Tamworth elder Neville Sampson assisted Mr Martin in his quest to trace the intricate links of his family’s ancestry as part of the program, Who Do You Think You Are?

The former 60 Minutes journalist found out some time ago his great-great-grandmother was a Kamilaroi woman from the Gunnedah region, but in last night’s episode Mr Sampson was able to take him to what is thought to be her final resting place at Lake Keepit.

Mr Martin went to the former Keepit Station where his great-great-grandfather William Leamy, a convict from Ireland, was first assigned.

Keepit Station was described by the program as “a lawless and isolated property beyond the legal limits of the NSW colony”.

William Leamy had two children with a Kamilaroi woman named Bertha, and during his visit Mr Martin was invited by elders to pay his respects to her at the ancient burial site.

“I’ve seen a lot of Aboriginal sites around Australia,” Mr Martin said.

“I’ve never seen anything quite like that pathway. It’s clearly a graveyard and I’d like to think Bertha’s buried there somewhere.

“I feel closer to her ...”

Mr Martin’s mother was a Gunnedah girl and as a child he spent a lot of time in the town, revealing last year he still has very strong memories of his time there.