Thousands of human remains exhumed in Australia in relocated graveyard

Archaeologists have completed the largest mass exhumation in Australian history from an old cemetery, which led to the discovery of almost 2,000 bodies that were believed to have been moved from the old graveyard over which the country's one of oldest and distinguished schools is located.

The bodies were discovered during building works at The Hutchins School in Hobart, the capital of Tasmania, in March 2024, Australia Broadcasting Corporation reported on Sunday.

A team of archaeologists undertook what is believed to be the largest mass exhumation in Australian history, kickstarting a nine-month meticulous excavation and identification, as archaeologists tried to piece together who lay beneath the surface.

The discovery included attempts to identify the bodies— hampered by appalling burial practices and poor record-keeping.

At final count, 1,973 people's remains have been exhumed from The Hutchins School's old hockey field.

Hundreds of bodies still underneath

Queenborough Cemetery was operated by a private company from 1873 until 1917, when the Hobart City Council took over. The last burial was in 1934.

Between 9,000 and 13,000 people are believed to have been buried there over those six decades.

The Hutchins School took over the site in 1964 as part of a sale and land-swap deal which stipulated the council would fund the exhumation of up to 1,900 human remains.

According to Brad Williams, a historical archaeologist, it is unclear exactly how many bodies were exhumed in the 1960s.

The team was able to determine the likely age of the exhumed people from their remains, whether they had experienced some physical trauma, and whether they had had an autopsy.

They were mostly working in the Church of England public section of the cemetery, with some Roman Catholic public and some Wesleyan private areas.

Archeologists believe that there are still hundreds of bodies underneath the school property as they only exhumed about 15 percent of the footprint of the original cemetery.