Kathy Gandolfi
MOUNT Gambier’s Bruhn Limestone quarries will be helping to mark history with a donation of limestone blocks to assist a project which is putting meaning back into bare earth plots in the old section of Millicent’s cemetery.
About $1500 worth of limestone blocks have been donated by the company to help with the project which is being undertaken by a small band of volunteers.
Operations Manager at Bruhn Limestone, Steph Jones said she and her colleagues were moved to offer the donation when they were told what the blocks were being used for.
“We were quite touched by the sentiment of what they are doing,” she said adding that leader of the volunteers, Noel Boyle had explained to her that there were many graves in the old section of the cemetery, including children’s graves, which were completely unmarked, and a small band of volunteers was marking and name plating the graves, some of them more than 100 years old.
“It’s an incredible thing they are doing, especially for the children’s graves,” said Steph, understanding that the limestone blocks would help to mark many more graves than the group had currently been able to do with previously limited supplies of suitable material.
“It creates a story, a history, that isn’t marked at the moment, so we’re pleased we can contribute to that lovely sentiment.
“It is not about the dollars to us, it’s about what these blocks will do.”
Leader of the volunteers, Noel Boyle, quite emotional in accepting the donation, said the blocks would go a long way in preserving history at the old section of Millicent’s cemetery.
“We’d only enquired with Bruhn as we had been given an anonymous donation of money to help buy some blocks which was wonderful on its own, but with Bruhn also donating limestone blocks it means we’ll be able to get even more done than we thought,” said Mr Boyle.
“I get quite emotional when people want to help.”
