Melbourne's largest new cemetery in over 100 years
The planned memorial park at Harkness in Melbourne’s west will be the largest new cemetery in Victoria in 100 years.
It will offer sanctuary, comfort and a place for peaceful reflection. It will connect people, nature and community. The memorial park will offer flexible and affordable funeral, interment and memorialisation options for the diverse and growing western suburbs for the next 100 years.
About the site
The 128-hectare site is located in Harkness - a new suburb in the City of Melton. It sits on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri, between Harkness and Bulmans roads, approximately 40km northwest of Melbourne’s CBD.
The site is next to the Melton Gilgai Woodlands Nature Conversation Reserve, part of the Arnolds Creek corridor. It is home to many endangered species. There are 100 mature grey box trees that are hundreds of years old. The Melton Ring Tree and five scarred trees at the site are culturally important to the Wurundjeri People and will be preserved.
The design
The masterplan for the new memorial park is complete. We are currently finalising the detailed Stage 1a design. Construction will start after that is finished.
There will be a range of interment and memorialisation options available including lawn graves, monumental graves, natural burial, ash scattering areas and others.
The Traditional Owners’ knowledge is at the heart of the masterplan. It features opportunities to care for Country and celebrate the living Wurundjeri culture.
Building materials and finishes will be environmentally friendly. They will reflect the Harkness landscape.
What the community wants
We have consulted with the community, industry experts, cultural and religious groups and government about the design. This will continue as the cemetery evolves.
Some community ideas for the new memorial park include:
affordable, diverse and accessible funeral, burial and other interment services
walking and cycling trails
environmental sustainability
open space for community and events
easy road and public transport access to the site.
The Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust is seeking partnerships to deliver this vision.
Find out more
See how we're reimagining the public cemetery.
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Contact us on 1300 022 298 or email enquiries@gmct.com.au.
For media enquiries, email media@gmct.com.au.