The Friends of Evandale Catholic Cemetery began the project about three years ago after one member, Kate Rowe, noticed the space on a walk.

A relative newcomer to the area, Mrs Rowe enlisted the help of Sue Gillon and Lyn Louis – and their husbands – to clean up the space after discovering it was the old catholic cemetery.

It was only then they discovered some of the old headstones, one of which belonged to the highly respected Evandale School headmaster and well-known musician, conductor and benefactor, Alban Joseph Roper.

Through a Tasmanian Community Fund grant, assistance from the Northern Midlands Council, Gillon Holdings, the Kings Meadows Catholic Parish and fundraising efforts of their own, the group have been able to start working on a new memorial peace garden

Restoration of the damaged Celtic Cross that marked Mr Roper's grave has also been completed, and is now awaiting installation. Seats and a watering system are planned for the site too.

St Marys Catholic Church at Evandale was built about 1863 and serviced the Evandale community until it was deconsecrated in 2003. The cemetery dates from 1842 and includes an estimated 100 burials – the last occurring in 1962.

The cemetery is located behind Berresford Reserve and has views across farmland to Ben Lomond – a view now able to be appreciated, Mrs Gillon noted.

“The four of us came dedicated to seeing this through and returning it to a beautiful site,” she said. “It’s wonderful. From the idea of a couple of ladies – we’re pretty much a force, you can’t stop us when we start. 

“We look forward to the support of other locals, because we really hope it will be somewhere to visit and sit and contemplate – and particularly for those who had family buried there in the past.

“We haven’t finished yet by any means, but its now a place that people can visit.”