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The discovery of historical human remains at one of Hobart's most prestigious schools has caused equal parts alarm and intrigue.
The two graves were uncovered during initial excavation works at The Hutchins School in Sandy Bay as part of a new senior school campus.
After work was suspended and police quickly ruled out any suspicious circumstances, Tasmania's coroner is now investigating how they came to be there — and whether there might be more to uncover.
'Must've been a few left behind'
The remains were found where the school's hockey and soccer pitch stood prior to the redevelopment, above the tennis courts.
That site maps directly onto where the Queenborough Cemetery once stood, before it was closed in 1934 and, it was thought, completely dismantled to make way for the school in 1961.
Hutchins Principal Dr Rob McEwan told the ABC it was "understood by the school that all gravesites had been exhumed in 1961 and transferred to the cemetery at Cornelian Bay".
Ann Ricketts, from the Sandy Bay Historical Society, said that while a call went out for relatives of those buried at the cemetery to come and claim them and ensure they were transferred, it's likely not all were moved.
"I wouldn't be surprised, because over 3,000 burials took place there.
"When they were digging up the site there in 1960-1961 before construction of The Hutchins School they couldn't have gotten everyone up, I'm sure, so there must've been a few left behind."
'I remember watching them open the graves'
The Queenborough Cemetery was built in 1873.
Some of those buried there had been relocated from St David's Park Cemetery in central Hobart after it had fallen into disrepair, on what was described in the Hobart Mercury newspaper as the "distinct understanding (of relatives) that they would not be disturbed again".
However, just 40 years later the trust running Queenborough Cemetery was bankrupt.
"The Hobart City Council bought the cemetery in 1915 and later built the sports ground on the lower half, which is the Queenborough Oval," the article states.
After the land was sold to Hutchins in the early 60s, the work of removing the gravesites began — a process that was described by witnesses, on the Sandy Bay Historical Society's Facebook page.
"I remember watching them open the graves, break open the coffins and put the remains into small wooden boxes. It was horrid and my mother made me go home," Elizabeth Brett wrote.
"Most were lead-lined coffins. They were still being removed when the first students moved there from Macquarie Street," John Drew said.
"The stench when they were opened up was pretty bad."
One Facebook user posted what appears to be a plan for how the graves were to be removed, which appears to show the site split into two sections, one where both monuments were to be removed and graves exhumed, the other where just monuments were removed.
Dr McEwan said the remains recently uncovered would be treated "with the utmost dignity and respect".
"A service will be held in the future in the memorial garden on Peel Street, together with the installation of an appropriate memorial for those buried at the original Queenborough Cemetery."
Schools built over cemeteries not uncommon
Hobart used to have lots of cemeteries dotted around the city, but by the early 20th century councils and private trusts didn't want to put up with the expense and effort of maintaining them.
These cemeteries were often built on large, flat, cleared spaces in relatively central parts of the city.
It was ideal land for development, and schools were a popular choice.
"Campbell Street is a classic one, Hutchins is another one. I know at Albuera Street playing ground there's an old cemetery there," Ann Ricketts said.
"The Collegiate Infant School on Anglesea Street, I'm sure that some of the grounds there were built on an old cemetery."
Ms Ricketts said Campbell Street Primary School was built over the graves of around 5,000 convicts, a site formerly known as Holy Trinity Burial Grounds.
Hutchins has the memorial garden on Peel Street, Campbell Street Primary school has a small plaque on its grounds, and Albuera Street has a wall that faces Sandy Bay Road that has names of former internees engraved into it.
'She picked up a skull'
In the north of the state, it was decided in the 1950s that Launceston Cemetery on Cypress Street would be turned into playing fields for Broadland House Grammar School, which is now part of Launceston Grammar.
"I can remember I went to Broadland House when we first arrived in Tasmania … and we had some new playing fields where we went to play hockey," Ms Ricketts said.
"I can remember someone battered the ball and it went into the side of the ground. There was a loud shriek because one of the girls went around to pick up the ball and she picked up a skull."
The Hutchins School did not respond to the ABC's questions about whether work would continue on the site while the coroner investigates.
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