Grave Tales: Melbourne Vol.1

by Helen Goltz, Chris Adams

Grave Tales: Melbourne Vol. 1 visits eleven Melbourne cemeteries to tell the stories of ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events that made local and national headlines. They may have lived in the same suburbs, streets, and even the same houses that still exist, but now lie in the cemeteries of Melbourne. 'Grave Tales' reveals more than the headstone can ever convey by tracing the tumultuous journeys that lead to these final resting places. Written by Logie-award winning journalist Chris Adams and author/journalist Helen Goltz, this is the seventh book in the 'Grave Tales' biography/history series.

Genres: Nonfiction

300 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2020

About the author

Helen is a hybrid-published, Amazon best-selling author. After studying English Literature, Media, and Communications at universities in Queensland, Australia, and obtaining a Counselling Diploma, Helen Goltz has worked as a journalist, producer and marketer in print, TV, radio and public relations. Born in Toowoomba she has made her home in Brisbane, Australia with her journalist husband, Chris, and Boxer dog, Baxter.

Connect with Helen:
Website: www.helengoltz.com
BookBub:www.bookbub.com/authors/helen-goltz
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HelenGoltz.Author
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helengoltza...

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grave Tales: Melbourne Vol 1 is a fascinating insight into the past by Aussie authors Helen Goltz and Chris Adams. Their research and telling of people and events such as the Mornington Football Club tragedy back in 1892; the suspected drowning of Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt in 1967; the maiden voyage of the “Glen Huntly”, the appropriately named fever ship back in 1840. Those events and many more are explored, and their last resting places included with each well laid out story.

I didn’t expect the telling of Grave Tales to be so interesting; I raced through the pages, loving it all, and learning much more about historical subjects than I’d known. But it’s not like a “history” book, the book is much more than that. Insightful and intriguing, I have no hesitation in recommending Grave Tales: Melbourne Vol 1 to all who enjoy Australian history, and those who would like to learn more about our country’s past. I’ll be looking to read more in this series.

With thanks to the authors and publisher for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

[Jülie ☼♄  · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been reading this fascinating book on and off for some time now.
A deep fascination for cemeteries, old graves and the stories within have always captured my attention.
I love the quiet contemplation time of wandering among the gravestones and reading the inscriptions there, wondering about the stories buried within…believe it or not I have even had some laugh out loud moments at some of the names and inscriptions! Sometimes wondering if the family were (literally) having the last laugh!!
So books like this one are always an attention grabber for me, and this one is no exception.
I have ancestors who are neighbours to many of the other occupants in Melbourne cemeteries so it is an education to discover some of the characters of the time residing there also. It gives me some perspective as to their life and times.

A very interesting, fascinating and edifying book that can be picked up and read often. I look forward to reading more in this series of ‘Grave Tales’ books.

5⭐️s

*Thanks to book swap friend Marianne for gifting me this copy.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grave Tales: Melbourne Volume 1 is one of a series of non-fiction books written by Australian journalists and authors, Helen Goltz and Chris Adams. This title looks at the stories behind certain graves in Melbourne’s cemeteries. Prefaced by an introduction noting information about the history of Melbourne’s cemeteries are eighteen tales of death and the life that preceded it, or the circumstances that led to it.

Each entry follows a set format: photograph(s) of the grave, basic information about the interred and the location of the grave, the interred person’s story (including photographs or drawn illustrations), directions for finding the grave, and detailed references.

Meticulous research is compiled into a very readable volume, although some of the related research included may be of more interest to Melbourne locals than a wider readership. And while not every story will be equally riveting, there will certainly be one or two to interest every reader.

Some of the stories depict interesting lives, lives that include highs and lows, stories of hardship and fulfillment, of tragic accidents, of murder, rape, boating mishap, wrongful conviction; some are well known by name (eg Whelan the Wrecker, Harold Holt); or by deed (the first female mechanic, the inventor of Vegemite, a dress-pattern mogul, the co-composer of a famous Aussie ballad).

