“Welcome to those who are here to join us for this important ceremony that has taken over 30 years: a journey that started back in 1983 during an era where a social conscience was awakened to the past wrongs done to departed, Aboriginal peoples,” Aunty Noeline Briggs-Smith said.

For 33 years, Noeline Briggs-Smith has jumped between court and burial records to identify the unmarked Aboriginal graves at Ngindi Baababili Tubbiabri, the sacred, burial ground at the local cemetery.

READ ALSO:

Between 1940 and 1968, deceased Aboriginal people in the Moree community were often buried without adequate markings. Add the passage of time and numerous floods and many identities were lost. 

“In 1983 on my return to Moree, I visited this Aboriginal section in the cemetery and was appalled at its neglected state, with graves being washed away in an area that resembled a paddock,” Noeline said.

Moree Lions Club then-president Robert Bartel suggested Noeline pen her grievances to the local club.

“He, along with his club members started on the first four monuments to be erected on departed Aboriginal ex-servicemen’s graves.

“The Lions Club members on the day were Max McNamara, Geoff Cullen, Andy Dixon, Darcy Churchland and from the Aboriginal community, Terry Duncan,” Noeline said.

The team then drew up a petition to identity and restore the graves in the neglected part of the cemetery. The movement drew more than 600 signatures.

Since then, Noeline has worked tirelessly to re-identify more than 200 grave sites.

Students from Moree Secondary College and St Philomena’s School gave the last helping hand in the restitution process, when they glued 176 temporary plaques to the grave sites on Wednesday. 

Moree Public School students performed a didgeridoo rendition while Steven Porter led the Smoking Ceremony on the day. Morning tea was provided to more than 50 locals who showed at the service.

“Today clearly demonstrates what can be achieved when communities work together, developing relevant and meaningful history, not only to local Aboriginal people but to non-Aboriginals as well,” Noeline said.

As guest-speaker, Moree Plains Shire councilor Kerry Cassells pointed out that Remembrance Day signified the end of many years of emotional turmoil for families.

“When my daughter died, it took six weeks for the plaque to turn up. I was having conniptions and I was distressed and distraught. You amazing people have waited decades for this auspicious occasion.

“Now that you’ve got the names of these magnificent people emblazoned in your heart and memory, they can sleep in a place of quietness.

“On my daughter’s plaque it says, time heals, memories remain and they are here. Time does heal, memories do remain and your loved ones are just a blink, a wink, a memory away when you close your eyes.”

For service-goer Aunty Elaine Sampson, the day brought overdue closure.

“My mother, father and sister are buried here. My brother was also buried, but I didn’t know where his grave was because there was no plaque,” she said.

Harold Lionel Muggleton was only 11 months old when he passed away. The site of his burial had eluded his loving sister since his death in 1941. Elaine is now 72 years-old, and only just found his resting place.

“I still don’t know how he passed away, but having the plaque here has brought closure to me,” she said.

Sharon and Rod Tighe agreed that the plaque-laying service was a long-time coming.

“Noeline has done an amazing job. She deserves a gold medal for her hard work, effort and immense research,” Rod said.

Sharon added, “There was a lot of grief in the community, a lot of people who were impacted by deaths in the family. This service is definitely something that needed to be done; it has brought closure to a lot of families.”