May's Hill Service Day

The Australian Area Presidency sent out a letter a few months back requesting all LDS members in Australia to make themselves busy in the community where they live on August 25th. The job of finding a project which needed our help was given to us (the Activity Committee) and after contacting the council we were put in touch with 'the friends of May's Hill' group who care for a local convict cemetery. Everyone who attended the event had such a great time it was really a very lucky break for us!

Bell 'washes down' a coupla headstones, some broken ceramic pots, a few small pebbles and anything else she can fit in the flower pot water!The De'Garis family find a nice 'enclosed' grave to keep all the little uns in!
More 'workers' amongst the headstones!
Paul bravely battling on despite the remains of some nasty food poisoning he'd picked up (probably from the left over Mt Kurigai sausages!!) ... and no he isn't digging a grave! Apparently he's digging up the roots of some tree which used to thrive in this little spot!
Back to weeding!


The Elkin kiddies help to collect all sorts of garbage in the handy orange wheelbarrows!
More washing!
The Maurers help Paul dig up that nasty old root ...
Um, someone... anyone ... help!
Some tombstone moving!
Isobel inspects the pebbles to ensure they've been laid properly!
It's a big job but she 'rounds up' a couple more 'helpers'!
Still digging!
Lyns in her element with a spot of mulching!
Leon Alekna demonstrates how smoothly this lawn mower runs ... one handed!
And ofcourse it wouldn't be an Aussie event without the obligatory Barbie ... no watermelon though (sadly the wrong season for it!).
A stealthy robber makes off with the tongs!
Luckily Isobel's been trained in pursuit!
But despite the tantalising aromas of almost burnt sausages wafting on the wind we still couldn't prise some of the happy workers away from their jobs! Janet refusing to leave her pen!
Lyns wanting to finish off a spot more 'pruning'
And another 'anonymous' worker who insisted on getting the snipping done first! Glenda (our Relief Society president!) refused to come out of her hat to show us how hard she'd been working!

Thanks to everyone who came and lent a hand (about eighty of us in the end!) and a very special thanks to 'the friends of May's Hill' without who's generous donation of cake and water we could never have worked so long! We had such a great time that there are already plans underway to return again in a few months time (this time armed with hefty supplies of that ever popular watermelon!).