Thanatourism: Northern Suburbs Crematorium

    Northern Suburbs Crematorium (NSC) is a small but beautiful crematorium in the Northern Suburbs of Sydney.  It is an historial place with great atmosphere and well maintained gardens.

    For more information about NSC you can read my inside look here.

    You can view all of the photos shown here and more at this Postimage gallery.  Or at this facebook gallery.  All photos were taken by me, and as such I encourage others to use them where and how they like.

Location:
   Northern Suburbs Crematorium (NSC) is located on Delhi Rd, North Ryde.  It is sometimes confused with Macquarie Park Cemetery & Crematorium as the two are so close.  This is not too much of an issue as they are only 5 minutes drive appart.

Things to remember:
   This is a fairly small place, with lots of parking and few roads.  So while I recommend driving to NSC it is best to explore the place on foot.

    Walking about NSC is a very sensory experience, possibly more so than the other places on this list.  When the wind blows there is a faint smell of roses or other flowers.  There is the background sound of trees swaying in the wind and water moving about.  The ground and walls have different textures and feels when touching them.  Looking at NSC is only a tiny portion of the experience.  No matter where you are or how you go about this place, keep aware of your senses other than just sight.  Do more than just look, listen, smell and even touch (where appropriate).  The reason I am ending this series with NSC is specifically due to how sensory it is, and how it has obviously been planned to be like this.  So appreciate the hard work and creativity of those who designed and continue to maintain NSC.

Tour:
    As with the MCP exploration I am not going to do a specific or 'guided' tour of NSC.  It is a place best explored randomly, which will create a nice sense of discovery and exploration.  Also, as I said above, this is a place best explored on foot rather than in a car.

    It is best to start at the new reception center as there is parking, it's easy to find and there are often staff here if you need help.

    There is also a cafe here, with toilets, food and water.  However, it is only open weekdays as far as I can tell.

Courtesy cars are available if needed.

    Next head up into the gardens.  From here you can either go in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction around the grounds.

The reception center in the distance, viewed from the gardens.

Water features are a big part of the NSC grounds.

There use to be a sign near this grave saying that decorations would be removed
by staff.  Yet the decorations remain and now the sign is gone.
It shows how InvoCare can be adaptable and understanding with mourners.

When the wind blows a certain way there is a nice scent of roses.

    Through randomly exploring NSC I happened upon a little area hidden to the side by trees.  It looks as though this is a little lunch area for the grounds staff.  This was actually a really nice area, with the light filtered through the leaves and the soft swaying of the trees.  On a hot day one could envy the staff relaxing here.

The little lunch area behind some trees. 

The plaque had fallen off and was nearby.
This is what the urn looks like inside the wall.

The crematorium itself.

Water features are a big part of NSC, there are so many.

The North Chapel entrance.

The West Chapel entrance.

The South Chapel entrance.

The stolen statue; a large statue was stolen from here one night a few
years ago.

The service entrance, you can just see the what appears to be an InvoCare
van in the driveway.

An unusual wall niche.

    Most of the water features at NSC are still, especially in the gardens and away from the crematorium.  They help form a certain still atmosphere in the grounds and can add a splash of colour.

Another nice water feature. 

    For more information about NSC you can read my inside look here.

    You can view all of the photos shown here and more at this Postimage gallery.  Or at this facebook gallery.  All photos were taken by me, and as such I encourage others to use them where and how they like.

An~~