About

The inaugural 'Stories in Stone' conference took place at the Commissariat Store in March 2024.* That event was successful enough for people to enquire about holding another one, and so the ongoing not-for-profit 'Stories in Stone' organising committee was formed in late 2024.

Their aim is to establish cemetery heritage conferences as regular Public History events, showcasing the knowledge and experience of the many wonderful people involved in caring for and researching historical cemeteries in Queensland.    

Stories in Stone, Commissariat Store, March 2024. (C Dawson)

The founding committee of Stories in Stone are:

Jenny Clark

President

Jenny is the vice-president of the Friends of Balmoral Cemetery, a highly-active community organisation. As a longtime cemetery volunteer she engages in cleaning bees, tours and restoration projects at the Balmoral Cemetery.

Jess Parker

Treasurer

Jess is a history researcher who is currently completing a Bachelor of Historical Inquiry and Practice with the University of New England. She has a passion for historic cemeteries and a keen fascination with the stories of their residents. She has presented numerous public talks for The Royal Historical Society of Queensland and Brisbane History Group (including the inaugural Stories in Stone conference) and has had articles published in the Queensland History Journal.

Chris Dawson

Secretary

Chris is a member of the Professional Historians Association (Queensland), a director of Brisbane Living Heritage, and has extensive experience with Public History in cemeteries. He co-founded the Friends of South Brisbane Cemetery (Inc.) in 2018 and has guided hundreds of tours in different cemeteries, had several articles on cemetery history published in journals and books, established research libraries, and organised dozens of community cleaning bees in South Brisbane Cemetery. Chris was the co-recipient of the prestigious John Oxley Library Award in 2021.

* The first Stories in Stone conference was organised by Brisbane historian Chris Dawson and the Royal Historical Society of Queensland.