Cemeteries and Heritage Graves, Published 20 June 2026
Samsonvale Cemetery – Preserving the Story of a Lost Valley
Hidden beside the shores of Lake Samsonvale, Samsonvale Cemetery is one of the last surviving reminders of the original Samsonvale community - a rural district that flourished long before the lake existed.
The story of Samsonvale began in 1845 with the establishment of the Samsonvale pastoral run. Over time, farming families settled throughout the valley, creating a close-knit community built on dairying, timber-getting, orchards and small farms.
As the district grew, land was set aside for a cemetery. Samsonvale Cemetery was officially gazetted on 8 April 1911, and the first burial took place in April 1912.
The cemetery became the final resting place for many of the district's pioneering families and remains an important record of the people who helped shape the local community.
The greatest change came with the construction of North Pine Dam between 1968 and 1974. Much of the original farming district was resumed for the project, and large areas were later inundated to create what is now Lake Samsonvale. Around 105 family homes, together with community buildings and extensive farmland, were resumed or lost as the valley was transformed.
Yet the cemetery remained.
Today, Samsonvale Cemetery stands quietly overlooking the lake, preserving the memory of the original Samsonvale community, much of which disappeared beneath the waters of Lake Samsonvale.
More than a cemetery, it is one of the last physical links to old Samsonvale and a lasting reminder of the families, farms and community that once thrived there.
Samsonvale Cemetery, Gold Scrub Lane, Samsonvale, Queensland
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