Cemetery and burial locations | Hamilton City Council

Chapels

There are two non-denominational chapels at Hamilton Park Cemetery.

The Park Chapel seats 240 people and has a small family room with a monitor to view the service that provides a space for children or those who require a little more privacy. The Greenwood Chapel seats 45 people and looks out over vegetation. It also has a viewing area for loved ones who want to view the cremation.

Both chapels have audio and video technology, but only cemetery staff can operate the system in the Park Chapel. Bluetooth is available in the Greenwood Chapel only. Both chapels have outdoor speakers and large glass doors and windows to allow services to be attended from outside the chapel if required.

We recommend any photo slideshows or other visual presentations are tested on our system at least one day prior to the service.

Park Chapel

Greenwood Chapel

Burial options

Hamilton Park Cemetery offers both casket and natural burials. There are burial areas available for some religious faiths and burial lawns for children and stillborn babies.

Most of the adult burial plots have the capacity of two casket burials and up to four lots of ashes. The Forest Grove plots are the exception as only one body is interred, and no ashes are permitted.

Contact the cemetery for more information about the guidelines for headstones and plaques in various areas. Please note the Cemetery will not accept caskets if they are leaking body fluids.

Olive, Oak and Chestnut lawns

Olive Lawn

A more formal, consistent view is attained by the desktop memorials. Only one memorial can be allocated to each plot, but there are two design options.

We recommend the design includes flower vases recessed within memorial dimensions.

Oak Lawn

This lawn provides the most flexibility for headstone types with the majority being upright perspective. Only one memorial can be allocated to each plot. There is an option for a wide memorial that can be placed between two neighbouring plots if owned by the same person.

We recommend recesses for flower vases to be included within memorial dimensions.

Chestnut Lawn

On this lawn, a simpler look is achieved with plaques placed on sloping concrete beams, which has a recess on the left for flower tributes. Memorials cannot go across the middle of two plots – either one full-size plaque or two half-size plaques.

Forest Grove Natual Burial

This ecologically friendly area has specific requirements relating to natural burials. Cremated remains are not permitted in this area. Due to the area being planted with native flora, there is no provision to reserve plots in advance. We allocate on a next available only basis.

Only certified organic sanitisers are permitted. Chemical embalming of the deceased is prohibited. Please advise the cemetery manager if the deceased has died of a communicable disease.

Caskets, liners, fittings and contents must be biodegradable. The caskets must be made with untreated materials and be biodegradable.

Shrouds must be made of natural fibre such as wool, silk or calico. We recommend shrouds be fastened to a biodegradable board to ease lowering the body into the grave.

No permanent memorials are permitted. A temporary biodegradable marker will be supplied by us and installed as soon as possible after the burial and stays until it decomposes.

Tributes must be limited to natural cut flowers only. No containers of any kind are to be placed on or near graves.

Totara Lawn

This area is for our military people and their spouse with eligibility determined by Veteran’s Affairs. One standard plaque is placed on the burial plot.

Forest Grove Natural Burial

Ash interment options

Ash interment is an option available for families who have chosen cremation.

At Hamilton Park Cemetery, we have several options for ash interment, including a lawn area, granite niche walls, gardens, and an area for the spreading of ashes. For ash spreads, the ashes are removed from the urn and then buried in the ground in a small trench.

There are also memorial-only options should your loved one's ashes be laid to rest at a different location.

We recommend you visit us during our office hours so we can show you the areas and discuss your requirements.

Ash interment is an option available for families who have chosen cremation.

At Hamilton Park Cemetery, we have several options for ash interment, including a lawn area, granite niche walls, gardens, and an area for the spreading of ashes. For ash spreads, the ashes are removed from the urn and then buried in the ground in a small trench.

There are also memorial-only options should your loved one's ashes be laid to rest at a different location.

We recommend you visit us during our office hours so we can show you the areas and discuss your requirements.

Memorials

Each garden has its own predesignated type and size of memorial plaque. Therefore, your preference for bronze, granite or porcelain plaques will determine which garden your loved one is to be placed.

For granite wall plaques, a permanent flower holder is recommended and is to be mounted on the front of the bronze plaque. Please speak with your monumental mason about this.

If you want an upright headstone, the Web of Memories accommodates this option. If you want something bigger than what this area provides, you will need to look at reserving a burial plot.

Each garden has its own predesignated type and size of memorial plaque. Therefore, your preference for bronze, granite or porcelain plaques will determine which garden your loved one is to be placed.

For granite wall plaques, a permanent flower holder is recommended and is to be mounted on the front of the bronze plaque. Please speak with your monumental mason about this.

If you want an upright headstone, the Web of Memories accommodates this option. If you want something bigger than what this area provides, you will need to look at reserving a burial plot.

Ash gardens and walls

Ash Gardens

Our ash garden areas are individual gardens that are designed to provide for two people’s ashes interred behind the kerbing on which a plaque is placed.

Ash Walls

Granite walls are designed contain one cylindrical urn supplied by the cemetery. Once the ashes have been placed in the niche, a single bronze plaque is permanently secured to the wall.

Web of Memories

This area provides for a small upright headstone as an alternative to the garden plaques.

These plots have capacity for four lots of ashes placed in the lawn in front of the upright memorial.

Other areas

In addition to the regular ash gardens, we have:

RSA Gardens: this is a choice if your loved one or their spouse/partner was a military person. Eligibility for this area is determined by Veterans’ Affairs as one of their standard plaques is placed on the kerbing surrounding the gardens.

Casket Burial lawns: these provide the option to bury an additional four sets of ashes, if plot capacity allows.

Selected trees: in our gardens you have the option to place ashes under selected trees. However, memorial plaques cannot be accommodated under these trees.

Memorial only options

Some gardens allow for a plaque only plot. These provide a memorialisation option for those whose loved one has been laid to rest elsewhere.

Our Book of Remembrance, inscribed by a local professional calligrapher, is displayed in a window at our office.

Please discuss these options with us as we want you to be happy with your final choice of memorialisation for your loved one.