CAIRNS REGIONAL COUNCIL McLeod Street Pioneer Cemetery Conservation Plan Report prepared for Cairns Regional Council July 2012 Maxim Consulting Services Pty Ltd Contents CONTENTS..........................................................................................................................................1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................3 PROPERTY DESCRIPTION......................................................................................................................3 TEAM .....................................................................................................................................................4 TERMS OF REFERENCE ..........................................................................................................................4 STUDY METHODS...................................................................................................................................4 PREVIOUS RESEARCH ............................................................................................................................5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS..........................................................................................................................5 SITE HISTORY ...................................................................................................................................6 CAIRNS HISTORY ...................................................................................................................................6 SITE HISTORY ........................................................................................................................................7 PHYSICAL EVIDENCE.................................................................................................................... 13 STONEMASONS ................................................................................................................................... 16 GRAVESTONE MATERIALS.................................................................................................................. 17 SYMBOLIC FORMS............................................................................................................................... 17 LAYOUT .............................................................................................................................................. 18 VEGETATION ...................................................................................................................................... 19 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT ..................................................................................................... 20 CRITERIA ............................................................................................................................................ 20 SITE REGISTERS.................................................................................................................................. 20 COMPARATIVE SITES OF SIGNIFICANCE............................................................................................. 21 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................... 21 OVERALL STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE........................................................................................... 24 GENERAL MANAGEMENT ISSUES............................................................................................. 25 CURRENT THREATS TO THE CEMETERY FABRIC ............................................................................... 25 MAINTENANCE ................................................................................................................................... 26 GUIDELINES FOR PLAQUES................................................................................................................. 29 SECURITY ISSUES................................................................................................................................ 30 RECOMMENDATION..............................................................................................................................................31 PERIMETER FENCING AND INTERNAL PATHS.................................................................................... 31 RECOMMENDATION..............................................................................................................................................32 INDUCTION PROGRAM FOR MAINTENANCE CREWS AND VOLUNTEERS ............................................ 32 RECOMMENDATION..............................................................................................................................................32 TIMETABLE FOR REVIEWS OF THE CMP........................................................................................... 32 RECOMMENDATION..............................................................................................................................................32 REVIEW THE NAME: ‘MCLEOD ST PIONEER CEMETERY’. ................................................................ 33 RECOMMENDATION..............................................................................................................................................33 CONSERVATION ISSUES .............................................................................................................. 34 CEMETERY MAPPING.......................................................................................................................... 34 GRAVES............................................................................................................................................... 34 CMP McLeod St Cemetery, Cairns 1 Maxim Consulting Services Pty Ltd MOULD AND LICHEN.............................................................................................................................................34 BROKEN HEADSTONES .........................................................................................................................................35 LEAD AND GILDED LETTERING ...........................................................................................................................37 UNMARKED GRAVES .............................................................................................................................................37 GRAVE SURROUNDS ..............................................................................................................................................38 GRAVE ORNAMENTS .............................................................................................................................................40 GRAVE PAINTING...................................................................................................................................................40 STONE COATINGS ..................................................................................................................................................40 VEGETATION ...................................................................................................................................... 40 TREES......................................................................................................................................................................40 GRASS......................................................................................................................................................................42 OTHER PLANTINGS ...............................................................................................................................................42 ROTUNDA ........................................................................................................................................... 42 INTERPRETATION OPPORTUNITIES...................................................................................... 45 ON-SITE INTERPRETATION................................................................................................................ 45 WITHIN THE ROTUNDA........................................................................................................................................45 ONSITE INTERPRETATION EXTERNAL TO ROTUNDA ......................................................................................48 WEBSITE............................................................................................................................................. 50 CONSERVATION POLICIES AND ACTIONS ............................................................................. 52 POLICY 1 HERITAGE VALUES MANAGEMENT...................................................................................................52 POLICY 2 LEGAL COMPLIANCE............................................................................................................................52 POLICY 3 SITE INTERPRETATION AND PRESENTATION .................................................................................52 POLICY 4 MAINTENANCE ....................................................................................................................................53 POLICY 5 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT .............................................................................................................53 POLICY 6 INTER-AGENCY COOPERATION..........................................................................................................54