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“Malicious” and “disgusting” are the words cemetery officials are using to describe the vandalism of 11 historic graves at a White Hills remembrance park.
A cemetery user alerted staff to the destruction of the marble and granite headstones, some as old as 130 years, on Wednesday.
The graves of an 18-month-old baby and a 17-year-old miner are among those destroyed.
The damage bill is expected to total $100,000.
Remembrance Parks Central Victoria spokeswoman Joanne Trickey said the desecration showed a lack of respect for the memory of the deceased people buried inside the boundaries of the White Hills cemetery.
“To be honest, if it was my grandmother’s grave, I’d be heartbroken, and as a citizen with an interest in history, it’s very distressing,” she said.
She said the age of some graves would make it difficult to track down descendants.
Although the graves are insured, no reconstruction can occur without permission from a relative of the deceased person.
Security inside the park has been increased since the damage was discovered and RPCV chief executive officer Graham Fountain has called on anyone with knowledge of the incident to contact police.
Although Mr Graham said damage to resting places inside the cemetery was uncommon, longtime member of the Bendigo Historical Society Carol Holsworth said her organisation, along with the now-defunct Friends of Bendigo Cemeteries, had previously spent money to turn over tombstones damaged by acts of vandalism.
“It costs a lot of money and a lot of time,” Ms Holsworth said.
She said she was “appalled” by the destruction, explaining the cemetery played an important role in explaining the history of Bendigo.
“We've got tombstones saying they were born in Hanover, Denmark or South Wales," she said.
Asked what she would say to the person responsible for the graves’ destruction, Ms Trickey said she would tell them to reflect on how they would feel if their loved one’s – or their own – grave had been desecrated.