Centennial Park 760 Goodwood Road Pasadena, South Australia, 5042 We acknowledge the Kaurna people are the traditional custodians of the Adelaide Plains and pay respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We recognise and respect their cultural heritage, beliefs and relationship with the land. We acknowledge that they are of continuing importance to the Kaurna people living today.   |   Ph: (08) 8276 6011
Wildflowers Café: (08) 8275 2257
Gift Shop: (08) 8275 2256
Email: [email protected]

FAQ

Planning a Funeral

Someone that I care about has passed away and I have been asked to arrange their funeral.
What do I do?

First of all, there is no hurry.  These decisions are difficult at any time, and are made even harder when you are grieving. Take your time and don’t be rushed. Hopefully your loved one had communicated their wishes.  Either way, we are here to help guide you and your family through this time, including the burial or cremation arrangements, choosing a memorial, and even helping you to plan the farewell.

We assure that the wishes of you and your loved one will be taken care of with the utmost dignity and respect. 

A Funeral Director/Arranger will need to be engaged to take your loved one into their care and to prepare them for whatever arrangements we make.  They will also provide a coffin or casket. If you don’t have a Funeral Director/Arranger in mind, we can help by providing you with the contact details of those in your area. 

Can I pre-pay my cremation/burial/service directly with Centennial Park?

Yes, you can. You can pre-purchase any of the services Centennial Park offers including burials, memorial (funeral) services, and function (wakes).

Pre-arranging these services lessens not only the financial burden, but also the number of decisions that your family will need to make at a time when they are grieving and vulnerable. It also means your family will be confident that your final wishes have been carried out.

If for any reason you no longer wish to have a pre-paid plan with Centennial Park, the fees that you paid at the time of taking out the plan are fully refundable less a small administration fee.

What should I consider when deciding to be buried or cremated?

Deciding between a burial or cremation is a very important decision. Religious and cultural beliefs can play an important part in this decision.

Historically burial was the preferred option over cremation, however approximately 70% of people are now choosing cremation over burial.

Centennial Park has more than 30 stunning and themed gardens for families to choose from for ashes memorials. These provide a beautiful, peaceful place for extended family and friends to visit and remember a loved one.

Burials

How many people can be buried in a grave?

It is possible to bury more than one person, separately in a grave. Generally, at Centennial Park standard sized burial positions can accommodate up to three burials and 16 sets of ashes. However, grave types do vary so we recommend speaking with one of our team members about your needs and coming to view the various areas, including our premium burial areas (that can also accommodate ashes) in Olive Terrace, The Views and Martinique Grove. Our team are happy to show and tell you about all of the options available.

Can I bury important mementos with my loved one?

Personal mementos may be buried with your loved one. You should discuss this with your funeral director/arranger to ensure the items will not be a potential hazard and approval has been received from Centennial Park.

How do I arrange a headstone?

Headstones for burial positions must be constructed and installed by a Monumental Mason in accordance with Australian Standards and the authority of Centennial Park. There are differing specifications for the height and width of the headstones in the various burial areas at Centennial Park. Our team can provide you with the specifications for the areas you are interested in.

A Monumental Mason will assist you to ensure that the headstone is compliant with all the required specifications and will liaise with Centennial Park on your behalf to gain approval for the work to be completed.

Please note: A Headstone or Plaque is the property of the Interment Right Holder of the position and only they can authorise a headstone to be placed or refurbished.

If you don’t have a Monumental Mason in mind, we can help by providing you with the contact details of those in your area. 

Cremations

Can we choose where we are cremated?

Yes. Although, if the cremation has not been pre-planned, families are dealing with a multitude of decisions that have to be made when someone passes away, and often don’t think to tell the funeral director where they would like the cremation to take place.

Some families are also unaware of the choices available when it comes to cremation and do not think to ask.

Why choose Centennial Park for cremations?

Centennial Park is widely regarded as South Australia’s most beautiful cemetery, set in 40 hectares of landscaped gardens. Established in 1936, Centennial Park provides a valuable emotional “anchor point” for friends and families to remember someone they’ve lost.

We believe our cremation service is second to none. We treat every single person with the same level of dignity, care, and respect. Our crematorium is a welcoming, light-filled space with two lovely indoor atriums, and set in the middle of our beautiful grounds.

We believe in complete transparency and welcome the community to view our crematorium any time. We regularly conduct public and community group tours and answer all questions.

Some families wish to be present at the time of cremation, and some cultures wish to be involved in the cremation process itself. All of this is possible at Centennial Park.

What happens with the ashes after a cremation?

We understand that the final decision about where your ashes will be placed, and how you will be remembered, can take some time.

Contemplation Court at Centennial Park is a temporary memorial area. Your ashes can be placed in Contemplation Court with a temporary plaque to give family and friends a place to visit and to remember while they make this decision.

We are so proud to be the only cemetery in South Australia and the first in the country to offer this service.

What can I do with ashes?

While many families choose to memorialise within one of the many stunning, themed gardens at Centennial Park, some families choose either to keep the ashes at home or scatter. 

We recommend memorialisation because it provides the opportunity for extended family and friends, and even future generations, to remember a life.

We do not allow ashes to be scattered within the grounds of Centennial Park, but our memorial team can assist you to decide on the best way to honour you loved ones wishes. Once ashes have been scattered they are irretrievable, so it is important that your family are aware of your preference to do so. We offer many options to inter ashes into Wall Niches or below ground positions within our beautiful gardens.

