Few of the hundreds who drive daily across Ballina’s Missingham Bridge would realise that, just a stone’s throw away, lies one of the shire’s most overlooked historic landmarks — the Ballina Pioneer Cemetery.

Sitting high above the once popular Kiosk, now Gawandi Beach, this modest site is a resting place for many of Ballina’s earliest settlers, with headstones dating back to as early as the 1850s. 

Their names, such as  Ainsworth, Maguire, Jarrett and others, still echo across the region in street names and local landmarks.

In the early 1960s, concerned locals rallied to save the deteriorating site. In 1962, the council embedded dozens of salvaged gravestones into protective walls built from basalt, with stone sourced from the same quarry as the Ballina break wall.

Today, even that effort is beginning to fail. The memorial walls are now being undermined by the roots of large fig trees. The site’s beauty belies its fragile state.

A Cemetery Worth Saving

Local historians Jill McCann and Patricia Wilson say the site reflects a broader problem with how Ballina approaches its heritage.

“This wall preserved the headstones, but it removed them from their original context,” says Jill, a long-time member of the NSW National Trust.

 “Now even that preservation is deteriorating.”

Patricia, a retired teacher, believes the cemetery has untapped potential as an educational resource.

“Students could walk through and link names on the headstones to local street signs and places. It brings history to life –  and connects young people with the foundations of our community.”

For both women, the cemetery is deeply personal. Patricia’s great-grandfather, John Wilson, died in 1893 while building the south break wall.

 “There was no headstone –  likely because his widow couldn’t afford one. We eventually had his name added to the site, but so many stories like his have been lost or forgotten.”

A United Voice for Heritage

As Ballina’s Pioneer Cemetery quietly deteriorates under the weight of time, roots, and neglect, local historians say it’s more than just stones being lost — it’s a symptom of a fragmented approach to preserving the shire’s shared history.

Recognising the need for action, seven local historical organisations have united to form Heritage Advisory Ballina (HAB) including the Ballina District Historical Society, the Naval and Maritime Museum, Crawford House, Ballina Schools Museum, the Richmond Tweed Family History Society, Lennox Head Heritage Group  and Fellowship First Fleeters Northern Rivers Chapter.

The group is calling on Ballina Shire Council to appoint a Heritage Officer.  It’s a role common in other councils across the region and in most cases funded by the NSW Government, not by ratepayers.

“We’re not asking for someone full-time, but we need a point of contact – someone who can give advice and provide continuity beyond political cycles,” Patricia says.

When Ballina Council released its new draft strategic plan recently, heritage wasn’t even mentioned until HAB raised the alarm.

“Without someone championing heritage within the council, it’s all too easily forgotten,” Jill says.

 “A Heritage Officer could also guide new councillors – many of whom may not know the region’s rich history.”

The group also wants to see practical steps at the Pioneer Cemetery, including interpretive signage, restoration work, and proper documentation of the site.

“There’s a plaque at Lismore’s Pioneer Cemetery listing the names of those whose headstones are missing. We could do the same here,” Patricia says.

With the NSW school curriculum now including local history, she believes the opportunity is greater than ever.

 “This could be a showpiece for Ballina. Right now, it’s a forgotten corner and that needs to change.”