There are 300,000 graves in the 106-acre, heritage-listed Melbourne General Cemetery. That’s a lot of cement, a lot of marble and sandstone, dirt pathways, and roadways. In recent decades, trees have been removed to make more burial space. It’s also on a slope so any topsoil has washed away towards Lygon Street.
Years of herbicide use around the graves and monuments resulted in a moonscape across half the cemetery. They were using more than 27,000 litres of herbicide every year.
Helen Tuton, the cemetery’s horticultural assets manager and resident soil scientist, calls that “unbelievably environmentally irresponsible.”
As a result of no vegetation, it’s hot. Very hot. Last year, thanks to the radiant heat, it got to just over 50 degrees Celsius on a 30-degree day.
Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (who runs Melbourne Cemetery) decided something had to change.
And change it has!
Project Cultivate
A pilot project called Project Cultivate is re-establishing vegetation at the cemetery. It aims to return the cemetery to the native grasslands it once would have been. Just 2% of Victoria’s woody grasslands remain.
Not only are the grasslands floristically diverse and rich in biodiversity, they’re also a good source of carbon capture.
Native grasses have been planted on empty plots at Melbourne Cemetery which slopes towards Lygon Street.
Grab your gardening gloves. This is how the cemetery has been transformed.
The cemetery is unirrigated, and the site was mulched by hand. You see, you can’t blow mulch in because of possible damage to graves and monuments. Mulching the compacted clay layer soil eliminates the need for herbicides.
33 acres (13 hectares) have now been mulched and the runoff has stopped. No soil improvement was done. “Gypsum wasn’t going to work,” said Helen.
The site was mulched over the hotter months and that mulch weaved its magic during the cooler, wetter months.
“The difference in the soil was quite extraordinary. All of a sudden, we’re able to dig that soil. It was worms, it was active, it was retaining moisture, was able to support growth.”
Helen Tuton Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust Horticultural Assets Manager
262,000 indigenous grasses and wildflowers were planted into previously mulched unmarked graves, non-burial areas, and redundant dirt pathways. Because of the uniqueness of the site, direct drilling wasn’t an option, so tube stock was installed manually.
Not only were plants selected for their ability to survive without irrigation and easy removal if required (unlike woody vegetation), they were also selected for their ability to self-seed.
“We want that landscape to become self-sustaining over time which reduces our maintenance requirements even further.”
“In less than 12 months, we’ve been able to recreate 30-plus acres of endangered grassland.”
It hasn’t all been plain sailing, disturbing the soil has stirred the fleabane seed-banks lying deep within the soil. Organic pesticide isn’t working, so it’s been controlled via hand-weeding.
The benefits
Melbourne General Cemetery is almost full. Just 70 plots remain, each costing between $60,000 and $82,000. Without an income, the cemetery must reduce its maintenance costs.
“The cemetery is no longer making us money and we have to maintain it. And we need to bring the community in to use and engage with this space,” said Helen.
The City of Melbourne has recently awarded the project a $500,000 grant to finish the project. That’s a really big deal!
“This is the biggest public greening project that’s happened in the municipality for over 60 years.”
Massive reduction of herbicide use and decrease in temp
There’s now been a 50% reduction in herbicide use. The site will be herbicide-free by 2025 when Project Cultivate is finished mid-year. Half the cemetery (60 acres) will have been mulched and planted by then.
There’s also been a three to five degree Celcius reduction in temperature across the planted area.
There have already been visible increases in biodiversity, including increased activity from beneficial native insects, worms, fungi, and birds.
“For the first time in four years, we’ve had a wren and a pink Robin on that site, and we haven’t had that since 2021.”
Zoos Victoria even released a threatened grasshopper species into the cemetery. (The grasshopper feeds on pollen and nectar of some of the wildflower species and shelters in grass.)
“Zoos Victoria thinks this grassland is good enough to introduce that threatened grasshopper! How amazing is that?” said Helen.
The cost
Project Cultivate is now able to be monetised, establishing carbon credits and seed collection.
“Indigenous nurseries are paying us to come onto our site and collect that seed.”
Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust won’t let on what this project has cost.
“But I will say that this project will pay for itself within three years with the herbicide reduction and the reduction in labour costs,” said Helen.
Lots of community consultation and engagement
“We didn’t remove any vegetation to undertake this planting and that was really important to a lot of our stakeholders. We’ve still got your roses growing. It’s important to honour the history of that site. We are gardening in un-gardened areas, not changing the face of the cemetery.”
There continues to be significant community engagement at the cemetery through planting activities, seed collection, and walk and talks.
“We host bird-watching events, do insect counts, citizen science activities, we engage local schools, we’ve got students assisting with the establishment and doing hand weeding.”
It’s important that the public feels welcome in their community green spaces. Picnicking and recreating in cemeteries used to be commonplace, but recent decades have seen cemeteries become a place to only visit and mourn the dead. Reimagining horticultural possibilities at our heritage sites, in a way that supports the unique needs of our heritage, locations, community and environment, is a great step in bringing the living back to cemeteries.
There’s still work to be done
Planting has covered a total of 58% of the space. Even more planting has been underway in recent weeks.
This awesome project sets a blueprint for what can be done at other cemeteries and sites across Australia.
So, the next time you’re in Melbourne, add the Melbourne General Cemetery to your to-do list. It’ll look spectacular in spring! Maybe even pack a picnic like locals used to do. Cemeteries are public places, so enjoy them for their beauty, history, and, in this case, biodiversity.
