About Us

A Brief Background

The Eltham Cemetery Trust, established in 1858, selected the existing burial site at Mount Pleasant Road on high ground overlooking the village of Eltham.

Trustees appointed from various church and local organisations have administered and maintained the cemetery to this day.

The cemetery, set in natural bushland adjoining Montsalvat, is the resting place of Sir William Irvine, a former Premier and Chief justice of Victoria.

Headstones depict the names of many early and well known local families.

The Cemetery Today

Eltham Cemetery continues to serve the needs of the local community.

Recent developments, including landscaping, have improved the cemetery's design, encouraged vegetation, and enhanced the natural environment.

Residents of Eltham and surrounding areas may purchase memorial sites within the landscaped grounds.

Continuing maintenance and beautification help preserve the character and dignity of the natural environment in which the Cemetery rests.

Eltham Cemetery Trustees

In accordance with the Cemeteries Act Trustees are appointed to their positions by the Governor-In-Council. This type of Trust system was established in the 1800's and still forms the basis of cemetery management today. The trustees' primary role is to manage the cemetery efficiently, to provide a facility that the community can be proud of and to preserve funds for its future maintenance. They are volunteers who offer their time, skills and vision to the running of the cemetery.

The cemetery has full-time staff members who attend to all aspects of cemetery work and maintenance requirements. A secretary is engaged to implement the Trust's policies and planning and to attend to the day to day running of the cemetery.