Previously Unmarked War Graves in Lutwyche Cemetery Honoured Ahead of Remembrance Day

In the days leading up to Remembrance Day on November 11, the Toowong RSL Sub Branch held a ceremony to unveil commemorative plaques for the 301 war veterans that were previously buried in unmarked graves at the Lutwyche Cemetery.


Read: Windsor Air Raid Shelter: A Remnant of WWII in Lutwyche


The plaques were the result of extensive research by Cate Walker and Katrina Trevethan of the Australian Remembrance Army, with support from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ Unmarked WW1 Graves Program which provides funding for grave markers to honour veterans buried in unmarked graves.

Through meticulous investigation, the soldiers’ service backgrounds and personal stories were uncovered.

Remembrance Day
Kenmore-Moggill RSL Sub Branch member Chris Moon, Australian Remembrance Army researchers Cate Walker and Katrina Trevethan, and Toowong RSL Sub Branch President Peter Gow (Photo credit: rslqld.org)

Around 57 of them served the nation at Gallipoli. Among the identified were two recipients of the Military Medal, one of the Military Cross, and one of the Meritorious Service Medal. Around 203 of the veterans were born in Australia whilst others were from countries around the world, including England, Ireland, and Scotland.

Remembrance Day
Photo credit: rslqld.org

The research by the Australian Remembrance Army uncovered the difficult realities many of the identified veterans faced upon returning home. Some struggled with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from the horrors of war, whilst others came back physically disabled from trench warfare.

According to the Toowong RSL Sub Branch President Peter Gow, the project symbolises their commitment to encouraging commemoration and honouring the service of those who fought for the country’s freedom.


Read: Lutwyche: Get to Know One of Brisbane’s Oldest Suburbs


Cate Walker of the Australian Remembrance Army said some of those graves would require an additional funding of $1,000 per veteran grave, in addition to grant from the government, to be fully commemorated. She hopes the grant program would be extended and that the government would increase the funding for each veteran.

Attend a service, wear a poppy, or observe a minute’s silence at 11am, and help keep the legacy of our service people alive.  Lest we forget.  

RSL Queensland

Published 8-November-2023

ANZAC Day Dawn Service To Be Held In Kedron’s Lutwyche Cemetery

On ANZAC Day 2023, the Kedron-Wavell Services Club will be organising a Dawn Service at Lutwyche Cemetery in Kedron. 


Read: Lutwyche: Get to Know One of Brisbane’s Oldest Suburbs


This solemn event will provide an opportunity for members of the community to come together and pay their respects to the brave Australian servicemen and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the country. 

The service will take place at the War Grave Section of the cemetery on 25 April 2023 and will commence at 5:30 a.m, concluding at around 6:30 a.m.

Following the Dawn Service in Kedron, the club will proceed with the Anzac Day March and Commemoration Service at Kittyhawk Drive in Chermside. Follow Kedron-Wavell Sub Branch RSL Inc on Facebook for more details. 

About the Anzac Day Dawn Service

Dawn Service
Photo credit: Kedron Wavell RSL Sub Branch Inc/Facebook

The Dawn Service is the inaugural commemorative event of Anzac Day, which symbolises the time when the ANZAC soldiers approached the Gallipoli beach. 

On 25 April 25 1915, a significant event occurred as Australian soldiers made their way to Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli Peninsula, which is now part of present-day Turkey. 

For most of the 16,000 Australians and New Zealanders who arrived that day, it was their first encounter with combat. However, the day’s events took a heavy toll as 2,000 of them were either killed or wounded by evening, leaving a devastating impact on their mission.

Anzac Beach, Gallipoli, 1915 (Photo credit: National Museum of Australia)

Still, the origins of the Dawn Service can be traced back to the military practice of “stand-to,” where soldiers were awakened before dawn and positioned for readiness in case of a sudden enemy attack during the eerie half-light. 

There are some debates surrounding the first Dawn Service. However, early services held at dawn, such as the one led by Reverend Arthur White in 1923 at Albany, Western Australia, who was a former padre with the 44th Battalion on the Western Front, paved the way for the modern practice.


Read: How Did Kedron Get Its Name?


Traditionally, wreaths are laid and a commemorative address is given to honour the sacrifices made by the soldiers.

Published 21-April-2023

Lutwyche Cemetery: Know the Fascinating History of One of Brisbane’s Oldest Burial Sites

Lutwyche Cemetery in Kedron is one of the oldest and among the most historic cemeteries still operational in Brisbane’s northside. Built around 1878, the site now covers 15 acres of burial ground for locals, war heroes, and VIPs.

Following a public meeting in 1876, the local government assessed that there was a need to build a new cemetery in the northern suburbs to prevent overcrowding at nearby suburbs’ cemetery. Henry Craig offered to sell his land with substantial trees by Gympie Road for $616.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

First Burial in Lutwyche Cemetery

Walter Silcock, a five-year-old child, was the first person buried at the Lutwyche Cemetery on the 4th of Aug 1878. He was the fourth child among nine siblings and the son of Leonard Silcock and Ellen Cuthbert. His gravesite was marked No. 1 on Section 46 and could be found near the cemetery’s gazebo

Photo Credit: Trove National Library of Australia

Lutwyche Cemetery was then known as the Kedron Brook Cemetery but it was renamed after Judge Lutwyche’s death who was a resident of the area. 



Lutwyche Cemetery War Graves Section

At the height of World War II, a War Graves section was built at the Lutwyche Cemetery to bury 389 soldiers, both unidentified and identified. The remains of nine servicemen from World War I were also moved to this section, including three soldiers who were not Australian.

Photo Credit: Brisbane City Council Library Services

The War Graves section, identified by the Cross of Sacrifice landmark, is separated into three distinct areas: 

  • the right section, the oldest section, had gravesites marked in bronze and stones with a flat plaque. 
  • the middle section is for those who died while on active service.
  • the left section is one of the newest addition in the cemetery and has a more modern and seamless grave marking.


Notable People Buried at the Lutwyche Cemetery

Among the most notable personalities buried at the Lutwyche Cemetery include: 

Charles Moffatt Jenkinson Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly and former Mayor of Brisbane
Lionel LukinSupreme Court of Queensland Judge
Billy SingWorld War I Sniper
Buddy WilliamsAustralian country music pioneer
Charles Moffatt Jenkinson 
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Buddy Williams
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The Lutwyche Cemetery also has the remains of the infamous John Andrew Stuart who was convicted for firebombing the nightclub Whiskey Au Go Go in the 1970s, killing 15 people. Stuart apparently protested his incarceration by going on a hunger strike in his cell. He was buried in 1979.

Lutwyche Cemetery Today

Today, Lutwyche Cemetery is managed and maintained by Toowong Cemetery. It has new monumental burial sites that allow those to be buried to choose their own gravesite designs and expressions. The cemetery also allows for re-use of family graves if the last burial was 30 years ago.