The Springvale Botanical Cemetery is the largest

crematorium A crematorium or crematory is a venue for the cremation of the dead. Modern crematoria contain at least one cremator (also known as a crematory, retort or cremation chamber), a purpose-built furnace. In some countries a crematorium can also ...

and memorial park in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, Australia. It is located in Springvale, in the south-eastern suburbs of

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a me ...

History

Originally known as The Necropolis Springvale, the cemetery commenced operations in 1901. Between 1904 and 1952 it was served by its own railway branch line and

station Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle stati ...

, by which coffins, passengers and staff were conveyed to the cemetery. The first cremation took place at Springvale in April 1905. According to the Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust, here have been approximately 473,000 cremations and 162,000 burials at the Springvale Botanical Cemetery. In 2006, the cemetery was renamed the Springvale Botanical Cemetery to reflect its increasing botanical significance, which includes original plantings of two bunya-bunya pines, palms and gums. It is now administered by the Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (SMCT), which manages nine cemeteries in all, including the

Melbourne General Cemetery The Melbourne General Cemetery is a large (43 hectare) necropolis located north of the city of Melbourne in the suburb of Carlton North. The cemetery is notably the resting place of four Prime Ministers of Australia, more than any other ...

St Kilda Cemetery St Kilda Cemetery is located in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda East, Victoria. History St Kilda Cemetery covers a large block bordered by Dandenong Road, Hotham Street, Alma Road and Alexandra Street. It is bounded by a historic wall and cont ...

and Dandenong Community Cemetery.

Notable interments

Frank Bladin Air Vice Marshal Francis Masson (Frank) Bladin, (26 August 1898 – 2 February 1978) was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Born in rural Victoria, he graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntro ...

(1898–1978), RAAF commander *

Scobie Breasley Arthur Edward "Scobie" Breasley (7 May 1914 – 21 December 2006) was an Australian jockey. He won the Caulfield Cup in Melbourne five times: 1942-45 consecutively on Tranquil Star, Skipton, Counsel and St Fairy; then on Peshawar in 1952. ...

(1914–2006), champion jockey * A.R. Chisholm (1888–1981), French language scholar *

Sir ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only a ...

Zelman Cowen Sir Zelman Cowen, (7 October 1919 – 8 December 2011) was an Australian legal scholar and university administrator who served as the 19th Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1977 to 1982. Cowen was born in Melbourne, and attended ...

(1919–2011), Governor-General *

Cyril Clowes Lieutenant General Cyril Albert Clowes, (11 March 1892 – 19 May 1968) was an Australian soldier. He won the first land victory against the Japanese in the Second World War, at the Battle of Milne Bay, New Guinea. Like many other senior office ...

(1892–1968), soldier *

Erle Cox Erle Cox (15 August 1873 – 20 November 1950) was an Australian journalist and science fiction writer. Life Cox was born at Emerald Hill, Victoria, on 15 August 1873, the second son of Ross Cox, who had emigrated from his native Dublin, Ir ...

(1873–1950), author *

Frank Crean Francis Daniel Crean (28 February 1916 – 2 December 2008) was an Australian politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives from 1951 to 1977, representing the Labor Party. He was a minister in the Whitlam Government, in ...

(1916–2008), Deputy Prime Minister *

Bernard Cronin Bernard Cronin (18 March 1884 – 9 June 1968) was an Australian author and journalist. With Gertrude Hart, he founded the Old Derelicts' Club in 1920 which later became the Society of Australian Authors. Life Cronin was born in Ealing, Midd ...

(1884–1968), author *

Jack Dyer John Raymond Dyer Sr. OAM (15 November 1913 – 23 August 2003), nicknamed Captain Blood, was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Richmond Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) between 1931 and 1949. One of the g ...

(1913–2003), footballer * James Fowler (1863–1940), politician, author *

Cathy Godbold Catherine Malia Godbold (23 September 1974 – 4 May 2018) was an Australian actress. She was best known for her role as Deborah Hale Regnery on ''The Saddle Club'' and as Meg Bowman in ''Home and Away''. Following the cancellation of ''Newly ...

