The Ballarat & District Genealogical Society conducted a tour for members of the Friends of BBG to inspect the graves of curators and benefactors associated with the gardens. Generally they were found to be in very good condition with two main exceptions, that of Stoddart and Thomson. Ballarat Old Cemetery tour 25 Sep 2007

L-R: Longley, Claxton, Morey, Ham, Lingham, above right is Rooney

The grave of James Russell Thomson (1818-1886) with a corner of iron railing and a broken urn in need of repair.

The Friends are hoping to organise the restoration of this grave, the upkeep of which was originally the responsibility of the Ballarat City Council.

James Russell Thomson bequeathed £3000 at his death to build the Statuary Pavilion and its priceless contents - the larger-than-life centrepiece Flight from Pompeii and four classical Italian marble statues of Susannah, Rebekah, Ruth and Modesty. Thomas Stoddard administered the estate of his friend and as a tribute to JR Thomson's homeland a statue of the Scottish hero William 'Braveheart' Wallace was erected outdoors.

The grave of Thomas Stoddart (1828-1905) The Friends would also like to arrange for the missing iron railing on this grave to be replaced and for a memorial plaque to be added to indicate the generous legacy of this man to the City of Ballarat. Both Thomson and Stoddart were wealthy stockbrokers who demonstrated their gratitude for their good fortune on the goldfields by making gifts for the good of its citizens. Both men were bachelors so there are no descendants to care for these graves.

A project managed by the FBBG and funded by The Ballarat Foundation came to fruition on the 9th of March 2010 with the unveilling of the refurbished grave of Thomas Stoddart. Read article from Ballarat Courier, 10 March 2010 (pdf 188k)