THROUGHOUT all towns across the Mallee, death is an important part of life. But when you scratch the surface, it becomes evident how differently that business is conducting from town to town.
Those living in Swan Hill will have a relatively clinical and professional experience performed by people employed to dig graves, organise plots and who are reasonably removed from the grief associated with a death.
But this is not the case for the township of Chinkapook. In “Chinky”, as the locals call it, there is a coordinated effort from the town to bury their own.
This process evolved from early days when basically everyone was responsible for burying their dead. Nowadays, most places will at least employ a gravedigger or contract one as required and it is usually done with machinery where possible.
But in the tiny town of Chinkapook, not only do the town come out in support of grieving loved ones, they bring a shovel and set about digging the grave that will be the final resting place.
For more on this story, grab a copy of Friday’s Guardian (April 29).
