Project plan

PICTURE: Family and volunteers helped lift the headstones off the ground to get them away from the corrosive effects of salt.

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The current owners of the freehold title of Uamby are anxious to preserve and promote the historical nature of the property for future generations, for descendents of the occupants of the cemetery and for interested members of the community.

A small, informal working group, which includes an experienced stone mason and a museum curator, has developed a vision for an ideal outcome for the project.

1. The site is to be cleared of its infestation of trees.

2. The headstones are to be secured, cleaned and reset on their original places as far as accuracy is possible.

3. A list of all buried within and the inscriptions on all headstones will appear on a large piece of granite or marble with a polished surface, standing in the vicinity.

4. If possible, a display of artefacts and visual material depicting the history and culture of the original inhabitants, Michael Lahy’s career, and the property’s development will be available to visitors in a room in the cottage which stands on the site of Lahy’s original homestead.

5. A small booklet about the occupants of the cemetery could be published for descendants and interested members of the public. A website could also make this information available.

6. A special event will be staged to mark the restoration of the cemetery and to celebrate the life of Michael Lahy and his fellow pioneers. This event could include a thoroughbred horse race (reflecting his passion for racing and the fact he had a private track on Uamby) and a celebration of Irish culture.

Headstone restoration plan

The project presents several challenges:

1. Determining how many occupants there are.
2. Identifying the occupants.
3. Locating the occupants for correct placement of the headstones.
4. Restoring the headstones.


IMAGE: The then Mudgee Shire Council mapped the location of the cemetery and the position of the headstones in 2002, so we have an accurate picture of where each goes when they are returned from restoration. Thanks to Mayor James Thompson for this support.

Number of occupants

The cemetery at Uamby has 52 known occupants, 19 of whom have headstones.

Some are unknown. The first recorded burial was that of Lahy’s daughter Alice in 1851. But Maurice Hennessey’s memoirs mention the graveyard, saying that in 1854 Michael Lahy pointed out a grave in the cemetery which contained Hennessey’s older brother. “My brother was one of the first to be buried in that small and secluded resting place. That would be in the late ‘30s or ‘40’s,” he wrote.

Therefore the exact number of occupants is not yet known. A public appeal for information as well as a search of official records is being conducted to gain as much information as possible within the time frame allowed.