Telling their story

Our project: Telling their story

filling in the dash between birth and death

About us

The Capel District Cemeteries Project (Inc) is driven by a passionate group of volunteers, including family members, local history enthusiasts, and community members, all dedicated to preserving and sharing the stories of those laid to rest in the cemeteries of Capel Shire, located in the scenic South West of Western Australia.

Our Journey

Our work began in 2017 with the Capel Cemetery Survey. Over the years, we have meticulously compiled a comprehensive register of approximately 700 individuals interred at Capel Cemetery. This register, initially made available through the Ron Maidment Archive Room in the Iluka Capel Library, can now be accessed conveniently via this website.

Sharing the Stories

From the outset, it was clear that each of these 700 individuals had a unique story worth telling. Recognizing the scale of this endeavor, we explored various ways to document and share these narratives. In 2020, following a brief pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Capel Cemetery Survey evolved into the Capel District Cemeteries Project (Inc), with a renewed vision to bring these stories to life.

We chose “The Dash” as our theme. On a headstone, the dash between birth and death dates symbolizes a person’s life. Our mission is to “fill in the dash” by telling the stories behind the names, ensuring that our forebears are remembered and celebrated.

Becoming Independent

In 2020, we became an incorporated group and participated in the Bendigo Bank – Community Bank Capel “Pitch Night.” With the community funding we received, we engaged a talented local web designer to create this platform. This website is now the heart of our project, enabling us to share the stories we uncover and connect with individuals searching for their family roots.

Join Us

We hope this website will serve as a bridge to connect past and present, providing a resource for family history researchers and storytellers. If you have information about individuals interred in the Capel Cemetery, we invite you to contribute. Click on CONTACT US to share your knowledge and help us continue to fill in the DASH.

Together, we can ensure that these stories live on for generations to come.

Explore Our Resources

Delve into the stories of Capel Cemetery through our comprehensive resource section. Organized into easy-to-navigate categories, these references are here to support your research and deepen your connection to the history we share. You can find this section under “Acknowledgement and Resources” at the bottom of our website.

Acknowledgement of Country

Capel District Cemeteries Project respectfully acknowledges the Wadandi people, traditional custodians of this land, as being the first people of this country. We recognise and pay respects to the Aboriginal peoples who lived and cared for this land in the time well before those interred in Capel District cemeteries came to add their contributions to this place. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

Original patrons: Geoffrey & Eleanor Roberts

The Cemetery

The Capel Cemetery is in the South West of Western Australia on Urquhart Road, Capel. It was officially reserved in 1854 for the gazetted township of Coolingup. The earliest burial was that of Elizabeth Payne who succumbed to measles in 1884. The Capel River precinct had been visited by English explorers as early as 1834 and was thought to be highly suited for settlement for farming and agricultural ventures. The cemetery site was originally owned by the Roberts Family. Gynudup School, the first formal school established in Capel District was opened by Rev Joseph Withers in 1864 on a site within the cemetery’s boundary.

Ground Penetrating Radar – Paul Stevenson from Geographe Underground Services with CDCP volunteers

ANZAC DAY 2025 – CDCP Wreath

Where we are today

The Cemetery Register

The Cemetery Register is an evolving document, updated as new information and contributions are received. It has been compiled from a range of sources including gravestone inscriptions at Capel Cemetery, burial records from the Shire of Capel, early records kept by James Levi Bentley, and transcriptions from the Wellington District Death Register. Maps and plans of the Capel Cemetery have also been utilised, supplemented by online resources like Trove, Ancestry.com, Western Australian Births – Death – Marriages, National Archives of Australia, Busselton Family History Society indexes along with many other sources. Family history contributions from descendants have also enriched the register.

Cemetery Management

The Shire of Capel, as the local Cemetery Board, currently manages the cemetery’s administration and maintenance. The graves are divided into five major sections, with a newly refurbished Niche Wall along the southern pathway.

We are thrilled that our focus on cemetery stories has sparked renewed interest among local families in maintaining their ancestors’ graves and sharing their stories. Our work has also fostered connections with other community groups such as the Capel Men’s Shed and the Capel RSL.

