Images and information on Australian Cemeteries Index has been provided by hundreds of volunteers from around Australia. There is also data from official sources such as Births, Deaths and Marriages, and some local cemeteries and councils.
You can help make the site even better. Here's how.
Transcribe images already on the site. We often have images that have been submitted with no transcriptions. You can select an image and transcribe it straight into the site.
Find GPS coordinates for cemeteries. Search for the cemetery on Google and Google Maps, and enter the address, GPS coordinates and or administrative details - whatever you can find out about the cemetery.
As you look around the site, if you see anything that's incorrect, or you have additional information about any of the cemeteries or people listed, please contribute. Click on the "Update this inscription" or "Update this cemetery" links near the bottom of the page, and enter any changes or new details that you have. The site editor will be notified, and after a quick check will accept the information. This is typically done within a day or two.
The same goes for images. If an inscription doesn't have a photo, or if the grave has been updated since it was taken, you can add one or two images in the same way. Click on the "Update this inscription" link, then use the "Choose Files" button under Add Images caption to upload one or more images. A photo of the deceased can also be added this way.
If you have information and/or images for cemetery plots that are not on the site at all, you can add them. Start by searching for the cemetery. Then click on the "Add inscription to this Cemetery" link near the bottom of the page. Enter the inscription details and upload any images in a similar way to doing updates.
We have many cemeteries which have few entries or none at all. With a bit of time, equipment and care, you could photograph and transcribe whole cemeteries or significant sections of larger cemeteries.
You can start with a small cemetery or church graveyard, or a small section of a large cemetery. As you become more experienced you may choose to tackle a larger project.
Check out what, if any, inscriptions are already on the site for the cemetery, and whether they have photographs. Also check the Latest News to make sure no-one else is working on the same cemetery.
Make your work as comprehensive as possible. Do whole areas thoroughly, not just random or pockets of headstones.
Once you have a collection of images and inscriptions, you can submit them online as described above, or you can upload them in a batch. If you submit them online, let us know when you're finished so it can be mentioned in the Latest News.
Whole cemeteries or sections of cemeteries can be send in a batch. Download this spreadsheet and enter the inscriptions in it. The completed spreadsheet and all accompanying images can be uploaded to Dropbox, or sent by post on an SD card or USB drive.
For uploads, put them into a folder on your DropBox account and share that folder with contact@austcemindex.com. (If you do not have a Dropbox account, please contact us for a referral to Dropbox.) If the files take more than 1GB please break them up into multiple folders and share each one individually.
To send by post, address them to Rob McDonell, Australian Cemeteries Index, 7 Hugo Place, Quakers Hill NSW 2763. Please include a stamped self addressed envelope if you would like your SD card or USB drive returned to you.
Note that batches of inscriptions sent in this way may take some time before they can be processed and added to the site.
Think about sharing your information with relevant local councils, churches and historical societies.