Who owns it? Who mows it?

PRIME REAL ESTATE IN THE DEAD CENTRE OF TOWN – WHO OWNS IT? OLD SECTION: EXAMPLE OF OLD SECTIONWHO MOWS IT? 

“They should fix it up!”
“They should clean it up!”
“It would be really good if they restored it to how it used to be”
"They should mow the grass"
"They should repair all the broken headstones" 

Visitors to Rookwood Necropolis often have very firm ideas about what is, and is not, acceptable and how the cemetery should be run. “They” are blamed for all kinds of shortcomings.  But who actually are “They”? Are “They” the council?  Are “They” the church?  The government, perhaps? In fact “They” are none of these specifically.  Rookwood Necropolis is one of the largest cemeteries in the world and many would argue that it has an administrative structure to match!

To begin with, Rookwood Necropolis is Crown Land which means that it is owned by the State government.  The responsibility of managing all the land and all structures thereon, is vested in the nine separate administrations below.  Each cemetery Trust is managed by a Board of Trustees who is nominated by the Minister of Lands. The Trustees manage the affairs of the cemetery on behalf of the Minister in charge of the Crown Lands Act. Today over 100 staff are employed by the various administrations at Rookwood Necropolis (this includes office and grounds staff). The Trustees work in an honorary capacity but each administration has an office at Rookwood and employs its own managers, office staff and grounds staff.  Each Trust owns and operates its own equipment and manages its individual sections quite distinct from the other cemeteries adjoining them. 

Currently land allocations in Rookwood cemetery are roughly as follows: 
Anglican Cemetery Trust                        71 hectares
Catholic Cemetery Trust                         85 hectares
General Cemetery Trust                         11 hectares
Independent Cemetery Trust                   57 hectares
Jewish Cemetery Trust                           15 hectares
Muslim Cemetery Trust                            2 hectares
Crematorium                                            9 hectares
Joint Committee                                     35 hectares
Australian War Graves                             3 hectares 

Although there are only six denominational Trusts there are more than 55 separate sections for different religious and national groups at Rookwood.  Most of these are catered for by the General and Independent Cemetery Trusts.  

In 1925 the Government amended the Necropolis Act by creating a Joint Committee consisting of one representative from each body of Trustees.  This Joint Committee was to estimate each year the amount that would be required for the construction and maintenance of roads, fences, paths, drains and other necessary “common property” within the Necropolis.  It was given the power to levy an amount from each Trust to carry out this work. 

The Joint Committee still operates on this basis.  It levies the Cemetery Trusts at a ‘rate per funeral’ based on the previous year’s income. The fee, payable every 3 months, is used to maintain the infrastructure of the Necropolis and to provide service such as general security between the Trusts and outside organisations.  Along with the six cemetery Trustees, representatives from the following organisations also sit on the Joint Committee:

  • Department of Lands
  • National Trust of NSW
  • Heritage Council of NSW
  • NSW Cremation Company 

Although Rookwood is one of the largest public open spaces in Sydney (Rookwood is larger than the Botanic Gardens and Centennial Park which both receive funding through the Premier’s department) Rookwood does not receive any direct financial assistance from the government. 

Money for the restoration of heritage items must be applied for on a piece-by-piece basis through government and private grant schemes.

The 2.8 hectare War Graves sections at Rookwood are an exception.  These cemeteries are managed by the federal government through the Office of Australian War Graves, which is not required to contribute to the Joint Committee revenue and is not represented on the Joint Committee.  

In 1926 a major change for the Necropolis was the introduction of facilities for cremation.  Amendments to the Act set aside 4 acres for a crematorium (Rookwood Memorial Gardens and Crematorium), which is leased from the Crown. 

Rent is paid in an annual lump sum to the Joint Committee.   These days about 50% of all funerals at Rookwood are cremations.  This means that the crematorium is a large contributor of funds to the Joint Committee.

Likewise the Catholic Cemetery Trust which has conducted the largest number of burials every year for more than 40 years and holds the largest area of land at Rookwood, is also a major user of the cemetery.