Tree Planting Continues in the Cassilis Historic Cemetery.

The Crimson Century trees that have now been planted in the cemetery were selected not for their normal coloured leaves that go some way to matching the cast iron grave surrounds also seen in the image. But because they have such a beautiful foliage transformation in the autumn. They become different trees almost.

Looking forward to seeing them in autumn

The ground where they are planted is hard, mostly clay and very compacted and therefore these trees will require extra watering depending on the rainfall the cemetery gets each year from this point on. We're hoping that in time, these trees will, like the other trees already in the cemetery long planted, and probably cared for when young and then neglected, will also become heritage trees.

The interesting thing about the cemetery is that people came to find gold or to engage in commerce with those who found gold and in many cases the trade off was leaving something valuable in the cemetery. Was it worth it? One would hardly think so. Especially seeing the families of most of these miners and merchants left the Cassilis township when the gold ran out, and in many cases, the area completely. One might easily imagine that Cassilis was not to their liking, not congenial to what they wanted from life.

Like most gold mining areas, it would have been wonderful to see Cassilis prior to gold being found and coveted. What we see today is hardly a shadow of what it would have been when the gold was still in the ground.