The Charlton Cemetery is managed by the Charlton Cemetery Trust. The cemetery caters for monumental and lawn burials and also has a niche wall for cremations. Enquiries can be made on 0418 885 796.
There is a board at the cemetery with over 3500 burials listed and their locations.
For information on historical burials contact Mary McLoughlan on 0476 915 210. Or contact the Charlton Golden Grains Museum which also has burial records as well as other historical information on local families. Contact Carolyn Olive on 0418 361 971 or email goldengrains@bigpond.com. The Museum is open Sundays 11am – 3pm or by appointment. www.charltongoldengrainsmuseum.com.au.
President: Peter Watts 0407 090 680, Secretary: Mary McLoughlan 0476 915 210
History
With the arrival of the squatters in the Charlton district in the 1840s came the need for a burial place. As Charlton didn’t have an official cemetery until the 1870s, early burials took place at the stations. The homestead on the West Charlton station was located on a sandhill near the river. There was a small graveyard near the homestead and older residents have recalled that it used to have a small picket fence around it.
The East Charlton homestead also had a cemetery and in official records is referred to as the East Charlton Cemetery. Although some residents may still recall the remnants of headstones and enclosures in the cemetery, these have since been cleared.
The old West Charlton Cemetery (at the rear of the current cemetery on the Donald Road), came into being with the arrival of the selectors. The earliest record of a burial is Catherine Maloney in 1875. This cemetery continued to be used up until approximately 1882. A Cemetery Trust was formed in October 1878 and they set to work surveying and designing a new cemetery layout in front of the older cemetery. The Shire took over the trusteeship of the Cemetery in 1947. A Niche wall for cremations was added in 1972 and a lawn cemetery was created in 1974. A children’s section was also added. A second lawn cemetery was added in 1987 and although some burials still take place in the monumental section, most now take place in the lawn section. The Charlton cemetery is currently under the control of the Charlton Cemetery Trust who have undertaken a number of improvements.
Other district cemeteries include Woosang, Wychitella and Terrappee. All but Terrappee are now closed to new burials.