Bad, Sad & Famous

Benalla cemetery holds the victims of horrific murders and tragic accidents. In its long history, the cemetery has seen it all – politicians, a famous poet, Australia’s first celebrity chef, and a famous sportsman as good as any who ever played. Last year during Heritage Week, we did part 1. Members from the Cemetery's trust are back in 2024 to guide you through part 2 of stories of Benalla’s past after dark.

Beginning at dusk on Friday 3 May, guides from Benalla's cemetery trust who have researched the stories of many of the cemetery's interments will show the way from grave to interesting grave. As they move among the graves, they will relate the stories. Benalla cemetery has stories a-plenty - of the bad, sad and tragic. For example, an Irishman lies in Benalla's cemetery. He went to Glenrowan in 1880 to see the Kelly siege and was shot by police. Other stories range from murders committed in 1860s through a mysterious murder committed in 1913 to the suicide of a woman betrayed on her honeymoon. Whether they are stories of horrific railway accidents or precautions taken against body snatchers, Benalla cemetery has it all. A walk among the gravestones in the dark gives an additional frisson of horror. We will have a portable speaker so you can hear all of the stories.

Bring a torch.  The ground in the cemetery is uneven and is unsuitable at night for wheelchairs and for people who are unsteady on their feet.