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News

Our NEW PROJECT – to locate and document all those who served.

Brighton Cemetery's connection with our past generations of WW1 servicemen & women is unique to anywhere in Victoria - this being in the main due it's close proximity to Caulfield Hospital (formally No 11th Aust Gen Hosp 1st AIF) - for here were sent the maimed/gassed & critically ill soldiers who had been freshly returned from hospitalization from overseas medical establishments. Many of these patients would linger & suffer from the results of their voluntary war service, dying in many cases prematurely, whilst many more would succumbed to their injuries shortly after being admitted - effectively 'coming home to die'! Many of these interments are not covered by CWGC, & as such are not even marked as returned personal. The death rate amongst the returned with in the first ten years following the Armistice is telling.

Aside the above interments, Brighton as well contains quite a number who were to die whilst in camp in Australia without having the chance to prove their worth at the front - again many of these have become forgotten/obscured with the passing of time. These are actual WW1 war graves as would be visited in overseas war cemeteries.

Many are aware of the four WW1 Victoria Cross winners, the likes of Sir John Monash & General Tivey are known to be interned at Brighton, but those who were not recognised as celebrities of the 1st AIF are just as worthy of commemorating, celebrating & preserving for the future generations to come.

Few would be aware of the importance of the first burials here at Brighton due to war service from as early as 1914, nor the story of it's last WW1 internment who was interned in 2002, being the 16th last known veteran in Australia for WW1. Both the first & the last were members of the famous 'Jacka's Mob' - 14th Battalion 1st AIF.

Presently a working list of known WW1 burials is in the process of being thoroughly researched, & this information will serve to assist the relatives of these veterans & researchers/historians alike. As well as recording the details of those actual burials within Brighton, a full listing of known memorial inscriptions, which were added to family headstones, is as well being created. These memorials are of high social importance, as when such were added to the family graves these would act in lieu as a point of remembrance/grieving for those families who had lost loved ones overseas but were unlikely to ever get the opportunity to visit their relative's actual war grave (if they indeed ever had one) overseas.

To add to the above rolls, the living image of as many of these men & women will be added where possible to the overall database, which will greatly assist to stimulate the interests of younger Australians & in turn will aid in the overall preservation the services of so many patriotic Australian's, many of which were to pass before the 2nd War commenced, a war they had sacrificed their lives & health to prevent!

Lastly - the types of War Grave headstones & memorial plaques which are correctly allocated at Brighton are in themselves a valuable resource, as with such the different styles/ formations & nationalities (ie British & NZ) are represented & need to be properly recognised & thus preserved for what they are.

In regards the four VC winners presently known to be interned in Brighton, only Newland & Joynt have correct VC grave markers as was made available for all recipients on their demise - Peeler has no such device on his plaque & Buckley's interment has been looked after by his family & thus has yet to be officially recognised by War Graves as a VC internment. It is hoped that this completed research will assist in rectifying such error's & omissions, & that these brave men along with the 100's of their comrades who have been buried in military obscurity will be availed the respect that they so rightfully deserve!

The WW1 database will as well hold all known pre WW1 interments/memorials, be they Boer war veterans or from other Victorian era campaigns. Those actual WW2 internments caused due to active service between 1939-45 will as well be availed their reference point as will the memorial inscriptions for those that died abroad & have been remembered in Brighton by the many effected local families.

The end result will bring heavy weight to the needs of Brighton Cemetery's place in Australia's Defence Force's history, & will well demonstrate that this cemetery is more then deserving of an official CWGC heritage overlay, which will as well aid in preserving this heritage in it's correct context for the generations to come.