1 March 2013

De Salis Cemetery works complete

| johnboy
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de salis

Territory and Municipal Services are sharing the news that their rehabilitation works at the heritage-listed De Salis Cemetery are now complete:

The ACT heritage-listed De Salis Cemetery, located on the banks of the majestic Murrumbidgee River at Tharwa, has been returned to the community after the completion of extensive restoration works, Manager of Operations, National Park and Catchments, Brett McNamara, said today.

“The De Salis Cemetery is a rare example of a 19th century pastoral station cemetery. It is of unique construction, comprising a raised circular terrace with walls of local stone,” Mr McNamara said.

“During severe storms in December 2010 and January 2011 the stone wall of the cemetery collapsed as the earth subsided. The walls continued collapsing due to recurring heavy rain in 2012 and the presence of wombat burrows under the site.

“Staff from ACT Parks and Conservation Service, ACT Heritage Unit and construction contractors have rebuilt and restored the walls using the collapsed stone in a pattern that replicates its original design.

“The raised site has been further stabilised by the installation of internal gabion walls (wire and stone reinforced blocks), the compacting of soil and landscaping to control rain run-off.

That should confuse the hell out of future archeologists.

[Photo courtesy TAMS]

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p996911turbo said :

I don’t know… The photo looks pretty ominous…

That photo is brilliant, isn’t it? 😀 I’m generally not a big fan of photography as art, but there are some truly excellent exceptions.

p996911turbo1:33 pm 01 Mar 13

Jivrashia said :

…This work didn’t involve raising the dead?

Okay, just wanted to be sure.

I don’t know… The photo looks pretty ominous…

What happened to the wombats? Are they now entombed with their hosts?

…This work didn’t involve raising the dead?

Okay, just wanted to be sure.

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