Garners Beach Burial Ground

A burial ground associated with the Garner family is set amongst the dense tropical forests north of Bingil Bay. The Garner’s settled here in 1911 and remained until the early 1970s. Edward and Edith Garner initially settled at Cardwell, and were involved in ferrying goods along the Hull River, mostly for Chinese banana farmers. By 1909, they had moved to Bingil Bay to manage a sawmill. In 1911, the family, including children Edward, Henry and Elizabeth Wildsoet, took up an agricultural farm selection on Muff Creek. They grew bananas, citrus and pineapples. Four four-roomed prefabricated houses were erected on site, as well as outbuildings and a lime kiln. The family prepared lime by blasting coral from King's Reef and sold it to local cane farmers. They also built boats, continuing their involvement in the coastal trade. During the Depression, the Garners allowed people down on their luck to stay in one of the numerous fishing huts they built in the 1920s. The graves on the property belong to Edith Garner who died in 1935, her daughter-in-law Catherine who died as the result of a car accident in 1937, Edward Garner senior (1945), Edward junior (1965) and his son Edward (1968).