Flick's huge impact.

The community also fought for ownership of the land. Isabel Flick started talks about the cemetery sites and former camp site. In 1982, Aboriginal interest in these areas was officially recognized. Finally, in 1996, three parts of the land, including the cemetery, were given to the Collarenebri Local Aboriginal Land Council.

What the Collarenebri Aboriginal Cemetery Looks Like

The Collarenebri Aboriginal Cemetery is in a fenced area. It has many graves, mostly decorated with shattered glass and items important to the people buried there. The graves are arranged in different ways, showing where people came from, their family groups, and community links.

The unique glass decorations and the way graves are lined up match Gamilaroi burial customs. The cemetery also has an open-sided shelter with a corrugated iron roof. Here, piles of colored glass bottles are stored, and there's a firepit where the glass is "crystalled." The road leading to the cemetery, Bel's Way, is also part of this special heritage site. The cemetery is in good condition.

Why the Cemetery is a Heritage Site

The Collarenebri Aboriginal Cemetery is very important to the history of New South Wales. It's a rare and special place with its unique "crystalled" glass graves. This way of decorating graves is found mainly in north-west NSW. The cemetery shows how a living, traditional culture can keep changing and growing.

Honoring Isabel Flick

The site is even more important because of its connection to Isabel Flick. She was a famous Aboriginal activist who worked for better housing and health for Indigenous people. She also fought for equal wages and conditions for Aboriginal people in rural jobs. Isabel Flick is buried in this cemetery. Bel's Way, the road to the cemetery, is named after her because she worked so hard to get it built. There's also a statue of Isabel at the cemetery gate.

Blending Old and New Traditions

The cemetery's layout, the use of "crystalled" glass, and the ongoing practice of making it show something unique. They demonstrate how traditional Aboriginal culture and skills have blended with new European materials. This site is a great example of how an Aboriginal community has kept its traditions alive. They have also found new ways to remember those who have passed away.

Important for New South Wales History

• The cemetery has been used by the Murri people of Collarenebri since 1907. It replaced an older burial site further from town.
• Having a separate cemetery for Aboriginal people shows the history of separation in the town.
• It also shows how strong the local Aboriginal community is. Instead of just following European ways, they found new ways to express their traditional mourning practices. These new ways still connect to practices from before European settlement.

Strong Connection to Important People

The cemetery is important because of its direct link to Aboriginal activist Isabel Flick. She is buried here. Flick was well-known for her work in getting housing funds for Indigenous people. She also campaigned for equal wages and better living conditions. Bel's Way and a memorial statue honor her memory.

Creative and Unique Design

The cemetery is valued for its beauty and creativity. It's the best example of a grave decoration technique unique to north-west NSW. The "crystalled" glass creates a striking effect. The way graves are grouped by family and use specific colored glass shows family ties and remembrance. The cemetery shows how a living, traditional culture continues to develop.

Special Meaning for the Community

The cemetery holds deep meaning for the local Aboriginal community in Collarenebri. It shows the universal human need to use rituals and community to mourn and cope with death.

Learning from the Site

By looking at the grave layout, the "crystalled" glass, and the ongoing practice of preparing it, we can learn a lot. The site clearly shows burial practices that mix traditional Aboriginal culture and skills with new materials from European settlers.

A Rare and Special Place

The Collarenebri Aboriginal Cemetery is very rare. It's one of only a few sites in NSW where "crystalled" glass has been recorded. It might be the only Aboriginal cemetery that still uses "crystalled" glass as an ongoing part of remembering the dead.

Showing Important Cultural Practices

The cemetery is a great example of how an Aboriginal community has kept its traditions. It also shows how they have developed new ways to mark death and memory, even when facing challenges. It represents the strength of the Murri community in Collarenebri, who have claimed this place as their own and actively care for it.