It was never intended to be a cemetery as it was part of a farm not yet gazetted. A man known as "Cook in Camp" was the first person buried in the cemetery.

After a number of years of trying to discover this person's identity, the story finally emerged. The late Jack Shannon recalled he was only known as "Ernie Jim"- at Canadian Chinese believed to be the original cook at Bagtown Camp. Jack said it was a Saturday afternoon when a violent electrical storm blew up.

As Ernie Jim was making his way home in a horse and dray, he was struck by lightning near Penfold's Bridge. The horse returned to the camp and Ernie Jim was found dead in the dray.

A trooper was summoned from Whitton who examined the body and his tent, Ernie Jim's only belongings the three pound he had on him.

The trooper asked a blacksmith (the engineer not at camp) if the money was enough to bury him - the only available timber to make a coffin was the heavy hardwood used for anchoring the tent flaps.

As not many people at the time were literate, Bert Thomson found a man reading a Truth newspaper who was asked to read a brief graveside service.

They originally planned to take the body to Whitton but because of the weight of the coffin and diminishing light they chose a sandy rise about a mile from Bagtown.

Ernie Jim was buried by the men who made the coffin. No name was known by which to bury him.