Majors Creek, at the top of the Araluen Valley, was at its bustling height during the 1850s gold rush. The village was named after Major William Sandys Elrington, who’d received land in the region as a grant, and occupied it from about 1827 until he sold it in 1845.

The Majors Creek Cemetery can be found south of the village on Berlang Forest Road, about 20 minutes from Braidwood. It was first dedicated as a cemetery in 1863, and remains fairly small even after many years. My 3x great-grandmother, Julia Grant nee Collins, was buried there in 1905. Her grave is marked by a gravestone whose inscription indicates it was her husband Primeiron who had it made.

As often happens as time passes, Julia’s gravestone, which is quite large, became dark and stained by the weather. That’s how I found it when I visited the cemetery a few years ago. However, it’s since been cleaned, giving it a bright new look and making the inscription clear.

In Loving Memory Of My Dear Wife
Julia Grant
Died 24th June 1905 Aged 78 Years
I Saw My Saviour Passing,
As My Wife Lay Calmly Sleeping
My Wife He Took I Loved Without Alloy,
To Dwell With Him In Eternal Bliss & Joy.

Selected references

‘Country dreams at Majors Creek’, The Treasure Trail: Braidwood, Bungendore, Queanbeyan, https://www.queanbeyanpalerang.com.au/majors-creek/, accessed 9 September 2025.

Majors Creek Yesteryear, 19 August 2023, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057381492034, accessed 27 September 2025.