Community & Business
7 July, 2025
Oakey Cemetery - your chance to help preserve history of town
The Oakey Cemetery Committee is looking to transfer governance of the site to Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC), but needs input from the community regardless of the final outcome.
The Oakey Cemetery was established when a reserve was set aside in 1882, with the first recorded burial (according to the held-Registry books) being for Sophia Fett in 1898.
The cemetery provides an integral historical link to many of the smaller communities and towns in the wider Oakey region and provides an interesting insight into some of the pioneering history of these towns and their families.
Historically, the cemetery has been run by a group of dedicated trustees from the local community.
Today, this trust arrange-ment is no longer in place.
Since 2014, the cemetery has been administered by the Oakey Cemetery Committee Incorporated (OCCI) and follows the guidelines established by Toowoomba Regional Council, the Cemetery Act 1865 and the Department of Fair Trading.
OCCI has undertaken a number of remediation activities over the last ten years, erecting new fences, refurbishing the amenities block and establishing garden beds along the Taylor Street entrance.
TRC has assisted OCCI by providing shrubs and shade trees through an in-kind grant program.
Long-serving committee member Sue Mitchell said OCCI has many plans in place for the precinct, but more community assistance is needed for the cemetery to remain active.
“The Committee is currently working with the Oakey RSL Sub-branch regarding the placement of headstones of the district’s World War I and World War II Returned Servicemen, for whom there is no permanent headstone (locally),” she said.
“Additionally, there are plans for an area of reflection and memorial both for ANZAC Services and the general public, with a dedicated shade area and garden.
“This may lend itself to memorial plaques being included as part of the broader Place of Reflection.
“The Committee has also been actively meeting with members of the Toowoomba Regional Council and the Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing and Regional and Rural Development to look at the possibility of TRC taking over the governance of the cemetery.
“There are a number of conditions which need to be met for this to occur, and the committee is actively working with the TRC to determine whether this is a possibility in the futures.”
There is clearly still community interest in burials at the cemetery, with over 250 pre-paid plots having been purchased and it is likely that the cemetery has sufficient space available for at least the next 20 to 25 years.
OCCI is currently working with both TRC and the Department regarding the future allocation of reserve land for further burials beyond these 25 years.
TRC currently operates 19 cemeteries across the Toowoomba Region, which are open from 6am to 6pm daily, including those at the Cooyar, Douglas, Djuan/Bergen, Goombungee-Haden, Evergreen and Meringandan localities.
Other active cemeteries at Aubigny, Glencoe, Greenwood, Highfields, Jondaryan, and Silverleigh are not run by Council.
Regardless of the Council governance issue, there is a need for the committee
to continue its current role and is looking for expressions of interest from community members who may be interested incoming onboard as committee members.
If you’d like to have your say and/or contribute to the running of the cemetery, contact Rick on 0429 911 981 or Sue 0408 188 684.
