More than 1000 people attended Woronora Memorial Park’s Open Day on Saturday, April 21, which was part of the National Trust’s Heritage Festival.
“Our aim was to make the 2018 Open Day a true family event,” Woronora Memorial Park chief executive officer, Graham Boyd said.
Going by the reaction from visitors, they well and truly succeeded.
Many families took the opportunity to ride in an authentic Cobb and Co coach which is a popular feature of the Open Day every year.
The SES were on site with a display of emergency equipment. There were also displays of police vehicles and a fire engine with fire fighters allowing children to direct water from hoses.
“Only a week previously those same hoses were fighting uncontrolled bush fires, the embers of which at times had cemetery management touring the Park to ensure no embers were coming into site,” Mr Boyd said.
A crowd-pleaser was the heavy grave digging equipment where the grave digging team explained which machines they used in monumental areas, which they used when they encountered rock and how “lowering devices” operated.
The vintage hearses were a popular drawcard and bus tours of the 118-acre park were busy.
To add to the heritage flavour, actors from the Miranda Musical Society dressed in old world costumes wandered through the park.
There was a petting zoo, pony rides and face painting for the kids, as well as a sausage sizzle.
Celeste Catering distributed 1,500 free scones, jam, cream, tea and coffee in the outdoor garden setting next to the Cemeteries’ South Chapel.
“Many families also took their opportunity to visit loved ones no longer with us,” Mr Boyd said.
With the Open Day held only a few days prior to Anzac Day, many visitors paid respect at the Parks’ unique Military memorial.
A military history group was on site to answer many questions about those who served and lived in the shire.
Others visited the park’s newly-opened bike memorial, in memory of all those who went for a ride and did not come home, while others visited the Local Police Memorial which honours those police killed while on duty.
Mr Boyd said that the 2018 Open Day proved a wonderful opportunity to demystify what goes on at a cemetery and crematorium.
“We had around 400 people who took the behind the scenes tour of the crematorium, with our staff answering any questions. The tours of the crematorium and questions and answers associated with how a crematorium works was a very educational experience for all involved.”