(1974–2018), actress *

Robert Grieve Robert Cuthbert Grieve, VC (19 June 1889 – 4 October 1957) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Early life Born ...

VC (1889–1957), soldier *

Charles Hegyalji Charles Hegyalji (6 August 1956 – 22 November 1998) also known as Mad Charlie was a Hungarian born gangland criminal in Melbourne, Australia. Hegyalji was a key figure in the amphetamine trade. He was charged with attempted murder in 1997 aft ...

(1956–1998), gangster * Walter Hume (1873–1943), inventor, concrete pipe developer *

Richard Kelliher Richard Kelliher, VC (1 September 1910 – 28 January 1963) was an Irish-born Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Kelliher received his VC while s ...

VC (1910–1963), soldier * Jack Little (1908–1986), media personality *

Rosemary Margan Rosemary Margan (12 May 1937 – 5 December 2017) was an Australian television and radio personality. She won Logie Awards for best Victorian Female Personality in 1969 and 1970. Biography Margan became well known for working with both Graham ...

(1937–2017), radio and television personality *

John McEwen Sir John McEwen, (29 March 1900 – 20 November 1980) was an Australian politician who served as the 18th prime minister of Australia, holding office from 1967 to 1968 in a caretaker capacity after the disappearance of Harold Holt. He was th ...

(1900–1980), Prime Minister *

Bert Newton Albert Watson Newton (23 July 1938 – 30 October 2021) was an Australian media personality. He was a Logie Hall of Fame inductee, quadruple Gold Logie award-winning entertainer and radio, theatre and television personality and presenter. Ne ...

(1938-2021) TV and radio presenter, entertainer and actor *

Bess Norriss Elizabeth May Norriss, later Bess Norriss Tait, (17 May 1878 – January 1939) was an Australian artist. Life Norriss was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1878. She studied at Melbourne Art Gallery School and in 1905 at the Slade School of Fin ...

(1878–1939), artist *

Horace Petty Sir Horace Rostill Petty (25 March 1904 – 16 February 1982) was an Australian politician. He was born in Richmond to wood block engraver Frederick Charles Petty and Alice Maud Rostill. He attended University High School and then the Univer ...

(1904–1982), politician *

Dorothy Porter Dorothy Featherstone Porter (26 March 1954 – 10 December 2008) was an Australian poet. She was a recipient of the Christopher Brennan Award for lifetime achievement in poetry. Early life Porter was born in Sydney. Her father was barriste ...

(1954–2008), poet *

Julia Rapke Julia Rapke OBE (11 February 1886 – 9 October 1959) was an Australian, Jewish women's rights activist and Justice of the peace, Justice of the Peace, who held numerous roles in women's organisations regionally, nationally and internationally, ...

(1886–1959), women's rights activist *

Macpherson Robertson Sir Macpherson Robertson KBE (6 September 185920 August 1945) was an Australian philanthropist, entrepreneur and founder of chocolate and confectionery company ''MacRobertson's''. He was also known for bringing the United States inventions of c ...

(1859-1945), chocolate manufacturer, philanthropist * John Ryan VC (1890–1941), soldier *

Reginald Sholl Sir Reginald Richard Sholl (8 October 19027 August 1988) was an Australian lawyer, judge, diplomat, commentator. Having attended Melbourne Grammar School and the University of Melbourne, Sholl was selected as Victorian Rhodes scholar for 1924. ...

(1902–1988), Supreme Court justice, diplomat *

Billy Snedden Sir Billy Mackie Snedden, (31 December 1926 – 27 June 1987) was an Australian politician who served as the leader of the Liberal Party from 1972 to 1975. He was also a cabinet minister from 1964 to 1972, and Speaker of the House of Repres ...

