Goulburn's Jewish cemetery hosts ground penetrating radar demonstration

Up to 60 people attended Louise and Gerald Steding's demonstration of ground penetrating radar (GPR) at the Jewish Cemetery in Long Street.

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Cemetery trustees enlisted the Stedings' company, Cold Case, to find additional unmarked graves and other physical remains that gave insight into the cemetery's use.

Mrs Steding has a background in forensics, criminology and is a practicing archaeologist. Mr Steding is a data visualisation specialist with more than 30 year's experience in construction, heritage conservation and planning.

Together, they have worked on missing persons cases and many other investigations

The couple demonstrated the lawnmower-like GPR machine to an appreciative crowd, including locals and members of the Sydney, Canberra and Southern Highlands Jewish Societies.

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The antennae controlled unit on an all-terrain cart sends electromagnetic signals to an onboard electronic screen each time it detects material underground. This could be a grave, headstone remains, tree roots or any manner of item.

Mrs Steding said four successive readings usually indicated an adult's grave.

Through the powers of detection, the couple believe there are 44 identified and possible graves. Sixteen of the 44 are 'likely' and 17 are 'possible. The cemetery has just 11 complete or partial headstones. All have been mapped.

One of the three trustees, Gary Luke, said the cemetery was used between 1844 and 1943. It is now a closed site but given its state heritage significance, he hopes the GPR work can inform interpretative signage.

"In future, there will be very little change to the cemetery. There may be some restoration," he said.

The trustees hope to strike a formal relationship with the Jewish Historical Society to access grants and manage the site.

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The day generated plenty of questions and interest.

One man asked about an onsite well. Mr Luke said the water was used in the now demolished caretaker's cottage and for body preparation in a dedicated room. Goulburn's cemetery was one of four in NSW that had a caretaker's home.

Mr Luke discovered a 1906 letter from the caretaker to the Jewish synagogue stating that the well was dry.

Goulburn man Bill Newman, the president of the Southern Highlands Jewish community, was an interested observer. He is the city's only Jewish representative.

"I've been very interested in the cemetery for a while," he said.

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Canberra woman Adele Rosalky said her father, Earle Hoffman, was a great advocate for the cemetery when the council wanted to transform the area into an industrial zone in the 1990s.

"He and the (Jewish) people in Sydney worked to form a group to advocate for its survival," she said.

Mrs Rosalky covered part of Goulburn's Jewish history in a thesis for a Cultural Management degree.

She has followed in her father's footsteps as NSW Jewish Historical Society president. Mr Hoffmann held the role for 24 years.

Friends of Goulburn's Historic Cemeteries members also attended the demonstration to see how the technology could be applied elsewhere.

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