Woden Cemetery

On a recent trip to Canberra, we visited Woden Cemetery. See this map for the exact location. It is a rather beautifully set out cemetery, fan like in its layout.

History

"Opened in 1936 and closed in 1979. The Cemetery was re-opened in March 1999. This formally planned cemetery features many stately mature trees and offers lawn and monumental burial sites in different religious and general areas." Source

and this....

"Woden Cemetery was Canberra's first public cemetery, opening in January 1936 as a denominational cemetery. The plan included the provision of areas for special buildings at a later date and the cemetery was designed to both reflect our heritage and allow for future enhancement of the landscaped gardens. It is a formally planned, open park style cemetery with many stately mature trees and lawn and monumental burial sites in different religious and general areas.

Woden Cemetery was closed in August 1979 except for burials for which reservations are held. The cemetery was re-opened in March 1999. In 1992 Memorial Gardens for interment of ashes and an ex-Service section were added. An enclosed mausoleum, called Christ the Redeemer Mausoleum, for burial in 304 above ground vaults was completed in 2001.

A Garden of Remembrance opened in 2005, for official commemoration of war veterans where it cannot be provided at the gravesite or crematorium. In a uniquely Australian concept, eligible war veterans are permanently commemorated using individual bronze plaques mounted on walls in a landscaped garden. Previously, most of the veterans from the ACT and surrounding districts were commemorated at the NSW Garden of Remembrance in Rookwood, Sydney, but the majority of those plaques have now been transferred to Canberra. The Garden also features a visitor pavilion, seating and symbolic artwork.

While the majority of burials are of Canberrans, ashes and memorial plaques represent people from as far south as Eden and as far north as Goulburn.,Woden Cemetery forms part of the Woden Town Park." Source

I have included a selection of photographs but more will be available when we can get around to uploading this and two other collections - Liverpool General Cemetery and St Peters Anglican Church cemetery. When these are online I will include a short piece on each.