At the Harden Shire business meeting last night, an undertaking was received for work to be done erecting a memorial at the Wombat Cemetery.
The Wombat Progress Association (WPA) tendered a request for funding to the Harden Shire Council to erect four stainless steel plaques. These plaques are to have the names of deceased persons interred in unmarked graves at Wombat Cemetery.
According to the WPA, there are 172 unmarked graves at Wombat Cemetery. “There is a moral obligation on the community to identify those interred and to provide each and every one of them with some formal recognition.” The WPA said.
The WPA have asked for Council to contribute $3,500 in funding for their preferred option of four 800mm (32 inches) x 1200mm (48 inches) stainless steel plaques with highlighted lettering containing the names of those in the 172 unmarked graves. The total cost of the plaques would be $4,500 with the WPA paying the $1,000 difference.
Two other options include four smaller 600mm (24 inches) x 800mm (32 inches) stainless steel plaques with wide-etched writing, costing only $2,400.00. The other, more expensive option are four 400mm (16 inches) x 600mm (24 inches) bronze cast plaques costing $5,500.00.
The main obstacle to this initiative is that Council has not voted in any specific funding in the 2014/2015. The WPA has requested that some of the $20,000 allocated to the Capital Improvements for the Chinese Cemetery in Murrumburrah be redirected to pay for the Wombat Cemetery plaques.
To date, $6,311.06 has been spent on works at the Chinese Cemetery, which leaves $13,700.00 possibly available.