Is the casket/coffin cremated with the body?
Yes.

What happens to precious and other metals whilst in the cremator e.g. jewellery?
Once exposed to high temperatures, precious and other metals melt and become irretrievable.

Can relatives witness the cremation?
Yes.  The crematorium at Springvale Botanical Cemetery contains a special viewing room for relatives to watch the placement of the casket into the cremator.  The cemetery must be advised in advance if the use of the viewing room is required. 

Where can I go to pay my respects after the cremation occurs?
Recognising that family members may need a place to visit before permanent arrangements are finalised, Springvale Botanical Cemetery provides a temporary cremation memorial within 48 hours of the service.

 

The Walls of Reflection offer a free temporary location with a personalised plaque.  The cremated remains are secured within the walls behind the plaque.

Do I get the correct cremation ashes?
Yes.  All cremated remains are kept separate throughout the entire cremation process.

Can I keep the cremated remains if I want to?
Yes.  In most instances disposal of the cremated remains is the responsibility of the person who signed the paper work with the funeral director.  This person may arrange a memorial, collect or scatter the remains.

How can I ensure that I am cremated when I die?
In order to ensure that your wishes are carried out it is advised that you prepay the cremation and give a copy of the Cremation Certificate to your solicitor or executor.  It is also very important to alert close family and friends so that they know what you want.

What cremation memorials are available?
There are a wide range of cremation memorials available to suit all tastes, incomes, preferences and cultures.  Please click here to be taken to the Cremation section of the website which details the range of memorials available.

How many burials take place each year at Springvale Botanical Cemetery?
In the 2006/07 financial year Springvale Botanical Cemetery conducted 1,876 burials.

How many burials can occur in each grave?
Unless advised otherwise, all graves are now dug to permit one interment.  However, if we are alerted at the time of the first interment, most graves can be dug to allow for two or three interments. In addition to burials, a maximum of two cremated remains may also be interred into a grave.

To what depth are graves dug?
The standard depth is 1.52m (5’) which allows for a single interment.  However if advised at the time of the first interment most graves can be dug to 2.13m (7’) to allow for two interments or 2.7m (9’) to allow for three interments.

What equipment is used to dig a grave?
Most graves are dug by excavator.  In the older areas, where access is difficult, the grave is hand dug.  The gravediggers will determine whether to shore the grave.  This involves placing timber around the inside of the grave to form solid walls.  In areas where the soil is unstable, shoring the grave ensures the safety of the gravedigger and helps prevent the grave from collapsing during the funeral.

What training is required to become a gravedigger?
The gravedigging course runs for 12 to 18 months and involves both practical and theoretical study.  At the completion of the course, the gravedigger receives a Certificate in Gravedigging Operations.

For what length of time is a grave purchased?
Click here for information regarding tenure on graves.

What different types of graves are available?
A wide range of graves are available to suit all tastes, incomes, preferences and cultures.  Please click here to be taken to the Burial section of the website which details the range of grave locations available.

What is a mausoleum?
A mausoleum is a building in which bodies in caskets can be securely and hygienically stored above ground level in crypts.

What is a crypt?
Crypts are above ground compartments which are specially constructed from durable, poured-in-place, reinforced concrete.  All crypts are connected to drainage and ventilation systems are adorned with either granite or marble frontages.

 

Crypts are usually available at six different designated levels, with the price varying depending on the level and type of the crypt.

 

There are three different types of crypts.
Single crypts provide for a single casket.
True companion crypts allow for two caskets placed end to end, in tandem.
Pair crypts provide for two caskets side by side.

What is the process for interring a body in a mausoleum crypt?
Once the funeral service is completed, the casket is placed in the crypt.  The crypt is then sealed.  The marble or granite shutter is then placed over the seal.  The crypt is always sealed immediately after the interment.

Is it necessary for embalming to occur for interment within a mausoleum crypt?
No.  It remains the choice of the family whether to embalm the deceased.

For what length of time is a mausoleum crypt purchased?

Click here for information regarding tenure on crypts.

A wide range of crypts are available to suit all tastes, incomes, preferences and cultures.  Please click here to be taken to the Mausoleum section of the website which details the range of crypt locations available.

Gardens

How many roses are there at Springvale Botanical Cemetery?
There are over 27,000 roses of 255 varieties within the gardens of Springvale Botanical Cemetery.  Most roses are propagated on site, some of which are no longer commercially available.

How many staff are required to tend to these roses?
Two rosarians are employed solely to tend to these roses.  They are supported by a team of gardeners.

Pruning of the roses remains a priority. Summer pruning, throughout the grounds and in the nursery, takes place during the month of January and general pruning occurs from May to July.

General maintenance of the nursery and grounds are also required throughout the year to ensure that all roses are maintained, with any replacement roses planted during the planting season in August.

In addition to the roses, what other plants are grown in Springvale Botanical Cemetery?
Over 10,000 annuals are planted among the many flowerbeds within Springvale Botanical Cemetery.

There are many unusual plants scattered throughout the cemetery.
In the Genista garden, Ginko Biloba are planted amongst the many other trees. These slow growing plants date back to the dinosaur days.  However, those in the grounds of Springvale Botanical Cemetery are only 25 to 30 years old.
In Melaleuca, Lindon (Tilia cordata), are unusual specimens.  These are one of very few plants where the flowers bloom from the centre of the leaf. 
The Dawn Redwood (Metaseqoia glyptostroboides), in the Cassia garden, is one of very few deciduous conifers.
The Californian Redwood (Sequoioadendron gigantium), in the Dodonaea garden, is only 40 years old, but is known to live in excess of 3,500 years. Other old plants include the century old Bunya Pines (Araucaria biwillii), located in the Genista garden.

There are many interesting examples of botany for the keen gardener, with numerous examples highlighted on the signs within the cremation memorial gardens.
 
With so many plants to upkeep, how does Springvale Botanical Cemetery cope with the water supply required?
Springvale Botanical Cemetery contains three dams with capacity to store approximately 252.5 megalitres (53 million gallons).  The catchments are fed both by surface runoff within the site itself, and also storm water from surrounding streets, houses and the Monash Freeway.

The dam water is pumped throughout the grounds through our irrigation system.  The irrigation system is centrally controlled and is the largest Irrigation System in the Southern Hemisphere.

To supplement the water supply, water tanks were installed at the rear of the Mausolea buildings.