6 December 1946 — 10 August 2025
Saving Family Headstones at Karrakatta (SFH@K) is deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Sandra Playle of Mandurah, aged 78.
Sandra was a true warrior and stalwart for the preservation of history. She dedicated her life to researching war veterans, ensuring they were given the dignity of proper commemoration at their place of burial. Through her tireless efforts, countless soldiers now have their service formally acknowledged on their graves.
One of Sandra’s proudest achievements was the creation of the “WA 1st Australian Imperial Force’s Enlistments” database, an invaluable record of Western Australia’s military history which should stand the test of time. The database is kindly hosted on the Brady Family Tree in Western Australia website, which we encourage everyone to visit.
Much of Sandra’s work focussed on World War One and the Australian soldiers who sacrificed their lives overseas. Her dedication reached well beyond Western Australia, with friends and colleagues around the world — including in France, a focal point of her work — mourning her loss.
Sandra co-founded the Saving Graves WA group over twenty years ago, the predecessor to our own organisation. She chose not to publicly identify as part of SFH@K in fear of retaliation by the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board (MCB), which is the government agency responsible for Karrakatta and the ongoing redevelopment of graves. Over the years, the MCB had directed numerous baseless legal threats at her in an attempt to suppress her advocacy, which caused her much anguish. Despite this, we remained in close and constant contact, and she continued to support our cause behind the scenes and entrusted us with her entire Karrakatta Cemetery collection stretching back decades.
Our thoughts are with Sandra’s family and friends as they grieve the loss of a truly remarkable woman. Her passing is not only a loss to those in Perth, but to all who value history and remembrance.
In Sandra’s name, we pledge to continue the fight she so passionately led, honouring her legacy in every step we take.
Lest we forget — for those in power have already forgotten.
Please consider leaving a flower on Sandra’s Find a Grave memorial available here.
Pictured up top is Sandra Playle beside the Karrakatta grave of Sergeant Martin O’Meara VC, which is at risk of redevelopment. Image courtesy of The Australian.
I have known Sandra for many, many years. Such a warrior and great friend.
You will be missed by so many, Sandra RIP 🌹
Thank you for your work. Also, a big thank you to those who followed. Otherwise I would never have known what these so called humans on the MCB were up to.
It has upset me so much, I can’t even go to the resting place of my husband and other members of my family. When in the metro area, I would visit heir resting sites and place flowers on their graves.