Rookwood Open Day

    Rookwood will be having it's open day again this year on the Sunday 14th of September.  The open day will run from 10am to 3pm and include a variety of events like historical talks, parades, crematorium tours, and more.  There will also be multiple stalls and exhibitions from funeral homes and historical groups. So there's certainly plenty to do!


When: 14th September, 10am to 3pm.
Where: Rookwood Cemetery, maps to each gate below.

Map to Rookwood East Gate.

Map to Rookwood West Gate.


For more information:

My post about exploring Rookwood, including how to get there, notable places, and maps.

Rookwood Map.

Rookwood 2014 Open Day Flyer (PDF).

Rookwood 2012 Open Day.

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Hidden at Rookwood (2013)

   I went to Hidden at Rookwood Cemetery this year but haven't had time to put together a post about it, and won't be able to for a while at least. So in the mean time I've uploaded some photos to my Facebook page. So head over to my Facebook page for the photos and other fun stuff!

    Hidden really is an amazing art exhibition, so check it out if you can! The closing ceremony will be on the 31st of October, check my Facebook page and the Hidden website for the details.

The Other Side Of Funerals Facebook.

Hidden photo album.

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Event - Hidden Sculpture Walk at Rookwood

    Every year Rookwood Cemetery is host to a sculpture walk called 'Hidden'. Sculptures are scattered throughout the Anglican section of the cemetery, using their surroundings as part of the sculpture itself in many cases.

Where: All Saints Chapel, on Hawthorne Ave, Rookwood Cemetery. Near the Anglican office.
When: 11:00am Saturday, on the 21st of September.

    The event is completely free and good fun, the path to follow is no always perfectly clear and sculptures can be hard to find (hidden in a sense). Which creates a fun feeling of exploration and adventure, and because of this every time you go you'll have a very different experience.

    Below I have photos from Hidden last year.

Mortuary Station Graffiti

    I was on the train a while ago and noticed some graffiti on the poster memorialising Australia's first female architect, Florence Mary Taylor.

    Mortuary station itself is covered in graffiti, so it's interesting that this poster/memorial lasted so long without any graffiti considering the area.

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Picnic Reminder & Update

Rookwood Picnic:
    Just a quick reminder, there is a picnic at Rookwood this Sunday 18th. We will be meeting at 12 for a relaxed and friendly little gathering. Anyone interested is welcome. For more information (including how to get there and what to bring) follow the link below:

http://theothersideoffunerals.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/event-rookwood-picnic.html

Thesis Update:
    Right now is a very busy time in terms of the thesis work, so blog content will slow down and be sporadic for a while. But don't worry, it will be over soon as the thesis deadline is in November. I'm not sure if that is a good thing yet, but at least it will be finished soon and not drag on.

   The thesis research is going along well, right now I'm collecting data (such as interviews) and writing several chapters. There is a LOT more work to be done, another 15,000 words or more, but it is coming along nicely. By the end of this month I should have my methodology chapter essentially finished and considerable amounts of both the background and methods chapters completed.

    A few funeral homes have been very supportive and so importantly helpful in gathering data. The individual funeral staff interviews and the field observation of companies have been informative. Also, the Funeral Celebrants Association has been REALLY helpful and wonderful. Many members have been so happy to participate in interviews.

    This study is only possible due to the great support of various people and organisations. So thank you to all those who have participated in any capacity!

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Event: Rookwood Picnic!

Elephant House

    It's about time for another Rookwood picnic, this is a casual gathering of people who share an interest in the funeral industry. If is open to anyone, although these events are usually quite small (and friendly).

    This will be a small and relaxed picnic, we might even go for a walk through Serpentine Canal or explore some old areas of Rookwood.

Rookwood Rail Line

    I accidentally found this interesting post on the blog Past/Lives about the history of the rail line at Rookwood.  It's actually one of the better sources of information on this that I have come across so far.

    So check it out via the link below, it has a lot of good photos and information not found elsewhere:

http://pastlivesofthenearfuture.com/2012/07/08/rookwood-necropolis-railway-lidcombe-nsw/

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Mortuary Station

    Here's some photos of Mortuary Station in the CBD from the rail lines. Currently Mortuary Station is  closed to the public, as it is on an active rail line and under renovation. But if you catch the right train you can get some pretty close photos of it, some other lines get even closer than this.

Rookwood Cemetery Station - All Saints Church Canberra

    A while ago I visited the All Saints Church in Canberra which was originally Cemetery Station No.1 at Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney.  And finally, I have found time to put together a post about the trip!  This is mostly a picture post, I know it's been a while.