(1926–1987), politician * Charles Tait (1868–1933), film maker, theatrical entrepreneur *

Bud Tingwell Charles William Tingwell AM (3 January 1923 – 15 May 2009), known professionally as Bud Tingwell or Charles 'Bud' Tingwell, was an Australian film, television, theatre and radio actor. One of the veterans of Australian film, he acted in his ...

(1923–2009), actor *

Fannie Eleanor Williams Fannie Eleanor Williams MBE, ARRC (4 July 1884 – 16 June 1963), known as Eleanor Williams, was an Australian scientist. She served as a bacteriologist during World War I, and was the third scientist and the first woman appointed to work at ...

(1884–1963), scientist *

Kath Williams Katherine Mary Isabel "Kath" Williams, ''née'' Chambers and formerly Clarey (23 April 1895 – 17 April 1975) was an Australian trade unionist and campaigner for equal pay. She was born at Lara to law clerk Edward Crombie Chambers and Jane ...

(1895–1975), trade unionist, equal pay campaigner *

Tommy Woodcock Aaron Treve Woodcock Jr. (8 October 190527 April 1985) professionally Tommy Woodcock, was the Australian racehorse trainer and handler of the thoroughbred racehorse Phar Lap. Early life Tommy Woodcock was born in 1905 at Uralgurra in Bellbrook ...

(1905–1985),

Phar Lap Phar Lap (4 October 1926 – 5 April 1932) was a champion New Zealand–bred Thoroughbred racehorse who is widely regarded as New Zealand's greatest racehorse ever. Achieving incredible success during his distinguished career, his initial u ...

's handler *

Bill Woodfull William Maldon Woodfull (22 August 1897 – 11 August 1965) was an Australian cricketer of the 1920s and 1930s. He captained both Victoria and Australia, and was best known for his dignified and moral conduct during the tumultuous bodyline ...

(1897–1965), cricketer *

Tracy Pew Tracy Franklin Pew (19 December 1957 – 7 November 1986) was an Australian musician, and bassist for The Birthday Party. He was later a member of The Saints, and worked with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. As a member of the Birthday Party, Pe ...

(1957-1986), musician *

Henry Wynter Lieutenant General Henry Douglas Wynter, (6 June 1886 – 7 February 1945) was an Australian Army officer who rose to the rank of lieutenant general during the Second World War. Official Historian Gavin Long described him as "perhaps the clearest ...

(1886–1945), soldier *

Ethel Tracy Richardson Ethel Tracy Richardson, (8 August 1877 – 8 November 1942) was an Australian nursing sister, army matron-in-chief, and honorary major who served during the First World War. She was the first person to become Matron-in-chief on the staff of the ...

(1877–1942), nursing sister, army matron-in-chief, and honorary major

War graves

The Botanical Cemetery contains the war graves of 146 Commonwealth service personnel, nearly 50 from World War I and nearly 100 from World War II.SPRINGVALE BOTANICAL CEMETERY
– CWGC Cemetery Report. In addition the

Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations mi ...

(CWGC) also commemorates 67 Commonwealth service personnel cremated at Springvale Crematorium whose ashes remain here.

Springvale War Cemetery

Within two acres of the Botanical Cemetery, beyond the crematorium, lies the CWGC's Springvale War Cemetery, created in World War II, where there are buried 607 Commonwealth service personnel and 4 Dutch personnel. It contains a

Cross of Sacrifice The Cross of Sacrifice is a Commonwealth war memorial designed in 1918 by Sir Reginald Blomfield for the Imperial War Graves Commission (now the Commonwealth War Graves Commission). It is present in Commonwealth war cemeteries containing 40 or m ...

unveiled in 1948. In the form of bronze plaques, on the rear wall of the shelter behind the Cross, is the Victoria Cremation Memorial to 75 Commonwealth service personnel who were cremated within the State of Victoria but whose ashes were disposed of where a memorial could not be sited.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/2082902/victoria-cremation-memorial

References

External links

Springvale Botanical Cemetery websiteSpringvale Botanical Cemetery
– Billion Graves 1901 establishments in Australia Cemeteries in Melbourne Buildings and structures in the City of Greater Dandenong