Cemeteries

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, and
• 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 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).
• All burial allotments at Carinya Gardens Cemetery have an Interment Right of 75 years.
• Since the first burial in December 1966, there have been 6,791 burials (to 30th June 2017).
• Approximately 130 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.

• The Mayor at the time, Mayor Don McDonnell, officially opened the crematorium on 5th April, 1997, and since that time 5,799 cremations have taken place (to 30th June 2017).
• Approximately 300 cremations take place at Carinya Gardens Crematorium per year.

• Memorial areas include rotunda, waterfall areas, rose gardens, block niche wall and rustic (granite) wall.
• An Interment Right for an allotment in a memorial area is granted for a period of 25 years.

• New burial allotments (Section J) were made available for use from 1st July 1999. The first burial to take place in this section occurred on 4th May 2001.
• 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.

The office hours at Carinya Gardens Cemetery are from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm Monday to Friday (except public holidays).