William Graham, Thomas Graham & Alfred Burman (Lost Children)Print Page

The sandstone monument with ornamental pinnacle inside a wrought-iron enclosure marks the grave of the three boys, William Graham, 6½, Thomas Graham, 4 and Alfred H. Burman, 5, who wandered from their homes at Table Hill near Daylesford 30 June 1867, and whose bodies were found on 14 September in a hollow tree at Musk Creek.

The monument, erected in 1868, was paid for by public subscription and fundraising activities in an outpouring of grief following the discovery of the boys’ bodies on September 14, 1867. The grave was refurbished by the Daylesford and District Historical Society, with funds from the Graham Grave Trust.

Mr Graham, father of William and Thomas, donated funds for a scholarship at Daylesford Primary School in appreciation of what the people of Daylesford had done for his family. The scholarship, known as the Graham Dux has been awarded to a boy and girl each year since 1889.

The monument in the cemetery at Daylesford, to the memory of the lost children, has been completed by Mr. Hanson, of Ballarat. The inscription, which covers three sides of the freestone base, runs as follows, viz. :—" In memory of the lost children—William Graham, aged six and a-half years ; Thomas Graham, aged four years ; and Alfred H. Burman, aged five years ; who wandered from their homes at Table-hill, on Sunday, June 30, 1867. After an ineffectual search, their remains were found by accident in a hollow tree, near Musk Creek, on September 14, 1867, and after a public funeral were here deposited. This monument was erected by public subscription, under the direction of the mayor and borough council, as an expression of regret and sympathy."
Sydney Morning Herald (NSW),  1 August 1868.

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