Holtz Lawn, a popular wedding spot at the Gardens, is named after Nicholas and his father Maurice, who founded the Gardens in the 1880s.

Nicholas succeeded his father as the Curator of the Botanic Gardens at just 23 and was behind many lasting decisions, such as the avenue of palm trees near its entrance, but died aged 45 in 1913 after falling ill following a trip to Katherine.

Sadly, 105 years on and Holtz’s grave is one of many historic burial sites at Darwin’s heritage listed cemeteries seriously damaged and in desperate need of repair.

Dozens of graves, many belonging to Territory pioneering families like the Holtz family, have been eroded after decades of high winds, storm damage and disturbance by tree roots.

“The last time conservation works were carried out at Palmerston and Gardens Cemeteries was more than 30 years ago in 1984,” said Michael Wells, Director of the Heritage Branch, Department of Tourism and Culture.

“The two cemeteries are an important record of Darwin’s early history, with many people buried there involved in the era of Darwin’s rapid development from the 1920s to 1970s including drovers, merchants, divers and cattlemen.

“The graves also reflect the early multi-cultural beginnings of the City with Greeks, Chinese, Japanese, Filipinos, Thursday Islanders and Australians of British descent buried in the cemeteries.”

In a race against time to save many of the graves, the Heritage Branch, with the help of the City of Darwin, the Genealogical Society of the Northern Territory and the Norther Territory Archives Service, has undertaken the largest ever audit of the two cemeteries to identify necessary repairs.

But, there’s a catch.

“As the cemeteries are so old, there are no records of living descendants or relatives in existence,” said Mr Wells.

“We can’t just pick up the phone and call the relatives of those buried to talk to them about the conservation works. There is no contact list.”

And so begins the search for anyone who can trace their lineage back to those buried in the cemeteries and provide vital clues that could help restore the graves.

"The graves are of huge historical significance to the Darwin community. We urge any relatives or descendants to make contact with us so we can repair their family’s graves in an appropriate manner,” said Mr Wells.

The repairs will be carried out in accordance with best practice national grave and cemetery conservation guidelines.

Most of the conservation works will focus on repairing and stabilising original grave kerbs and headstones. Other works include fixing damaged fences, cleaning and removing vegetation. The repairs will be fully funded by the Heritage Branch.

Relatives can contact the Heritage Branch on 89995055 or by email heritage.branch@nt.gov.au   

Gardens Cemetery was opened in 1919 after the closure of Palmerston Cemetery on Goyder Road and was Darwin's main cemetery up until 1970.

There are many different types of graves, headstones and epitaphs, and Darwin City Council's records list over 1200 graves.

Many of the memorials indicate ethnic origins, family associations, and circumstances of death and thus comprise an important record of Darwin's community spanning more than six decades. The Gardens Cemetery was listed on the Northern Territory Heritage Register in 2001.

The Palmerston Cemetery (also known as the Goyder Road Cemetery) provides an important reminder of the exploits and lives of many who have contributed to the development of the Territory.

Each grave represents the last resting place of pioneers in their own right whose contribution collectively is important to the interpretation of the Territory's and Darwin's historical, social and cultural background. The Old Palmerston Cemetery was listed on the Northern Territory Heritage Register in 1997.