General Information

Mona Vale Cemetery is located at 107 Mona Vale Road, Mona Vale (UBD Map Reference 138 A3), the nearest cross street being Samuel Street, Mona Vale. Sydney Buses and Forest Coach Lines provide bus transport that service the area adjacent to the cemetery.

Mona Vale Cemetery is a monumental cemetery with close to 5,600 graves, 275 wall niches and 1100 garden niches, which cater for the interment of cremation ashes. The cemetery caters for a number of religious denominations as well as a non-sectarian area for those with no religious affiliation.

The cemetery is open 365 days per year during daylight hours, with a Caretaker on site Monday to Thursday and every alternate Friday from 8am to 3.30pm. The usual hours of interment are between 9.am to 3.00pm Monday to Friday. Burial at other times may be permitted by arrangement with the Cemetery Supervisor.

Enquiries

There are a number of graves and niches still available for pre-purchase or immediate burials. Council maintains a register of burials if you are searching for a family member or wish to confirm ownership of burial rights.Please contact the Cemetery Supervisor at Council on 9970 1341.

History

The land was dedicated as a general cemetery in 1905 and was initially the responsibility of the Lands Department.

The earliest marked grave is dated 1914. The cemetery was administered by trustees representing various churches of that time. However, by 1926 it was neglected and local people were urging Warringah Shire Council to take over its management. After the trustees had been consulted, Council took over management from 31 May 1929. The cemetery was surveyed and sectors were allocated for each denomination.

The original gate-posts at the former entrance of Mona Vale Cemetery were built by local Stonemason, Church Point storekeeper and boat builder, James Booth (c1863-1941). Mr Booth was associated with a number of other important local structures in the area, including Dungarvon and St. John's Church of England (1906-1907), both in Mona Vale.

When Pittwater ceded from Warringah Shire Council on May 1st 1992, Pittwater Council in turn assumed the trusteeship of the cemetery.

For more information contact Local Studies at Mona Vale Library on (02) 9997 1600.

Right of Burial

Time and time again, we hear the commonly used statements "I have bought a grave" or "we own a grave at" - but this is not exactly true.

What purchasers do buy is a right of burial. That is, an "EXCLUSIVE" right to have themselves or any other person they nominate buried in that portion of land (grave) over which they are the registered owner of the "exclusive right of burial".

Furthermore, the owner of the exclusive right of burial is the only person who can authorise the placement of a memorial or any type on that grave.

Should the person being interred be the holder of the exclusive right of burial, then the right of burial becomes part of his or her estate, to be administered by his or her Executor. If there is no executor, then the next of kin takes charge.

The exclusive right of burial is a valuable item of one's estate and as such can be transferred or bequeathed to another person. However, this is not legally complete until such time as the register of the cemetery concerned has been amended to indicate that fact.

Many problems have arisen over the years and continue to do so because these facts are not known by the majority of rights of burial holders.

Both the Cemeterians and Funeral directors should make their clients fully aware of their responsibilities when signing documents relating to the purchase of a right of burial (grave site) and that although a third person may pay the account, the person whose signature is on the relevant applications becomes the owner and the only person by law who can give directions as to what happens to the right of burial (grave site).

Reprinted courtesy of David Blake