Melbourne General Cemetery
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Melbourne General Cemetery | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view of Melbourne General Cemetery, looking north | |
 | |
| Details | |
| Established | 1852 |
| Location | |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 37°47′20″S 144°57′55″E / 37.78889°S 144.96528°E |
| Size | 43 hectares (110 acres) |
| Website | smct |
| Find a Grave | Melbourne General Cemetery |
The Melbourne General Cemetery is a large (43 hectare) necropolis located 3 km (1.9 mi) north of the city of Melbourne in the suburb of Carlton North.
The cemetery is notably the resting place of five Prime Ministers of Australia, more than any other necropolis within Australia. Former Prime Minister Harold Holt's headstone is a memorial, as his remains have never been discovered.
The cemetery was established in 1852 and opened on 1 June 1853, and the Old Melbourne Cemetery (on the site of what is now the Queen Victoria Market) was closed the next year.
The grounds feature several heritage buildings, many in bluestone, including a couple of chapels and a number of cast iron pavilions. The gatehouses are particularly notable.
Gatehouse Mausoleum, designed by architect Philip Harmer, was constructed at the cemetery in 2004.[1]
Notable interments
Prime Ministers Garden
Six Prime Ministers of Australia are memorialised at Melbourne General Cemetery. Four are interred in the cemetery's 'Prime Ministers Garden': Sir Robert Menzies (including Dame Pattie Menzies), Sir John Gorton, Malcolm Fraser and Bob Hawke (half of Hawkes ashes are at Melbourne, the other half are interred in Sydney). Harold Holt's (including his wife Dame Zara Bate) is a memorial, as his body was never recovered after he disappeared at sea. Dame Zara is buried at Sorrento Cemetery, the closest burial ground to where Holt disappeared.
James Scullin (including Sarah Scullin) is buried in the Catholic section of the cemetery.
Garden entrance
Grave of James and Sarah Scullin
Grave of Sir Robert and Dame Pattie Menzies
Grave of Sir John Gorton
Memorial to Harold Holt and Dame Zara
Grave of Malcolm Fraser
State Premiers and Governors
There are eight Premiers of Victoria buried in the Melbourne General Cemetery, more than any other necropolis around the state. Premiers George Elmslie, James Francis, Duncan Gillies, Richard Heales, William Nicholson, Sir John O'Shanassy, Sir James Patterson, and James Service. Sir Robert Menzies served as Deputy Premier of Victoria between 1932 and 1934.
The first Premier of Tasmania is interred at Melbourne General Cemetery, William Champ.
There are two Governors of Victoria, Sir Charles Hotham and Sir James Gobbo, and one Governor-General of Australia, Sir Isaac Isaacs, buried at Melbourne General Cemetery.
War graves
The cemetery contains the war graves of 91 Commonwealth service personnel, more than 30 from World War I and more than 50 from World War II.[2]
