Our Project

Nomination for the Regional Achievement & Community Awards

Outback Grave Markers has come about as a result of a 50 year school reunion of the Class of '64 where there was discussion with regard to giving back to the greater community. There is a responsibility on everyone to preserve the unique history of the Outback and recognise those who went before.

Trevor Tough has spent the greater part of his life in the Kimberley and has experienced life on many stations. He has developed a great love of the area and the history that is hidden in the unmarked graves throughout the area.

With the support of some class mates and the wider community, it is hoped to uncover many graves and the stories behind them. The information discovered and the graves marked will be added to a data base that will be available on a link from this site. As time goes by, anyone with information on potential grave sites is more than welcome to submit information directly to Trevor to assist in this quest.

An initial trip to the Outback has happened and graves have been marked in some areas with many more identified and hundreds more to locate and mark over the coming years..

Research is underway following consultation with station owners, local historians and traditional owners in conjunction with "Yvonne and Kevin Coate, the authors of "Lonely Graves", and other genealogists who have previously undertaken extensive research in this area.

Not only has a rotary engraver been purchased but through the generous support of QSM Fabrication, in Welshpool, who have supplied aluminium plate cut to size. When graves that have been found, have had plaques engraved on site and installed displaying all available information about the deceased.

The Project is entirely self funded and it is hoped to provide some meaningful information to future historians as the graves are researched and marked. There has been a very encouraging response to initial letters to stations, with offers to assist in the bid to discover and mark as many graves as possible in the next few years.

The initial trip showed what work there was to be done in just a small area of the state and the support from all the Station folk was overwhelming.

With markers made and installed as we went we have now decided to make as many markers as we can for graves we believe we can locate so we can save time as it takes about an hour to make, paint and polish each marker.

The project has gained support from many people and the Four Wheel Drive clubs and Track Care WA Inc have been of great assistance in providing incentive to expand and work with similar groups caring for the Outback in different ways.

It is hoped that with more interested people we can expand the work and make sure as many graves as possible are marked and recorded to record history for tomorrow.