120 AITKEN STREET BURIALS

 The site was purchased by John Thomas in 1880 and transferred to Anne Bensen in 1895. In 1909, the land was sold to John Bird in and following his death in 1927 the land was transferred to the Higher Elementary School for use as a pine planation. Historic aerials show the planation had been harvested at least twice between 1950 and 1968. Higher Elementary School was later absorbed by the Department of Education and is presently Gisborne Secondary College. The land is adjacent to Gisborne Cemetery and historical accounts note that internments occurred in the area prior to the official gazetting of Gisborne Cemetery in 1858. Further a historical newspaper mentions the exhumation of a burial with associated grave goods from the site, however no other reports have been found. Historical investigations undertaken by the Macedon Ranges Shire Council the site entailed extensive research as to the regions of the cemetery. It was suggested that due to inconsistencies relating to the allocation of burial sites in the past, there may be a risk of burials present outside the current gazetting of Gisborne Cemetery, extending south into 120 Aitken Street.  Ground penetrating radar has been undertaken in the northern section of property, directly south of Gisborne Cemetery and these investigations identified changes in soil profiles in six areas, which may indicate the presence of human internments. Therefore, the site has moderate potential to contain significant archaeological deposits, features and/ artefacts associated with the neighbouring use of the site as a cemetery from the mid-nineteenth century. 

The site is of local historical significance as a substantially intact example of mid-nineteenth century cemetery that is still in use. The cemetery has strong association with Gisborne from its early settlement and development during the gold rush (a stopping point enroute to Castlemaine) and timber industry in Gisborne and surrounding areas. The graves are important for the information they provide about burial customs and patterns of death in Victoria