Burials

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The Bellarine Historical Society Inc.
on the Bellarine Peninsula, Victoria, Australia
ABN : 32 278 055 160

Newington Cemetery : Possible Burials

Various names have been put forward for the people buried at the Newington Cemetery on Pacey's Hill. Following are sources of information and the suggested names.

1.	Typed note in the Holden Collection, Geelong Historical Records Centre.

At Ocean Grove, in the "eighties" there lived one who was known throughout the district as "The Herb Woman". Her name was Ferris, (known generally as Grannie Ferris"). She was very skilful in the making of ointments and medicine from the various herbs and plants which grow in profusion from the estuary of the Barwon River right over to the Queenscliff Road. She is buried in a tiny cemetery with some other early settlers (including some infants) just to the left of the main road where it reaches the top of the cutting above the great swamp. The place can be recognised at a certain season of the year, by a profusion of lovely red Madonna lilies which must have taken root there nearly a century ago.

2.	Comments from Jean Hose, Powell Street West, Ocean Grove - confirmed above.

3.	Information from Connie COOK, nee BAIL, Wallington (via Myrtle Filbay). The following are buried in the "Pioneer Cemetery" :-

Name of Person Buried	Year
Jenny FERRIS	1850
Joseph CHAMBERS	1862
Mrs FERRIS	1862
Edmond FERRIS	1887
Priscilla LOCKOW	1887
Baby MATCHUM
Baby LOCKOW
Baby LING
Baby THOMAS (Father Mark)
Baby FOX (Parents George & Sarah)

4.	Information from the BARRY Diary. Most of the information was provided by various residents of Newington and Wallington early this century. The details are spread throughout the diary with updates to information as the diary progresses.

Name of Person Buried	Comments
Mr CHAMBERS	Uncle of Charlie CHAMBERS. Mr CHAMBERS IS buried there.
Mrs LOCKO	Mother of Dora CHAMBERS - committed suicide in a small dam down near Ferris' gate but on the opposite side of the road. Her husband was a German who it was said deserted his ship. Mrs LOCKO is buried there.
Mrs FERRIS - NOT buried at Newington - buried at Point Lonsdale	Mother of Mrs LOCKO, was Mrs CHAMBERS originally. Mrs FERRIS was the local nurse and midwife and kept at this work until she was an old age and the last baby that she brought into the world was Alma Jessie HARDING. Although Mr BLACKWELL says she is resting in this burial ground I have my doubts at this stage, I believe she may be buried at either Drysdale or Pt Lonsdale - plan to make further enquiries.
Children LOCKO x 2	Children of Mrs LOCKO.
Children MATCHIN x 2	The MATCHIN or MATCHIM family were relatives of the CHAMBERS family.
Infant LING	Brother or sister of Mr Tom LING.
Child THOMAS	Mark THOMAS was at that time living on the place which was later owned by WILTONS.
Baby FOX (Parents George & Sarah)	George & Sarah FOX had a baby buried there, baby died at birth.
Baby HARDING	Born between the time of Norm (?) and Alma.
Miss FERRIS	I don't know her age but I think she must have been an infant daughter of Mrs CHAMBERS who after the death of her husband remarried a Mr Ned FERRIS.
Mr Ned FERRIS	He also was buried there.
Miss FERRIS or CHAMBERS (?)	And either an adult daughter or sister.

That makes a total of thirteen people buried there.

5.	Information from Marjorie and Ted FOX.

Interned in the cemetery on the Ferris property were a child Jennie FERRIS 1850, four adults and five infants to 1894.

6.	Information from Ada BEALE, author of "Chambers Chronicles" and descendant of Joseph CHAMBERS Jnr.

Joseph and Susanna [Chambers] joined Joseph's friend Edmund (Ned) Ferris on his farm at Newington on the Bellarine Peninsula. Ned had been married to Jeanie (or Jennie) who had died in 1850. …..

He [Joseph Chambers] is buried in the cemetery on Ned's property, as were Ned's wife Jeannie in 1850, and Ned himself later (in 1887), on the hill overlooking Barwon Heads.

During Susanna's lifetime the grave yard was fenced and she grew flowers and herbs there. She was known as a midwife and is said to have made a very soothing ointment from her herbs. She could not write but somebody had picked out with small stones a text from Jeremiah 8.22 : "Is there no balm in Gilead". The full quotation reads, "Is there no balm in Gilead, is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?" This quotation becomes more poignant with the knowledge that Susanna's youngest daughter, Priscilla, who suicided in 1887, is also buried here in this cemetery, along with two of her babies.

Susanna married Ned Ferris after Joseph died. She lived in a wattle and daub place close to the cemetery. There is an old well beside the cemetery. …..

Jim [Barry] also gave them a list of people buried in the old cemetery (as supplied by Emily Capon, daughter of Henry and Emily Chambers). Along with Jeanie Ferris (1850), Joseph Chambers (1862), Edmund Ferris (1887), and Priscilla Luckow (1887), all of whose death dates agreed with what I had found in the library at Monash, were "two Luckow babies, Thomas Matcham (Martha's husband), two Matcham children and there were others from other families making a total of thirteen" (as reported by Lewis [Chambers] ).

Created by : Susie Zada
� 1997 Susie Zada, Ocean Grove, Victoria, Australia
Last revised : July 17, 2004.
Email : szada@zades.com.au