600+ unmarked graves discovered in far-west NSW using radar
Central Darling Shire Council found over 600 unmarked graves in Menindee and White Cliffs using ground-penetrating radar.
The council used ground-penetrating radar to map the graves without disturbing the earth. Dave Hunter found more than 300 burials in Menindee and over 300 in nearby White Cliffs, all connected to existing cemeteries.
The technology detects soil disturbances consistent with graves: roughly six feet by three feet, and at least a metre deep. Council staff are now working to identify those buried by speaking to locals and checking historical records.
The project will expand to other far-west communities. Hunter started searching for graves as a teenager, building a homemade radar from a multimeter.
- 600+
- Graves discovered
- Dave Hunter
- Searcher
- Menindee and White Cliffs
- Locations
- 300+ each
- Graves per location
Why it mattersUnmarked graves go unrecognised without proper mapping, leaving families uncertain about their relatives' final resting places.
AustraliaAustralia has thousands of unmarked graves; this project shows how ground-penetrating radar can recover names and respect for the dead.
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