Tasmanian Youtubers Rob Parsons, Levi Triffitt, Hugh Calvert restore John Stannard's grave

A group of Tasmanian Youtubers have undertaken multiple expeditions in the past year in search of the famous grave of Huon piner John Stannard.

Mr Stannard was only 19 years old when he met his fate in 1901, drowning in the Jane River, after slipping off of a fallen tree trunk, which he was walking along.

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He was later buried by four of his comrades, two police constables and members of his family, who crafted a coffin from King Billy pine. The exact location of the burial site was never officially recorded, and the last time anyone had ever come across it was almost 100 years ago.

That is until the three-man team of Levi Triffitt, Rob Parsons and Hugh Calvert successfully located the grave earlier this year.

Mr Parsons said the group initially attempted to traverse the rough terrain on foot, but after that method proved futile, they decided, months later, to use pack rafts to travel along the rivers. Although physical injuries forced Mr Calvert to return home after one day, the persistence of Mr Triffitt and Mr Parsons' was eventually rewarded.

"I was carefully following a Huon Pine branch that was drooping in front of my face when, all of a sudden, I realised I was looking at one of the cross-cut saws, which was one of the features of the original grave," he said.

Mr Parsons recalled first finding out about John Stannard's grave through books, including The Huon Pine Story, in which, Reg Morrison, mentioned coming across the grave in the '30s.

"There was a beautiful Huon pine headstone on the grave when I went there first, but some bugger shook [stole] it," he said.

Mr Morrison's nephew, Ron Morrison, said the many stories his uncle had told him about the grave had prompted him to find it for himself, however, he too found the task exceedingly difficult.

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But after being notified of the recent discovery, Mr Morrison decided to collaborate with Mr Parsons and his crew to ensure the missing headstone, which had infuriated his uncle, was replaced.

He sourced a slab of Huon timber from Morrison's Huon Pine Sawmill, owned by his second cousin, and, with the help of Mr Parsons, crafted a replica headstone.

Then, accompanied by his son Steven 'Deek' Morrison, and friend Sam Gerrity, he set out on one final journey into "Stannard's flats" to rendezvous with Mr Parsons, Mr Triffitt, and Mr Calvert.

Mr Parsons said he felt an immense sense of closure after completing the task.

"After multiple trips into the Jane River and trying to learn everything about Stannard in general, it made me feel a deep connection to the story, and I know the other boys felt the same," he said.

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"Replacing the headstone, with an exact replica of the one crafted by Stannard's mates, felt like the last chapter of his story ... it was a tribute to him, his family, and the Piners from the Jane River."

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