There are many unknown graves in the East Cemetery. The first identified grave (unknown) is dated 1856 (born 1807). The establishment of separate graveyards for the ‘colonialists’ and the ‘indigenous’ people date back to the 1800s when the British settlers moved to South Africa and colonialism thrived. Of note is the Commonwealth War grave of Private ML Dreyer, member of the Cape Corps who died on 31 October 1944 serving his country during World War II.

It is incorrectly referred to as a product of apartheid, and natural segregation continued mainly because families preferred burying their loved ones close to those who had gone before them.
Up to the 2010s, the St Thomas Church on the village green in the centre of town had the tradition of, every Easter Sunday morning, walking through the village and placing flowers on the graves of their loved ones in this cemetery. As both the east and west cemeteries are hardly used any longer, the congregation now walks to the ‘new’ cemetery adjacent to the Mountain View Wandelpad area.
