Northcote Cemetery: Amateur historian Benjamin Ady uncovers surprising secrets of suburb’s past

MONTHS of painstaking research at a tiny cemetery have paid off for a Northcote man, who has uncovered surprising secrets about the suburb’s past.

Amateur historian Benjamin Ady is working on a book about the untold stories of the hundreds of people buried at Northcote Cemetery. Picture: Mark Wilson

AN AMATEUR historian believes a tiny, overlooked cemetery holds the key to Northcote’s untold early history.

Northcote man Benjamin Ady has spent the past several months cataloguing the worn and cracking gravestones in Northcote Cemetery for a book he hopes will shed light on the diverse roots of the suburb.

Mr Ady has identified a VFL footballer, two city councillors, three military veterans and hundreds more people buried at the site.

“It has a former Mayor of Northcote, and a number of people who worked at the old Northcote Brickworks on Separation St a very long time ago,” he said.

Amateur historian Benjamin Ady has devoted months of painstaking work into cataloguing graves at Northcote Cemetery. Picture: Mark Wilson

Mr Ady said he was surprised to learn of the strong German influence in the area.

“Early on the cemetery was sometimes called “The German Cemetery”, (because) the High St end of Separation St was settled by a number of German immigrant families,” he said.

“The northern part of Northcote was briefly named ‘Newmarket’ in the mid-1850s when the area was just being settled, and thus the cemetery was (also) briefly known as ‘Newmarket Cemetery’,” he said.

With some graves dating back to 1850, Mr Ady’s work has been slow. He relies on online and archival resources to piece together histories of the various families interred in the cemetery.

Mr Ady’s research revealed at least two people died by falling into an open clay pit that sat next to the site.

Gravedigger George Ladhams was found dead at the bottom of the pit in April 1889 after a night of heavy drinking.

The police officer report noted that “this is the same clay hole the last body was found in”.

Mr Ady has more work to do, but hopes to publish his book sometime in the future.

Readers are invited to send tips to [e-mail]

Ethel May Cunningham, nee Fry, with her family. Picture: Benjamin Ady

STORIES FROM THE PAST

Benjamin Ady has uncovered fascinating stories of 19th and 20th century Melbourne life from the histories of those buried at Northcote Cemetery.

Ethel May Cunningham, nee Fry — Born 1886 in Fitzroy. Died 1919 in Wonthaggi.

Ethel Fry was born in 1886 to Charles Henry Fry and Selina Ladhams, the second of seven children.

In 1904 she lost a child shortly after he was born out of wedlock — scandalous at the time.

In 1906 Fry married Edward William Cunningham.

The couple had two daughters before Mr Cunningham was killed on the Western Front during World War I on October 6, 1918.

Mrs Cunningham was left widowed with her daughters, but tragically died of influenza in 1919.

A friend, A.G. Boil, posted a memorial in The Age on April 5.

“Sleep on, dear Ethel, and take thy rest. We miss you most who loved you best,” the notice read.

George Ladhams — Born 1836 in England. Died 1889 in Northcote.

George Ladhams emigrated from England and married ­Sybella Sarah Koenitz on December 16, 1862. The couple had nine children, at least two of whom are buried in Northcote Cemetery, where Ladhams worked as a gravedigger.

There was once a great clay pit in what is now All Nations Park that supplied clay for the Northcote Brickworks. In 1889, a police officer found Ladhams dead in the pit.

A coronial inquest found Ladhams had been drinking heavily since the death of his brother John in August 1888.

It is entirely possible Ladhams had to dig his own brother’s grave.

A witness told the coroner they had seen Ladhams on the night of his death at the Carters’ Arms Hotel.

“He looked jolly but I could not say he was drunk,” the ­witness said.

Northcote cricket and football star Sydney Charles “Syd” Billings. Picture: Benjamin Ady

Billings died in a car accident. Picture: Benjamin Ady

Sydney Charles “Syd” Billings — Born 1879, died 1915 in Melbourne.

“Syd” Billings may be the only person buried at Northcote Cemetery with their own Wikipedia entry.

Billings played for the Fitzroy Lions in the VFL from 1905-07, winning a flag in 1905. He also played cricket for the Northcote Cricket Club, which won the first class premiership in 1911-12.

Billings was known for his “brilliant high marking” on the football field.

Billings was killed in a car accident in June 1915 at the age of 36.

A benefit concert was held at Northcote Town Hall in memory of the widely popular athlete, with funds going to his wife and two children.

The Preston Leader reported on the event at the time: “A splendid program has been arranged, as several of Melbourne’s leading artists have volunteered their services.”