The forgotten souls of the Dubbo Pioneer Cemetery have a new lease on life because of a doctor who examined the dead body of bushranger Ben Hall.
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They are the subject of a new book authored by Dubbo and District Family History Society committee member Karlyn Robinson.
A year ago Mrs Robinson went out to the cemetery to take photographs of its 20 headstones for posting on the society’s Facebook page.
She quickly came to the view that the photographs should be accompanied by information about the 27 people buried under them.
Mrs Robinson randomly chose to research the life of Dr Charles Ashenheim first.
Extensive and persistent effort revealed he had given evidence at a magisterial inquiry after the May 5 1865 shooting of Ben Hall.
The Scottish doctor told the inquiry that the “shot between the shoulders, the two shots through the brain, and the one through the body were severely sufficient to cause death”.
Enthused by her discovery, Mrs Robinson went on to find information about all of the cemetery inhabitants with her Facebook postings generating “a following”.
“People who were descendants of those buried in the cemetery contacted me, asking if I would like more information,” she said.
“When I was finished I had a tremendous amount of research left that was too good to throw away.”
By December she had written Dubbo Pioneer Cemetery The Stories Behind the Headstones.
The book was launched last week by local studies officer at the Dubbo branch of Macquarie Regional Library, Simone Taylor, who was a “helpful connection” for its author.
More than 50 people attended the launch at the Western Plains Cultural Centre’s Community Arts Centre, where the society has rooms.
“The information in the book is not a family history, rather material that gives a little insight into the lives of those buried in the cemetery,” Mrs Robinson said.
Dr Ashenheim and his wife moved to Dubbo from Forbes after the inquiry but he died from “Typhoid fever” in August 1866 at the age of 38.
With headstones disappearing from the cemetery, Mrs Robinson is happy to be helping preserve history.
The new book costs $40 and is available from the society’s rooms.
It can be collected or posted at an extra cost of $9.
Payment must be by cash, cheque or bank transfer as credit card facilities are not available.
Bank details are the Westpac Bank, account name DDFHS, and BSB 032 646, account number 581832.
More information on the cemetery can be found in the society’s library.