Some are notable for interesting deaths (or perhaps their aftermath), be they accidental (drowning, food poisoning, car accident, typhus, choking on food) or intentional (execution, suicide, strangulation, shooting). This volume is bound to appeal to readers who are interested in the quirky aspects of Melbourne history: fascinating tales of what lies behind the headstone.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by the author and Atlas Productions.

[Tracey Allen at Carpe Librum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cemeteries are beautiful and haunting places, a reminder of our collective grief, the passage of time and of course our own mortality. Several years ago, I went on a walking tour of the St Kilda Cemetery on Dandenong Road in Melbourne run by volunteers from Friends of St Kilda Cemetery. I noted the warnings about uneven ground, however I rolled my ankle and had to hop back to the car just 10 minutes after the tour had started.

Years later I became a regular listener of the Grave Tales Australia podcast by Helen Goltz and Chris Adams, and I enjoyed the stories of those laid to rest in cemeteries around Australia. However podcasts aren't able to provide any visuals and I wanted to view photos of the gravesites being described and the people being discussed. Grave Tales: Melbourne Vol.1 by Helen Goltz & Chris Adams is the seventh book derived from the podcast series and contains photos and stories inspired by the resting places of those buried in this great city and it was an interesting read.

In particular, it opened my eyes to at least two events in my suburb that I knew nothing about. In April 1927, the RAAF was involved in celebrating the royal visit of the Duke and Duchess of York as part of their national tour. At least 40 aircraft were involved in aerial manoeuvres and flybys, but disaster struck when two of the aircraft were involved in a mid-air collision. One of the aircraft crashed into the Postmaster General's garage in Sturt Street and the other crashed in nearby Dodds Street. A total of 5 RAAF men lost their lives in an air disaster witnessed by thousands.

Another incident close to where I live was the Botanic Gardens murders. In January 1924, a WWI veteran entered the gardens at Park Street near the Domain and began shooting members of the public with his rifle. In just 4 minutes, he shot 5 people, killing 3 and changing the lives of many before he fled the gardens and later committed suicide. In each chapter, Goltz and Adams go on to inform the reader about what happened to those involved in a 'where are they now' style which adds to the reading experience.

Early in the book, Goltz and Adams provide an overview of the establishment of cemeteries in Melbourne, and several interesting facts, including Burial Hill, which we now know as Flagstaff Gardens and of course the Old Melbourne Cemetery (as its now known) at the site of the Queen Victoria Markets. In the 1880s, the government passed a law requiring the removal of all bodies from the cemetery which unfortunately didn't commence until the 1920s. There were significant problems identifying the plots due to a missing burial register of 1866, the lack of adequate headstones, and the fact that many of the timber markers hadn't survived the weather. Only 914 remains were relocated to other cemeteries, which means the QVM still contains the remains of 9,000 early settlers. The cemetery was officially closed in 1922 and the land was given over to the Melbourne City Council for the market.

After learning that Springvale Cemetery opened in 1902 and Fawkner Cemetery opened shortly after in 1906, the authors had me rushing off to Google Maps after reading that:

"If you could see Springvale from the air it has a 'Union Jack' design and Fawkner is designed as a half spider's web." Page 5

Did you know Melbourne had mortuary trains, "that had special hearse carriages to carry coffins to Springvale and Fawkner cemeteries while mourners took the regular carriages." I was fascinated to learn that a "mortuary train ran once daily from a special mortuary station near Princes Bridge in the city" before services ceased in 1943.

Fascinating stuff, and readers with a similar interest in cemeteries might be interested in my review of Necropolis: London and Its Dead by Catharine Arnold.

Reading Grave Tales: Melbourne Vol.1 took me on an interesting trip through the streets of Melbourne with fresh eyes and I recommend it for taphophiles and non fiction readers interested in social history.

* Copy courtesy of Atlas Productions *

[Isabella O'Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many good tales and so much variety. Loved it!

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

***See review for Grave Tales : Sydney V1***