Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust

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Springvale, VIC
Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust

The Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (SMCT) is a community based, not-for-profit organisation c

Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust ( SMCT) is a public entity reporting to the Minister for Health, purposed with providing cemetery, cremation and related support services to the community on the government’s behalf.

01/11/2025

This All Souls Day, we warmly welcome our community to visit our beautiful grounds and mausolea to honour and reflect on the memories of your loved ones.

We extend our heartfelt wishes to all who are acknowledging the loss of a loved one during this cherished time of prayer and remembrance.

Our tranquil reflection spaces are open for you to gather and commemorate. While SMCT will not be hosting specific services on the day, many local churches and community groups may be. We recommend contacting your local parish for details on mass times.

We are here to support you during your visit.

29/10/2025

Children's Remembrance Service
The festive season can be a particularly tender time for families navigating grief.
We warmly invite you to our annual Children’s Remembrance Service, a gentle and supportive space to come together to honour and celebrate the children we love and remember.

This special service is open to all families who have experienced the loss of a child of any age, and for all members of our community who wish to offer their care and support.

Together, we will recall the star ‘Eternal Light’ star, a symbol of enduring love and remembrance.

Event Details:
Date: Sunday 7 December
Location: Stratus Reflection Space, Bunurong Memorial Park
Time:
4pm: Guests are welcome to arrive
5pm – 5:45pm: Remembrance Service
Until 7pm: Please join us for light refreshments and conversation

This service is held in partnership with community organisations like The Compassionate Friends Victoria Inc.

We are dedicated to the needs of our clients and our people, and our Community Care and Wellbeing (CCW) program is available for ongoing support.

For more details, please visit our website: https://www.smct.org.au/events/childrens-remembrance-service

28/10/2025

Honoured to celebrate 170 years of history at Brighton General Cemetery.

We recently marked this incredible milestone with a special event hosted by the dedicated Brighton Cemetorians. It was a wonderful journey into the past, complete with historical tours, a horse-drawn hearse, and volunteers in period attire.

It’s a testament to the passionate community and our team, who show up every day to care for this important part of Melbourne’s heritage. We are so proud to be its custodians.

27/10/2025

A note to our community regarding recent weather:

Following the recent heavy rainfall, our teams are closely monitoring the impact on our grounds. We understand that this weather can sometimes cause grave subsidence (sinking), particularly for recent interments.

We want to reassure you that we are managing this with care. If you visit and find your loved one’s grave has been affected, please contact our support team by phone or email. You can find our contact details at https://www.smct.org.au/contact

Our operations team will then ensure the area is respectfully topped up and cared for as a priority. We thank you for your understanding.

23/10/2025

🦜Support bird conservation and take part in the Great Aussie Bird Count this week with SMCT and BirdLife Australia!
🐦‍⬛ From Tawny Frogmouths to Fairy Wrens, we’re calling on community members to help count birds of all sizes and species across our sites.

✅ Download the app from www.aussiebirdcount.org.au to register, and spend 20 minutes at one of our beautiful sites to track the birds you see during that time.

✅ Submit your results using the app or the web form. There’s a built-in ‘bird finder’ tool to help you identify birds you don’t recognise.

✅ Tips and other tools are available on the Aussie Bird Count website, and you can count as many times as you want. Each count helps us all understand the biodiversity and living ecosystems in our local areas. 💚

The following photos are from across our cemeteries and memorial parks, including the bird of the year the Tawny Frogmouth. What have you spotted on our sites? 🦜🦆

22/10/2025

Visitor Weather Update
High winds are predicted across our sites today. Your safety is our priority. If you are planning to visit us, we kindly ask you to please take extra care when walking through the grounds, and be mindful of your surroundings, particularly near trees.
We are dedicated to maintaining our cemeteries as safe and welcoming places for our community.

21/10/2025

Public Holiday Notice: Melbourne Cup

A friendly notice of our adjusted hours for the upcoming public holiday.

Monday 3 November: The Customer Service Centre at Melbourne General Cemetery will be closed to the public. All other SMCT Customer Service Centres will be open as usual.

Tuesday 4 November: In observance of the Melbourne Cup public holiday, all SMCT Customer Service Centres will be closed.

The grounds at all our locations will remain open for visitation from 8am - 8pm across the long weekend. Our Customer Service Centres will reopen on Wednesday 5 November at 9am. Thank you for your understanding.

20/10/2025

We are filled with gratitude after hosting our 'Grieving Together' retreat at Bunurong Memorial Park . To everyone who attended, thank you for your courage and for taking the time to hold space for yourself and for others. We hope you left feeling reassured that in your grief, you are not alone.
A day of such compassion is only possible with the support of an incredible community. Our deepest thanks to our partners who shared their expertise and heart with us all:
To Jillian West, Bianca Otto, Shelley Andreetta (Griefline), Sue Cameron, and Dr Hellen Kemp (Grief Australia) for their insightful workshops.
To Leah Munnery and Angela from The Unconditional Love Foundation for introducing us to the gentle comfort of therapy dogs Pippin, Scout, Scottie, and Morgan.
To the wonderful volunteers from Grief Australia, Palliative Care South East Ltd , and Miscarriage Information Support Service Inc. who offered a warm, listening ear to all who needed it.
It was an honour to provide a space for care, connection, and remembrance.

15/10/2025

Today, on Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, we join our community in honouring the precious lives of babies gone too soon. Today is a chance to pause, reflect and acknowledge the quiet grief carried by so many parents, families and friends.

At Bunurong Memorial Park, we offer a place of quiet remembrance at our Butterfly Garden - a dedicated memorial for those affected by early pregnancy loss. It's a gentle space to reflect and remember in your own way.

This evening, many people will take part in the global , lighting a candle at 7pm to remember lives lost too soon. Whether you choose to join or simply take a quiet moment of reflection, we're thinking of you.

14/10/2025

A Guide to Our Grounds: Our parks are a sanctuary for local wildlife. While they bring life and beauty to our grounds, we kindly ask visitors not to feed the animals to ensure their wellbeing. Our teams are always on hand to manage any issues with care.

08/10/2025

Our Commitment to Care: Whether you visit the historic grounds of Melbourne General Cemetery or the contemporary sanctuary of Bunurong Memorial Park, each of our locations is cared for by the Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (SMCT), an organisation dedicated to serving our diverse community.

19/09/2025

🌱 🌱🌱 Community members recently braved the chilly conditions to help us add the 500,000th indigenous plant as part of Project Cultivate!

The glorious wildflowers, grasses, and groundcovers — as well as beautiful golden wattles — that have been added to Melbourne General Cemetery have transformed previously unplanted areas into thriving biodiversity spaces, attracting native bees, birds, and beneficial insects back to our site.

Thank you to all those who endured the late August weather to achieve this magnificent milestone. Many muddy hands make light work, and your passionate support drives us forward.

We thank the City of Melbourne for their partnership through the Urban Forest Fund for this phase of the program, and the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people of the Kulin Nation for sharing their knowledge, advice, and ongoing enthusiasm as we explore the next stages of this wonderful project. 💚

Address

600 Princes Highway
Springvale, VIC
3171

Telephone

+61385588278

Website

http://www.smct.org.au/

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Our Story

The Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (SMCT) is a community based, not-for-profit organisation, committed to serving the needs of our communities. Over and above the funeral services we provide, we are committed to guiding families through the most important, long term decisions they will need to make when someone dies.

Our Vision

Our beautiful, iconic locations empower all communities to honour and celebrate life.

We support the living throughout their grief journey, through our innovative approach of personalised care and compassion.