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Tales from the Grave
Uncovering family history from down under
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Factory of horrors a death trap
There are three graves in Rookwood Cemetery and two in Melbourne that all have something in common. The bodies that rest in them are...

Samantha Elley
Jun 33 min read


115 year old missing painting 'Found'
It had always been a mystery where the missing painting had gone.

Samantha Elley
May 132 min read


45-year-old cold case still hoping to be solved
Maria James was a mum of two boys and owned a second hand book store on High Street, Thornbury in Victoria. It was also her residence...

Samantha Elley
Apr 83 min read


Little orphan engulfed in flames
At 11 years of age, Annie Murphy had already been dealt a cruel blow in life, finding herself living at St Aidan's Orphanage in the...

Samantha Elley
Feb 272 min read


He didn't mean to kill her
Sylvia Holmes' body was found in the front bedroom of her tiny cottage, Cremorne Street, Fitzroy, a suburb of Melbourne on the evening of...

Samantha Elley
Nov 19, 20242 min read


Celebrating 100th birthday with a smoke and a drink
Living past 100 years was a rare feat in days gone by and even rarer for men.

Samantha Elley
Oct 15, 20242 min read


Plain headstone for complex man
For the amount of acclaim and controversy that Norman Lindsay's life created, his headstone is very simple by comparison. All it says is:...

Samantha Elley
Aug 27, 20243 min read


'Nothing left in this world to mother'
When Emily Mary Elizabeth Delo wrote a letter, giving her permission for her 18-year-old son John 'Jack' Alfred Alston Delo to join the...

Samantha Elley
Aug 6, 20242 min read


From shipping office to outback squatter
When you have been a big part of the establishment of the cattle industry in a burgeoning outback economy, it seems a cruel fate to be...

Samantha Elley
Jun 11, 20242 min read


A Child of the Golden Era
Searching for gold was a way of life for Mary Ann and her family.

Samantha Elley
Apr 9, 20242 min read


The short-lived love of the Captain and his lady
The writing on the striking white gravestone is barely readable. The tree that may have been planted at the time of burial has now grown...

Samantha Elley
Feb 13, 20242 min read


Land forger caught out 30 years later
He sold land then forged documents to get it back.

Samantha Elley
Jan 9, 20242 min read


Tragic news before Christmas
To lose one son to war is tragedy enough, but to lose two is an unspeakable torture.

Samantha Elley
Dec 19, 20232 min read


His art brought depth to colonial life
A humble headstone hides an artistic treasure.

Samantha Elley
Nov 28, 20232 min read


Mystery photos in Rosenberg collection
Calling all family historians who love solving mysteries!

Samantha Elley
Oct 10, 20232 min read


Cartoonist captures Australian idiom
Two cartoon characters bring the Australian way of life to the fore.

Samantha Elley
Sep 12, 20232 min read


His last ride was a memorable one
Australia's most successful jockey met his match at Caulfield.

Samantha Elley
Jul 4, 20233 min read


They became Empire scapegoats
His fellow officers were executed to hide a 'no prisoners' policy.

Samantha Elley
May 23, 20232 min read


Memorial for a little hero
Heroes can come in all shapes and sizes.

Samantha Elley
May 2, 20232 min read


He survived both world wars with a Victoria Cross
In honour of Anzac Day, we remember Albert Chalmers Borella, Victoria Cross recipient. Born in Victoria in 1881, he was working in the...

Samantha Elley
Apr 25, 20232 min read
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