Cemeteries and Burials

Cemeteries 50-Year Masterplan 2023

The Masterplan consists of major and minor development projects and options for cemetery expansion to meet burial demand over the next 50 years. 

Cemetery and niche wall locations and maps

Find the location of local cemeteries and learn how to arrange a memorial or burial. 

The Shire is responsible for the following cemeteries and niche walls.

Margaret River Cemetery and Niche Wall

Location: 557 Wallcliffe Road, Margaret River

Karridale Cemetery and Niche Wall

Location: Lot 4648 Caves Rd, Hamelin Bay

Cowaramup Niche Wall

Location: Lions Park, access off O'Brien Street, Cowaramup

Arranging a burial

Burial times for the Margaret River and Karridale Cemeteries are Monday to Friday between 9am to 2:30pm.

Burials are normally carried out by a Funeral Director. The Funeral Director will arrange every aspect of the burial service. This includes liaising with the Shire regarding burial location, date, and time.

The forms below is for Funeral Directors only. 

Applications must be submitted to the Shire at least three working days prior to the date and time of the burial.

Natural Burials

In consultation with special interest group Death and Dying Matters, in 2021 the Shire established a designated area of the Karridale Cemetery for natural burials.

In a departure from the granite monuments of the conventional cemetery, natural burials offer the community a unique and sustainable final resting place with minimal disturbance to the natural bushland environment. With a natural burial, the body is returned to nature in a biodegradable coffin made from natural fibres.

Natural burial sites are located to the left of the entrance in the southeast corner of Karridale Cemetery. This unique pocket of bushland will become progressively vegetated with natural plant species as plots are utilised.

The application form below is for Funeral Directors only but the agreement can be lodged in advance.

Applications must be submitted to the Shire at least three working days prior to the date and time of the burial.

Interning ashes into niche wall

All niche walls offer the option of single and double niche wall compartments.

Niche wall compartments are lifetime. 

To find out about compartments available, please contact us.

Niche wall plaques are designed by the Shire and manufactured by Arrow Bronze.

Interning ashes into gravesite

A family can inter the ashes of a loved one into a family gravesite, following approval from the Shire. Please complete the form below.

Grant of Right of Burial - gravesite

A Grant of Right of Burial is a tenure agreement of a gravesite. 

This document gives the grant holder (referred to as the Grantee), the right to conduct burials, inter ashes and erect a memorial on the gravesite. The Grantee can also deny any activity within the gravesite.

 A Grant of Right of Burial is issued for 25 years, with the right of renewal for a further 25 years. 

It is important that the Grantee makes provisions in a legal document (e.g. their Will) to allow transfer of the Grant to another person if required.

A Grant must be current if additional burials, ashes interments and/or memorial works are to take place on the gravesite. 

Grant of Right of Burial – niche wall

A current Grant of Right of Burial must be provided prior to the interment of ashes (please see below). The Grantee of the gravesite must also be current. 

The gravesite will be prepared by the Shire's burial contractor.

Funeral Director's licence and permit

Funeral Directors must obtain a licence from the Shire.

Memorials

Memorials must comply with the Shire's Cemeteries Local Law.

All memorial works must be approved by the Shire, prior to placement in a cemetery. The application is preferably submitted by a Monumental Mason.

For more information contact Shire Ranger Services on (08) 9780 5695 or email [email protected]