Sydney’s population has more than doubled over the past half-century, yet the city has not seen the development of a new cemetery in over 50 years. A sobering 2021 review highlighted that Sydney’s current cemetery capacity will be exhausted by 2051, with some religious and cultural groups facing a critical shortage of burial space in as little as three years.
In response to this pressing need, Macarthur Memorial Park emerges as a groundbreaking solution, set to open its gates in March 2025. Situated at 166-176 St Andrews Rd, Varroville, this visionary memorial park spans an impressive 113 hectares of open space, making it the largest greenfield memorial park to be built in Sydney since Rookwood in 1867.
Macarthur Memorial Park will be a sustainable memorial and parkland destination, designed to honour life, culture, and community for generations to come. The park will feature peaceful walking tracks, a welcoming café, and an inspiring sculpture space. Its facilities are meticulously crafted to foster community identity and belonging, catering to all religious and non-religious denominations.
CEO Lauren Hardgrove said that the new Macarthur Memorial Park was designed to be an iconic community destination. “Our vision was to offer a stunning space that not only provides a location for memorials but also provides an area that can be used and enjoyed by the whole community,” Ms Hardgrove said. “It will include beautiful landscapes, native gardens and forests, water features, and boardwalks.”
Macarthur Memorial Park has a rich indigenous and colonial heritage, and the park will honour this legacy with a detailed Heritage Interpretation Plan. The plan includes site-based storyboards that will be available for self-guided tours. One of the recreational walks is the Six Seasons, resulting from ongoing consultation with Dharawal representatives. The walk will lead visitors along some of the parks beautiful landscape, including dams and remnant Cumberland Plains woodland.
There is also a Timeline Walk that will outline the chronology of the site, from Gondwanan time through to the late 20th century. The site’s historic outbuildings will be preserved and open to the public. The story of the archaeology of the colonial heritage will be shown in an exhibition inside the renovated Coach House.
Macarthur Memorial Park offers more than just a space for reflection. Its facilities are best-in-class, designed to foster community identity and belonging. This holistic place of burial, remembrance, and healing is sustainably built for future generations. By honouring the community’s historical significance, Macarthur Memorial Park will create a lasting legacy for generations to come.
To find out more about memorial space at Macarthur Memorial Park, call 1300 086 689 or email info@mmpark.com.au
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