The Lonely Grave is virtually within the Wedderburn Township boundary. Heading north, turn right at the Caltex Service Station and head up Tantalla Street. Go left at the Y intersection and keep following the road even when it turns to dirt and you will come across the site.
The grave holds the remains of Thomas Whyte, a Scot who came to Australia in search of a future for his family. How he came to arrive in Wedderburn is not really known as he originally had a shop in Collins Street in Melbourne. When you read of his history, it could well be very typical of many of the miners who came to Wedderburn in search of their fortune.
Several of the letters from Thomas Whyte to his family in Edinburgh have been preserved. You can read the letters by clicking on each one as listed. The letters provide an interesting history of the man and how he came to Australia. Unfortunately, we don’t know why or how he came to end up in Wedderburn.
- Letter of September 30th, 1850 to his family
- Letter of November 12th, 1850 to his sisters
- Letter from his son February 1st, 1851
- Letter of April 28th, 1851 to his wife
- Letter of June 12th, 1851 to his brother
- Letter of June 26th, 1851 to his brother
- Statutory Declaration regarding Thomas Whyte’s death
For more information on Wedderburn, visit the friendly staff and volunteers at the Loddon Visitor Information Centre, located in what was the original Wedderburn Primary School now the Community Centre at 24 Wilson Street, Wedderburn 