Rookwood by Night

    Rookwood Cemetery is open until 9pm through Summer every year (until 31st of March).  I have found Rookwood to be extra beautiful and atmospheric after dark, so why not take full advantage of the extended hours.

    I will be doing a little exploration of Rookwood with a couple of undertaker friends next Tuesday (19th March).  Anyone interested is welcome along, we're a small but fun group!

When: 19th March (Tuesday) - 7:30pm to 8:45pm.
Where: Reflections Cafe (by the East Gate).  Google map of the location.

    This is rather short notice, but maybe some others might find time to join us.  You can register interest via the blog facebook.  Or email me (email provided below).  Or simply come along, if late simply email me as it will go through to my phone.

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The Hearse - Telling them apart

    Those outside the funeral industry (as in those who have never worked for a funeral company) cannot tell hearse's apart.  Even a few within the funeral industry can have trouble identifying different hearses.

    So here is a post on how to identify a hearse.  In this post I look closely at each of the main tell-tale features of various hearses.  From the style of the roof to the wing doors.  After reading this post anyone could easily identify a hearse!

The Rookwood Picnic

    The picnic was a huge success, exactly what I hoped for in ever way, it was a small but great gathering of fun people in a casual way.  In total only five people attended, but everyone was great fun and added something to the conversation and dynamics.  We had a nice variety of people from very different backgrounds.  There was even one person who had never worked in the industry but was keen on joining it.

    The weather forecasts had warned of afternoon rain, yet it was already raining by the time I got up.  Not a great weather for a picnic, but the place was under cover and the rain was only light, so I was not too worried.  In the end the rain turned out to be a mixed blessing.  As due to the building design the rain gently fell off the roof into the little pool, creating a very nice background trickling and sloshing sound.

    Having enough food is always important for functions, you want too much so people do not feel uncomfortable eating as they please.  In this instance we were spot on, there was more than enough food to share, and also a decent diversity of food.

    We all sat on a blanket in the middle of the building, it was not exactly the most comfortable but it was certainly acceptable and good fun.  Despite the rain we managed to create the picnic vibe while staying dry.  The discussion was also quite good, ranging in topics but focusing on the industry as everyone there had a real interest and passion for the industry.  We shared experiences of what it is like to work funerals, funny stories and company information.  Everyone had a good time, and we were there from 11:00 to just after 16:00, so five hours all up.

    Overall I count this as a huge success, the numbers were low and weather bad, yet we all managed to have a great time.  So I will be trying to organise more casual events in the future, from cemetery walks to specialty museum visits.




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    Below are some pictures of the where we had the picnic in good weather for anyone interested, as it really is a unique, interesting and nice place.  A very modern place which downplays religious imagery, it was built by a Catholic organisation and yet has no crucifix.  Perhaps an indication of where things are going.

Picnic in Rookwood

    I am organising a small and casual picnic in Rookwood for the last weekend of January.  It is a simple event open to anyone and everyone with a personal interest in the funeral industry.

    For the specific details read the post below!

Hit & Run in Rookwood

    Recently I found a car involved in a hit and run at Rookwood.  It was only a small accident, but it does go to show how Rookwood is an active place full of people.  Not a silent cemetery which some perceive it to be.

Thanatourism: Rookwood

    Rookwood is the largest cemetery in the Southern Hemisphere.  It has a rather interesting history and is a wonderful cross-section of Sydney population over time.  Originally it was intended and designed for leisure, as a place for people to enjoy.  Because it was quite a trip out of Sydney they deliberately designed it for people to spend the whole day there.  When one went to visit a grave they would also enjoy the place.

Hidden exhibition.

    Unfortunately this has vanished, as people distanced themselves from funerals after WWI.  So Rookwood was confined to state of avoidance.  People now only go here for a funeral or to visit a specific grave.  Almost nobody visits Rookwood just to explore.  A state which would make the original planners quite sad.

    In this post I explain how to visit Rookwood.  Some things to see, which ways to go and so on.  In the hopes of getting some to use it as intended.  It genuinely is an amazing place to have a picnic, equal to Waverley Cemetery or Hyde Park.

Rookwood open day

    The Rookwood open day was a blast.  There was so much to see and do, even though I was there almost 5 hours I only saw a few of the things on offer.  Everyone was nice and happy and the atmosphere was wonderful.

    Overall this was a great day, easily able to compete with any festival or open day in Sydney.  You can read my detailed explination of the day below.

Rookwood open day Photos

    The open day was amazingly great!  I had a lot of fun and learnt so much.  Everyone was friendly and up for a chat.  There was so much to see and do, I was there from 9:15am to 2:30pm and I didn't get to do everything.




