The Right Reverend Henry Langley was the first Anglican bishop of Bendigo and on Thursday his grave was re-dedicated after being restored.

That restoration did not come without a bit of detective work, since it is not necessarily easy to track down the descendants of someone who died in 1906.

Remembrance Parks Central Victoria board director Mark Gibson first came across the grave several years ago during a cemetery tour and noticed that it was in a poor condition.

Related: Want to find Bishop Langley’s grave? Take the tour at the cemetery

He knew that custodians of the park would need the permission of family members to fix it.

A long-time member of the Anglican community, Mr Gibson began contacting others in the diocese, enlisting the help of the Right Reverend Ron Stone in the search for a direct descendant.

Those on the hunt found Melbourne’s Barbara Langley, a great-granddaughter of Bishop Langley, contacting her through Ancestry.com.au

Ms Langley’s grandfather was the oldest of 12 children, many of whom lived at Langley Hall, the prominent mansion in Napier Street.

She was only too happy to help.

Related: Fancy a chapel in your yard? Langley Hall is on the market

The grave was restored 12 months ago for several thousand dollars, paid for by the family.

Langley’s plot is near his brother’s (the second Anglican bishop of Bendigo) and other notable historic figures including Sir John Quick, the 19^th century politician often dubbed the Father of Federation.

Mr Gibson said the cemetery contained a number of damaged graves. Members of the public often asked whether anything could be done about them.

Unfortunately, restoration works need the family’s permission, which can be hard if there is no-one in town to remember a person who died in the 19^th century.

“We’ve got a lot of dedicated volunteers who will track down family members. We also have family members who will come to us and ask if we can find someone’s grave – sometimes that can lead to that grave being restored,” Mr Gibson said.