Hemmant Cemetery

A major improvement in cemetery control was made possible during 1949, when the Government approved ordinances which allowed Council, by resolution, to prohibit the erection of walls, fences, vaults, monuments or other structures in a cemetery. A memorial plaque with inscripture, laid to ground level, was to become the standard in new burial grounds. Hemmant and Mt Gravatt cemeteries were selected for the new layout, and by the end of 1949 two sections of the Hemmant cemetery with an area for 3000 graves, were under construction. The Hemmant ‘Garden of Rest’ came into operation during the year 1952-3, and was described as presenting ‘a peaceful sylvan setting’.

The new Hemmant cemetery with an area of approximately 14.5 hectares was designed with 10 individual sections. Each section of the cemetery was kerbed and grassed. Provision was made for garden beds in each section while the roadway dividing sections were bordered with avenues of green trees and selected shrubs.

Avenue of indigenous trees were preserved between burial sections, the original design calling for them to be lopped and trimmed, giving each section a distinct isolation.

A shrine of remembrance was erected, and shelter and modern sanitation facilitated at various locations. The burial sections have been maintained as lawns.

Hemmant Cemetery is important because it survives as a remnant of the development of the area during the latter half of the nineteenth century. It is a highly visible cemetery located in the suburb of Hemmant.

The oldest part of Hemmant Cemetery is in the style of the Victorian period ‘mortuary park’, a particular type of cemetery developed in the early nineteenth century throughout the western world.

The significance of Hemmant Cemetery lies primarily in the historical evidence of the nineteenth century cemeteries generally, of which this is an example; and in its aesthetic qualities, and in its continued use by the public of Brisbane as a place of burial and contemplation.

The site is a cemetery reserve held in trust by the Brisbane City Council containing an area of a total 165,992m2. The cemetery is similar to other Victorian cemeteries in Brisbane in the type of monuments which are evident here.

The original section of the cemetery is located towards the southern end of the site, and has a strictly rectilinear layout. A more recently constructed lawn cemetery portion has been constructed to the south of this older portion.

Other burial areas are located to the north of the old section, in ten separate sections. A recently completed chapel is located to the east, adjacent to the old Quarry area. There is also an on-site crematorium.

An office and amenities building, designed in 1951 by the City Architect Frank Costello is located along the main driveway.

The fabric, setting and context of the site are all important. The whole of the site is significant, with the exception of the newest buildings.