'Sister Suburbs Sunday' - The biggest cemetery clean-up in South Brisbane history!
Over a hundred volunteers descended on the cemetery on 23 January to take part in 'Sister Suburbs Sunday', a post-flood clean-up project organised by Channel 7, the Rotary Club, and the Sunday Mail. The Friends of South Brisbane Cemetery contacted Channel 7 and arranged for our cemetery to be included in this great scheme.
The day exceeded all our expectations, as everyone turned up, the weather was beautiful, and the volunteers did a fantastic job clearing graves and pathways of debris. It has made a huge difference to the cemetery, and the FOSBC regulars were very emotional about the whole thing. Channel 7 news presenters and staff pitched in, and the Rotary Club ran two excellent sausage sizzle stalls and provided endless amounts of free drink and food for all. The city council cemeteries department (who have done a fine job themselves since the floodwaters receded) even provided the FOSBC with extra tools. It was a day that the FOSBC will never forget.
The FOSBC would like to extend a massive thank you to the organisers of 'Sister Suburbs Sunday', and especially to everyone who came along. As a small token of thanks, all those who turned up and signed the forms now have a free membership of the FOSBC, and we hope to be able to reward them all over the coming year. Maybe we'll see some again at the 'Great Graveyard Shift' on March 6?
Here are some images from this historic day:
Above: The work begins.
Above: A neverending relay of wheelbarrows ferried the debris to the roadside.
Above: Rotarians fed the masses.
Above: FOSBC secretary Tracey Olivieri chats with the press.
Above: Channel 7 cameras capture the action.
Above: Volunteers leave a trail of clean graves in their wake.
Above: Debris that once covered graves and pathways now lies on the roadside.
Above: Trees provided plenty of shade for the tireless workers.
COME AND DO IT ALL AGAIN ON 'CLEAN UP AUSTRALIA' DAY!
