The cemetery was first owned and maintained by a board of trustees until the Hawker Council took over the running of it in 1891. Sadly, the first burial was of a child aged three years. The Flinders Ranges Council still maintains the cemetery and most records can be viewed at the Flinders Ranges Council offices in Quorn.
The first person buried in the Hawker Cemetery 1881.
Found on Trove, the National Library of Australia.
Evening Journal (Adelaide, SA : 1869 - 1912) Thu 19 May 1881 Page 2 Family Notices
The death notice reads:
"REED.— On the 15thMay, at Hawker, Alma, Lucinda Maud, the eldest and beloved daughter of W.P. and C. Reed, aged 3years, of bronchitis.
Alma L M Reed
Elderest daughter of WP and C Reed
who died May 15th 1881 Aged 3 Years.
Found on Trove, the National Library of Australia.
Evening Journal (Adelaide, SA : 1869 - 1912) Thu 19 May 1881 Page 2 Family Notices
The death notice reads:
"REED.— On the 15thMay, at Hawker, Alma, Lucinda Maud, the eldest and beloved daughter of W.P. and C. Reed, aged 3years, of bronchitis.
Found on Trove, the National Library of Australia.
Taken from the Evening Journal (Adelaide, SA : 1869 – 1912), Monday 24 February 1908. Page 2.
DEATH AT A MINE.
A LAD'S FATAL FALL.
HAWKER, February 21.—A fatal accident occurred at Appealinna Copper Mine on Wednesday morning, by which James William Hanks, a strapping lad of over 15, second son of Mr. Phillip Hanks, farmer of the Hundred of Wirreanda, lost his life.
The lad had worked for Mr. A.C Hirsch, farmer of the Hundred of Wonoka, near Hawker, for about 12 months. He left his employ a fortnight ago to work on the Appealinna Mine as the horsewhip lad and other work on the surface only.
On Wednesday morning the mine manager, Mr. William Clark had occasion to do some work in the black-smith shop in connection with piping belonging to the underground workings. He set Hanks to unroll some small wire that was bound around damaged rubber piping about 15 ft. from the shaft and to wind it on to sticks to be handy for future use.
The middle shaft, 78 ft. deep, where the accident occurred, is used occasionally to send down timber for the underground workings and for entering the mine.
Mr. Clark went up to see the wire that Hanks had been unrolling, when he noticed that a short end of it was lying over the side of the shaft. Having a suspicion that Hanks was in the shaft he hurried down and found Banks lying at the bottom. He raised the body and reported the matter to Mounted Constable J. M. B. Marshall, who made enquiries and reported to Mr. B. Manson, who deemed an inquest unnecessary. The accident was a great shock to all those at the mine and it is not known how it happened as no one was on the spot at the time.
Appealinna Copper Mine Ruins.