The City of Mount Gambier is the legal owner of the lands, buildings and facilities at Carinya Gardens Cemetery and part of Sections H and J at Lake Terrace Cemetery, however the Mount Gambier Cemetery Trust undertakes the care, control and management of same.

The Trust usually meets quarterly and is made up of the following representatives:

• two Members of the City of Mount Gambier;
• one Member of the District Council of Grant;
• one representative of the Churches of Mount Gambier and
  nominated by the Mount Gambier Ministers Association;
• one community representative.

The land for the Cemetery and Crematorium now known as Carinya Gardens Cemetery (which means 'a happy peaceful home') was purchased in the late 1950's and comprises approximately eleven (11) hectares.

• The gardens were dedicated as a cemetery on 8th January 1967.
• The first burial took place on 28th December 1966 (Mary Victoria Smith - Cypress Garden, Allotment A13).
• The first burial took place at Carinya Gardens Cemetery in the Cypress Garden in December 1966.
• All burial allotments at Carinya Gardens Cemetery are leased out for a period of seventy five (75) years. State Government regulations allow for a maximum lease period of 99 years.
• Since the first burial at Carinya Gardens Cemetery in December 1966, there have been 5330 burials (to 30th June 2005).
• Approximately 120 burials take place at Carinya Gardens Cemetery per year.

• Development of a crematorium at Carinya Gardens Cemetery was commenced in 1985 at a cost of $395,000.
• Mayor Don McDonnell officially opened the crematorium on 5th April 1997, and since that time 2699 cremations have taken place (to 30th June 2005).
• Approximately 220 cremations take place at Carinya Gardens Crematorium per year.

• The Trust has developed areas for the interment of cremated remains. Memorial areas include waterfall areas, rose gardens and other gardens, block niche wall and rustic (granite) niche wall.
• A new rotunda memorial has recently been constructed to accommodate further cremated remains. Landscaping of the area is however yet to be completed.
• A licence for the lease of an allotment in a memorial area is granted for a period of twenty five (25) years.

• Chapman Herbert Architects were engaged to prepare plans for the redevelopment of the reception centre and offices to accommodate the secretariat, and also undertook the project management of the redevelopment.
• Andrae Builders were contracted to undertake the physical works at a cost of approximately $220,000.
• Building works were completed on 16th September 2005 and the building was staffed from early December 2005.

• Some time ago, Council made available to the Trust, a portion of Section H and Section J at the southern section of the Lake Terrace Cemetery for use for burials.
• A concrete burial vault section was first established at the portion of Section H and then a ground burial section was made available for use at Section J, being at the most western end of this area.
• Burial allotments (Section J) were made available for use from 1st July 1999 and seven (7) burials have since taken place, together with nineteen (19) advance leases being pre-sold. The first burial to take place in this section occurred on 4th May 2 001.
• Forty Eight (48) concrete burial vaults have been constructed at the H Section of Lake Terrace Cemetery. The first burial in Section H (vault allotments) was undertaken on 6th May 1997 and twenty (20) vault burials have since taken place, together with twenty three (23) advance leases for pre-need vaults being sold.

The office hours at Carinya Gardens Cemetery are from 9.30 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. Monday to Friday (except public holidays).

Trust Secretaries Cheryl McCombe and Lisa Hinton can be contacted on

Telephone (08)8725 3099
Facsimile (08) 8725 9042
Email carinyagardens@mountgambier.sa.gov.au