Fawkner Crematorium and Memorial Park

{{Short description|Cemetery in Melbourne, Australia}}

{{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}

{{Infobox cemetery

| name = Fawkner Memorial Park

| image = Flowing_through_Fawkner_Cemetery_-_100_photos_of_Merlynston_Creek_(34476041214).jpg

| imagesize = 250px

| caption = Fawkner Memorial Park in June 2017

| map_type =

| map_size =

| map_caption =

| established = 1906

| country = Australia

| coordinates = {{coord|37|42|43|S|144|57|26|E|region:AU-VIC_type:landmark|display=title,inline}}

| latitude =

| longitude =

| style =

| owner = Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust

| size = {{convert|282|acre|ha}}

| graves = Over 330,000

| website = {{Official website|https://www.gmct.com.au/our-locations/fawkner-memorial-park}}

| findagraveid = 1967502

| type =

| location = Hadfield, Victoria

}}

Fawkner Memorial Park is located in the northern Melbourne suburb of Hadfield, Victoria, Australia. It is the largest cemetery by land size in the state, and managed by Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust.{{Cite web|title=Home – GMCT|url=https://www.gmct.com.au/|access-date=2020-06-03|website=Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust|language=en-AU}}

Merlynston Creek, a tributary of Merri Creek, is a major geographical feature running through both Fawkner Cemetery and the Northern Memorial Park.

History

In 1906, the Municipal Cemetery, Fawkner (as it was then called) opened to meet the needs of the north . The cemetery was designed and run by Charles Heath, a surveyor and architect. The first burial took place on 10 December 1906. This was considered to be the unofficial opening of the cemetery. The funeral was conducted by John Allison from Sydney Road. The cemetery was adjacent to Fawkner railway station on the Upfield line, with special trains carrying the deceased to the cemetery from 1906 to 1939.{{cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Restored Mortuary Carriage|url=https://www.gmct.com.au/our-locations/fawkner-memorial-park|archive-url=|archive-date=|website=|publisher=}} In 1952, the Jewish section of the cemetery was desecrated.[https://www.jta.org/archive/jewish-graves-in-australia-desecrated-immigrants-suspected Jewish Graves in Australia Desecrated; Immigrants Suspected] The Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 12 August 1952

On 1 November 1997, Mersina Halvagis was murdered in the cemetery by Peter Dupas.{{Cite news | url=https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/news/what-we-can-learn-from-the-murder-of-mersina-halvagis/news-story/c6e8ae14e8f5c2aa32d92735a3510d7d | title=What we can learn from the murder of Mersina Halvagis | work=news.com.au. | date=17 May 2016 | author=Olivia Lambert | access-date=2 June 2025}}

Management

Fawkner Memorial Park is operated by Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (GMCT), who manage 18 other sites across Victoria, Australia.

Interments

War Graves

Fawkner Memorial Park contains the war graves of 173 Commonwealth service personnel from World War I and World War II.

In addition Fawkner Crematorium has a Commonwealth War Graves Commission memorial to 28 Australian service personnel of World War II – 23 soldiers, 4 airmen and one naval officer – who were cremated there. They included Elwyn Roy King (1894–1941) who had been a fighter ace in World War I.

References

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