Hazledean Cemetery, Eton Range, via Mackay

Hazledean (Eton Range) Cemetery

Location: Junction of Ready and Holmes Street, Hazledean via Eton, Queensland.

Local Government Authority: Mackay Regional Council

Access: Public Access. On the Peak Downs Highway proceeding from Mackay towards Nebo. The Cemetery is located just past Black Waterhole Creek approximately 4.5 kms from the Top of the Eton Range. Once over the creek slow and turn left into Ball Street then left into Ready Street and the cemetery is located at the end on the right where you see the sign for Holmes Street

History: The Township of Hazledean was created after the Travellers' Rest Hotel was built on the western bank of Black Waterhole Creek about 1863 allegedly by a man named Smith. Smith operated the hotel for less than a year before selling to pioneer James Ready who operated the hotel till about 1871. James Ready prior to becoming licensee operated a Bullock Wagon between Nebo and Mackay. Hazledean is about halfway between Nebo and Mackay so it would have been a popular stop with travellers and bullock teams. The hotel at the time had slab walls and a shingle roof. The name was changed to the Range hotel in the early 1900's. It appears the original hotel was demolished and rebuilt by Alexander William MacLean after he became the licensee in 1910 possibly around 1915. The new building was made of timber and corrugated iron with some of the material coming from the Mount Flora copper mines.

The Range hotel was destroyed by fire early on the morning of Friday, March 2, 1990. All that remains are concrete steps.

The township was actually surveyed in the late 1800's and gazetted and town lots were purchased by people in Mackay mainly including many early recognisable pioneers. However the township never took off and the hotel was the only building in the township until the 1990's.

Number of Burials: at least 7 as per the Mackay and St. Lawrence burial registers.

Notes: The Cemetery only has two identifiable graves.

Burials:

Surname	First Names	Death Date	Age	Notes
BAKER	Elizabeth Jane	27 June 1892	54 years	Entry No. 6025.
GARDNER (Headstone exists)	Robert Charles	2 June 1934	3 yrs 10 mths	Entry No. 13319.
HAYES	Mary	2 November 1892	34 years	Entry No. 275 (St. Lawrence Register). Died 2 weeks after giving birth to twin girls leaving 8 children.
MOFFATT (Headstone exists)	William	8 July 1884	38 years	Entry No. 3477. Son of James MOFFATT and Elizabeth THOMPSON.
MONTGOMERY	James	3 August 1883	53 years	Entry No. 2412. No parents names given on death registration.
PERRY (Headstone exists)	Charles William	11 November 1889	16 years	Entry No. 5389. Son of Charles PERRY and Mary Jane MOFFATT. Charles Perry was the licensee of the Travellers' Rest Hotel from 1881-1889 and 1892-1896. Headstone indicates he died after a fall from a horse.
TYMONS	James Blood	22 October 1872	35 years	Entry no. 148. Son of James TYMONS and Frances BLOOD. He was the first doctor at Fort Cooper (Nebo) and was killed after a fall from a horse. His grave is apparently outside the area of the cemetery under the road on Ready Street!

Sources:

The Daily Mercury, Saturday, March 3, 1990. page 55

Mackay Burial Register, Mackay City Council.

Shamrocks Among the Gumtrees, by Carmel Macdonald, (1994)

Queensland Pioneers Index 1829-1889.

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