About the author
Author Lisa Herbert
Lisa Herbert is a journalist and Australian death awareness and consumer advocate. She is the author of The Bottom Drawer Book: the after death action plan – an informative, modern, and quirky workbook and funeral planning guide for those who want to prepare for the inevitable.
The fifth edition of The Bottom Drawer Book is available in Australia for $29.95. For international buyers, the eBook is AU$11.99 on Amazon, Apple Books, Kobo, Booktopia, and Google Books. To purchase, click HERE.
11 Responses
I would love to try and instigate a similar idea to this for Waverley Cemetery in Sydney, but I have absolutely no idea how or where to start. I saw the story tonight on Gardening Australia on ABC TV. Waverley Cemetery is so neglected it desperately needs something like this. Is it possible to get in touch with Helen Tuton? I’d love to have a chat with her about the logistics of implementing something like this. If it’s possible to pass on my email address to her I’d really appreciate it. Many thanks!
Hi David. Perhaps drop Helen a note via Linked In. Or contact the Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust.
Importantly though, contact Waverley Council and speak with their cemetery team. I would be surprised if they weren’t aware of Helen’s work. They’re responsible for Waverley Cemetery so they should be your first port of call.
Interesting and significant that Helen Tuton failed to mention the Friends of Melbourne General Cemetery and the Greening Melbourne General Cemetery group from Princes Hill CommCentre. These groups have been working with SMCT for some years to improve the cemetery by ceasing the massive herbicide use .The grasslands ideas come from sesources,including the University of Melbourne and the Friends groups. Unfortunately,SMCT has recently stopped the community gardeners helping in the cemetery. SMCT has proceeded with a major landscaping of a historic cemetery without a master plan or involvement of professionals in the area of landscape architecture or historical expertise. It is a massive improvement on the previous scorched earth policy, but shows total lack of respect for the historical cultural landscape.
Hi David. Thank you for your thoughts. Helen did touch on many topics that I wasn’t able to include in my article because of time restraints. She did speak of community involvement and the work of friends groups, and the community consultation that was conducted for the project. How do you think SMCT could benefit from the historical expertise? What would be different to what they’re working on now?
Half a million is quite a lot of money. I would love to know more about what had been/I’d the role of community groups and partners and how they ate contributing, and also how this will work after the end of the grant period.
Absolutely not, Samantha. The reason is make Melbourne Cemetery a lively and biodiverse public space. Once you have purchased a grave, your right of interment is granted in perpetuity. This means forever.
No, Jean – all public cemeteries in Victoria have burials in perpetuity. A right of interment for a cremains/ashes can be purchased for 25 years or in perpetuity. If you choose the 25 year memorial for the ashes, you will have the option to renew at the end of that period, or to have the ashes scattered in the cemetery grounds.
If we want real, eco-friendly death care, the solution isn’t making grieving families feel guilty about their choices. It comes down to real government regulation, industry-wide standards, and independent research.
Coffins grown from mushrooms are being imported into Australia, offering more consumer choice. From a biotech company in the Netherlands, 20,000 have been used by families around the world.
11 Responses
I would love to try and instigate a similar idea to this for Waverley Cemetery in Sydney, but I have absolutely no idea how or where to start. I saw the story tonight on Gardening Australia on ABC TV. Waverley Cemetery is so neglected it desperately needs something like this. Is it possible to get in touch with Helen Tuton? I’d love to have a chat with her about the logistics of implementing something like this. If it’s possible to pass on my email address to her I’d really appreciate it. Many thanks!
Hi David. Perhaps drop Helen a note via Linked In. Or contact the Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust.
Importantly though, contact Waverley Council and speak with their cemetery team. I would be surprised if they weren’t aware of Helen’s work. They’re responsible for Waverley Cemetery so they should be your first port of call.
All the best with it! Lisa
Interesting and significant that Helen Tuton failed to mention the Friends of Melbourne General Cemetery and the Greening Melbourne General Cemetery group from Princes Hill CommCentre.
These groups have been working with SMCT for some years to improve the cemetery by ceasing the massive herbicide use .The grasslands ideas come from sesources,including the University of Melbourne and the Friends groups.
Unfortunately,SMCT has recently stopped the community gardeners helping in the cemetery.
SMCT has proceeded with a major landscaping of a historic cemetery without a master plan or involvement of professionals in the area of landscape architecture or historical expertise.
It is a massive improvement on the previous scorched earth policy, but shows total lack of respect for the historical cultural landscape.
Hi David. Thank you for your thoughts. Helen did touch on many topics that I wasn’t able to include in my article because of time restraints. She did speak of community involvement and the work of friends groups, and the community consultation that was conducted for the project. How do you think SMCT could benefit from the historical expertise? What would be different to what they’re working on now?
Half a million is quite a lot of money. I would love to know more about what had been/I’d the role of community groups and partners and how they ate contributing, and also how this will work after the end of the grant period.
What a fabulous project. Such a good idea to make the cemetery more inviting to visit.
It really is clever, isn’t it!
So, the actual reason for all this is to resign the unused grave for resale?
Absolutely not, Samantha. The reason is make Melbourne Cemetery a lively and biodiverse public space. Once you have purchased a grave, your right of interment is granted in perpetuity. This means forever.
I thoutthat also, but sadly it’s not. You need to pay for the Right of Burial. Lasts 25 years.
No, Jean – all public cemeteries in Victoria have burials in perpetuity. A right of interment for a cremains/ashes can be purchased for 25 years or in perpetuity.
If you choose the 25 year memorial for the ashes, you will have the option to renew at the end of that period, or to have the ashes scattered in the cemetery grounds.