Finding Roger Davies: how one sister’s search for her long lost brother unearthed a state’s destitute burial failures

Key points

• Roger Davies, a rough sleeper, was buried in an unmarked communal grave at Rookwood Cemetery in October 2015 by the New South Wales government. His sister Chantel Dubsky says she was not told of his death or burial until later, and was never given the chance to pay for a cremation.
• A Guardian Australia investigation has found at least 18 clients of Sydney homelessness services have been buried in similar graves since 2016. NSW Health now handles destitute burials.
• Victoria uses DNA and genealogy databases to find relatives and does not use communal graves.