The responsibility of sharing the stories of those interred in Capel Cemtery since 1854 is a shared one. Together, we aim to offer a glimpse into the history of Capel District as we know it today. Our community is fortunate to have support of groups like the Boyanup Lions Club, who maintain the Boyanup Cemetery. There are still ‘lonely graves’ and unmarked burial sites within the Shire of Capel that we hope to research in the future as well as the Boyanup Cemetery, we hope to archieve this future goal with the help of dedicated volunteers and curious researchers.

2022- Solving Mysteries and Moving Forward

As our website and the stories within it expanded, we realized there was still much to learn about Capel Cemetery. At the start of 2022, we enlisted the help of a local resident equipped with a metal detector to search for buried metal grave markers and surrounds that had been lost over time. While the search yielded only a few small artifacts, we made a significant discovery: the brick surrounds of two previously unknown graves, later identified as belonging to Frederick and Johanna Roberts. This finding motivated us to explore new methods for uncovering more hidden graves.

We reached out to Paul Stevenson from Geographe Underground Services to explore the use of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), a technology that uses electromagnetic pulses to detect objects beneath the surface. Although typically used to locate utilities, GPR is a safe and effective tool for sensitive sites like Capel Cemetery. With approval from the Shire of Capel, we proceeded with the survey on May 18th 2022, taking two days to carefully investigate the grounds. This unique look at the Cemetery did not go unnoticed and a local reporter also spent one day with the team recording our efforts. You can view the story which aired on the ABC News on the 5th June by clicking on the below link:

ABC News Story – 5th June 2022 – GPR Findings – Reporter: Anthony Pancia

The Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) uncovered many unexpected findings, including shallow graves, graves located in walkways, and family plaques without detectable burials. All discoveries were carefully recorded and photographed for future research. We are also grateful to Cain Wovodich for capturing drone footage of the cemetery, which you can view by clicking the link below. The GPR has helped us confirm the locations of both known and unknown graves, paving the way for our next initiative:

Capel Cemetery Drone Footage – Credited – Cain Wovodich

To Mark and Honour the Unmarked Graves

Our goal is to ensure every person’s story is told and their graves recognized. We’ve received permission from the Shire of Capel to install grave markers for unmarked and unknown graves. A prototype treated pine marker with an engraved plaque was approved, and with generous funding from the Bunbury Cemetery Board, the “Mark and Honour” project became a reality. The Capel Men’s Shed generously offered to cut and paint the markers, while the CDCP Volunteers commissioned engraved nameplates the with grave name if known and location.

In Autumn 2023, we began marking the first 25 graves, with a total of 105 markers completed by the end of the project. To commemorate this milestone, a Morning Tea Ceremony was held at Capel Cemetery on November 5th 2023, bringing together families, community members, and supporters to celebrate and reflect on the cemetery’s rich history. The event was well-attended, with not only local residents but also many people traveling from afar to honour their family’s heritage within the Capel Cemetery.

The “Mark and Honour Project,” where 105 grave markers now stand as a tribute to those resting in the cemetery, they provide an aid to those searching for family members and ensuring their stories are remembered for generations to come.

In the future, we plan to create a memorial within the cemetery to honour those buried in unknown locations, including many children and babies. As each unmarked grave is recognized, the person’s story has been added to our website, and we hope to connect with family members who can provide additional information and photos to bring these stories to life. One story we invite you to read is that of Henry Palmer, who is an unknown grave, but through the smallest of information provided on our website has led to a wonderful discovery and connection to his past and present family, who after 113 years found his final resting place.

The Road Ahead

This ongoing project demands extensive research and time, but with every update to the register and our website, we aim to reveal the names and locations of more ‘Unknown’ graves and stories of those who belonged to the Shire of Capel. As the Capel District Cemeteries Project progresses, we also plan to extend this work to Boyanup Cemetery, where records, though more complete, still lack a comprehensive register of names. Additionally, we are in the process of marking each denomination at Capel Cemetery with row markers, making it easier for visitors to locate their family members.

The dedicated volunteers of the Capel District Cemeteries Project are at the heart of this initiative. Without their passion for preserving the cemetery and its stories, we would not have come this far. We invite you to contact us with your photos, stories, and information to help us honour the past and ensure these stories are told for generations to come.

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