An outdoor setting, comprising of a table and four chairs, was stolen from a gazebo by the reflective pond sometime between the afternoon of August 18 and the morning of August 19.

Staff noticed a suspicious vehicle around the cemetery prior to the furniture being stolen and police are investigating whether it is connected with the theft.

Mr Beer said in light of the incident, he thought it would be a good idea to form the Friends of the Cemetery committee.

He said the concept had been a success at other cemeteries operated by Norwood Park and he believed it could work in Bathurst as well.

“At one of our other cemeteries in Queensland, we have this set up and I want to start it here in Bathurst so that they can become our eyes and ears,” he said.

Members of the community can become volunteers for the committee and undertake pruning and weeding work, as well as make suggestions to management about the direction of the development of the cemetery. 

Volunteers would be relied upon to provide information about any suspicious activity they see in the cemetery as well.

“They can report back to us or they can photograph something if they think it is bad,” Mr Beer said.

The staff at the cemetery are also looking to increase the number of security cameras around the grounds to prevent further crime.

Norwood Park opened the Bathurst region’s first crematorium on cemetery grounds in August 2013 after a long community campaign.

As part of its deal with Bathurst Regional Council, Norwood Park also took over responsibility for the day-to-day running of the cemetery with a 50-year lease.