A man accused of murdering a woman whose body was found following a grassfire near a rural cemetery, has faced court.
Brian Barnes, 67, was showed no emotion as he appeared in Bendigo Magistrates Court in central Victoria for a filing hearing on Thursday.
He was charged with one count of murder over the death of the woman, who has yet to be identified.
It came after her body was found in the tiny town of Quambatook, 150km northwest of Bendigo, on Tuesday.
Emergency services responded to a grass fire near Cemetery Road and Knight Road, where the remains were located.
Forensic testing is underway to determine the identity of the woman.
Barnes, who is from Quambatook, was arrested on Wednesday.
His lawyers told the court it was his first time in custody and he would be in need of blood pressure medication.
Police said they would need access to Barnes' DNA to compare it to a potential murder weapon used to carry out the killing.
However, his lawyers opposed the application saying there was not enough evidence to prove Barnes was the killer.
A Gannawarra Shire Council spokesman said the woman's death was "tragic" and has left the rural town of 229 people reeling.
"Any loss of life in small rural communities such as Quambatook has a wider impact on the area," he said.
Barnes will next appear in court on April 30.
