VPRS 16216 Cremation and Burial Record Book

Full description

This series consists of volumes created by Fawkner Crematorium and Memorial Park (previously known as New Melbourne Cemetery) [VA 4857] which record information about cremations and burials.

Under the provisions of the Cemeteries Act 1890 (No 1137) and the Cremation Act 1903 (No 1876), a register of burials and cremations was required to be created by the trustees of the cemetery. The volumes were also used by the staff at Fawkner to file documents related to funerals, burial and cremation activities including:

- Order for Burial/Cremation. Information recorded includes: date of burial/cremation, name, date of death, age of the deceased, location of grave or memorial, registration number, name of funeral director, name and address of originator (person giving the order)

- Schedule of burial /cremation, copy forwarded to the Government Statist/Registrar

- Medical/death certificate issued by a licensed medical practitioner /State Coroner

Permission for burial/cremation is given once the death/medical certificate signed by the State Coroner/licensed medical practitioner is submitted. Then the person conducting the cremation or burial is required to send the certificate of burial/cremation to the Government Statist/Registrar.

As part of the recordkeeping system, an additional register for burials and cremations was created to allocate registration numbers to each burial and cremation, as well as pre-purchase of gravesites and receipt of cremated remains. These registers are in the custody of the agency as at October 2009.