    I'll write a popper post about the day later, when I have time.  But for now enjoy a selection of the 298 pictures I took.

An Inside Look: Rookwood

    At over 314 hectares Rookwood Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the Southern Hemisphere (and thus Australia).  It is also the largest active Victorian cemetery in the world.  More than a million people have been buried at Rookwood since it opened in the 1860s.  It is so large that it had to be divided up and run by different organisations.  Many of which are religious based.  So one should think of Rookwood as several different cemeteries all in one place.  

    Rookwood might be the most diverse cemetery in the world.  While other cemeteries are bigger Rookwood has a huge variety of religions and cultures.  A good representation of the Sydney population.

    I have had trouble writing this post.  Rookwood is such as large and complex place that I really didn't know where to start.  Instead I wrote a few little posts and then put them together.  Hopefully this will give a good overall representation of Rookwood.  But with the open day only a week away I had to get this post finished.


    This post is divided into four parts.  The first looks at getting to and around Rookwood.  The second is a brief discussion of the history.  The third is an explanation of the different groups operating in Rookwood.  Finally the forth part is just a few extra details and information.

No Coffee Today

    Follow this link for the post on the beginning of this funeral.  But to summarise it had not gone to plan so far, from the lady having dementia, which was exacerbated by the funeral of her husband to the point where she had trouble understanding and making decisions all the way to the mess with the coffin at the start of the funeral service.  Overall it had been a long day for everyone.

    I was driving the nice lady with dementia and her sister who was a sister, the funeral now over our destination was Rookwood.  The drive itself was nice enough, the three of us in the car were having fun looking at the strange way the hearse was going to avoid an accident on the highway.  By the time we were pulling up to the gates of Rookwood it had been a long drive and I was a little tired, thinking of how I still had to take them home later.

    Next to the gates is a nice cafe with big signs, you have to pass it to enter the cemetery.  As we drove past the old lady with dementia exclaimed "oh!  A coffee shop, I think I'll have a coffee after the service" to which her sister agreed.  I did not want to stop at the cafe, not at all.  All I wanted was to end the day and go home, not sit and wait in the cold at some cafe while they had coffee for who knows how long.

    The final service was over and it was time to go home.  I knew the nice old lady with dementia would have forgotten about the coffee and her sister was not super set on a coffee.  So I thought I would try something.  As we exited the cemetery and were about to pass the cafe I informed them that there were some famous peoples graves just to the side.  They just so happened to be on the opposite side to the cafe.  The two ladies looked for the famous graves, missing the cafe.  Shortly before we got back to her home the nice lady with dementia said how she was glad to get home soon as she really felt like a coffee now.

    Yes, I basically said "look over there" and distracted a lovely old lady and exploited her dementia to prevent her from getting coffee.

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Falling in the Rain

    Yesterdays bad weather reminded me of an amusing event one rainy day.  It was raining very hard and had been all week.  I was on a small funeral with a burial in Rookwood, a place famous for its sticky clay and slippery puddles.  But I actually had no issues with this as I was well and truly use to it.

    When we arrived at Rookwood and all jumped out of the hearse I noticed the conductor had tucked his pants into his socks.  It was a really odd look, his pants were all puffed out at the base like parachute pants from the 90s.  I just stared at him, shocked and amused.  He let out a proud and humble grin as though he thought I was marvelling at his new look.  Then he said that yes, he looked like a clown but at least his pants would not get dirty.  Each to their own I guess.  It was a rather strange look, his little socks then the puffy pants.

    The hearse driver said something about how he would not need to do that as he simply wouldn't step in the mud.  And I believed him as he had a habit of keeping clean no matter the circumstances.  Actually earlier that morning I had been talking to the hearse driver about his shoes.  No matter the conditions of the day I had noticed he always came back to the office with clean shiny shoes.  While everyone else was scrapping mud off their pants and shoes he was always clean.  And yet it was not as though he avoided work or dirt.  I never saw him avoid getting his hands dirty, he simply walked away clean.

    However he would not be so lucky on this funeral.  A few moments after getting out of the hearse the hearse driver was carrying a small basket of petals over to the grave.  I watched as he made his way across the muddy landscape when suddenly and unexpectedly one of his feet sank and petals went flying everywhere.  He had stepped on the side of a fresh grave and due to being a solid guy the dirt just sank down.

    The gravedigger and I started laughing uncontrollably,  it was so funny; there was the big ex-army guy who normally walked with such sureness and poise suddenly stumbling sideways, chased by a cloud of petals.  The hearse driver came over to us, less than impressed but able to see the funny side.  That is when we saw he had sunken just past his ankel, getting a little sandy mud inside his shoe as well as all over it.

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