If scattering or having ashes at home in an urn is important, you may also like to consider having a plaque-only memorial at Centennial Park so that a precious life can be remembered by many for many years to come – even forever. Centennial Park offers areas in our beautiful gardens where a plaque can be placed without ashes. These positions can come at a reduced price. Please contact our Customer Service Team on (08) 8276 6011 for more information.

Memorials

What is a memorial?

A memorial is a place where family and friends can visit their loved one for many generations to come. Memorials play an important part in the grieving process as they provide a tranquil, personalised space specially set aside for friends and families to visit as often as they wish. Centennial Park provides a wide range of ashes memorials varying from traditional rose gardens to contemporary boulders, water features and walls that can accommodate ashes or plaque-only positions.

What tributes am I allowed to leave at a memorial/grave?

Centennial Park understands the importance of being able to leave tributes and flowers at an ashes memorial or grave and the meaning they may hold for families. We kindly ask that tributes only be placed in unbreakable containers to ensure the safety of our visitors and staff. Centennial Park may remove any tributes that are deemed to be unsightly, offensive or a risk to public safety. Re-usable vases are available from dispensers located throughout our gardens. Once the flowers die, our team will remove them from the memorial, and place the vases back in the dispensers for others to use. Artificial flowers will be removed once they become faded and/or old/torn.

Where tributes are best placed, depends on the type of memorial:

  • In an ashes memorial position, the tributes and flowers should be placed so that they do not impede on the neighbouring positions.
  • At a grave position, flowers should be placed in the holders built into the headstone or on the ledge of the headstone, but not on the grass in front of the grave (which must be kept free for safe mowing).

We encourage the use of fresh flowers throughout our gardens and especially within our native and tropical areas.

Am I allowed to bring plants from home to plant at my position?

At Centennial Park, we are proud to provide beautiful, peaceful, and reflective gardens for our families to remember their loved ones. In order to keep our gardens maintained at such a high level, we are continually upgrading the features and plants in our Park.

We kindly remind our families that no additional plants or landscaping are authorised in our grounds, and if found, will be removed. To maintain our stunning gardens, Centennial Park continually improves, landscapes and upgrades areas of the Park. We will always endeavour to contact our families regarding any changes we are planning to make that directly affect their memorial.

Interment Rights

Who can make decisions about what happens to a position?

An Interment Right Holder is the official person who owns the right to the grave or ashes memorial or plaque-only position. This person is the only one who can make decisions regarding the position.

This includes:

  • Authorising any further burials or ashes placements.
  • Placing or refurbishing a headstone or plaque.
  • Surrendering the rights of the position back to Centennial Park.
  • Transferring the ownership of the Right to somebody else.

If the Interment Right Holder is deceased, a Transfer of Interment Right form is to be completed to pass the ownership of the position to someone living. Our friendly Customer Service Team can be contacted on (08) 8276 6011 to assist with transferring or renewing a position. They will provide you with the information you need to complete the Transfer of Interment Right document. It is important that Interment Rights be transferred to a living person so that we can always maintain contact regarding any notifications or changes about a position or Centennial Park.

What does limited tenure mean?

Under the Burial and Cremation Act 2013, burial and memorial positions can carry a limited tenure, meaning that the Interment Rights for burial and memorial positions are issued for a set period of time. The position may be reused once an Interment Right has expired. Each cemetery has its own operating policy with regards to renewals and any costs associated with renewals. Until 2013, this was the only option provided in South Australia.

For more information about Expired Positions click here.

Centennial Park also offers the option of perpetuity for those who want to ensure their loved one is memorialised forever, at rest for future generations to remember. For more information on Perpetual Interment rights click here.

Can I purchase a position in perpetuity (forever)?

Yes, Centennial Park provides the option of Interment Rights held in perpetuity. A perpetual Interment Right allows the Interment Right holder to either bury or place ashes in a particular memorial position to be memorialised and at rest forever. At Centennial Park, perpetual Interment Rights are available for all existing and future Interment Rights. For more information on Perpetual Interment rights click here.

Live Streaming

How do I pause a recording?

There is a pause button on the bottom left of the screen which can be used while watching a live stream or recording.

How do I watch a live stream?

Links to live streamed services are available on our Funeral Services page under live streamed services. To view a private live stream service, you will need the access PIN number provided by the family or funeral director. Please note not all services are live streamed.

What web browser is recommended to view a live stream?

For the best experience, you should consider:

Internet Connection:

A quality, stable internet connection will ensure the best viewing experience. If viewing on a mobile device over a wireless network, the signal maybe unreliable and the connection may drop in and out. We recommend watching the live stream from a fixed internet connection.

Web Browser:

There are many external factors which may affect the live stream including internet speed, network reliability, the software installed on your computer and the hardware or device you are using. All of these may affect the overall experience, the recommended web browsers are:

  • Windows 10 (Microsoft Edge)
  • macOS 10.6+ (Safari and QuickTime)
  • iOS 3.0+ (Safari)
  • Android 4.1+ (Google Chrome)

How many people can view the live stream?

The live stream platform has been designed to accommodate thousands of viewers. We suggest you take the time to check your stream in advance, so you are ready to go prior to the service commencing.

How do I increase the video quality?

The live stream player will automatically select the most appropriate stream to match your internet connection speed. This has been designed to minimise buffering and increase the reliability of your live stream service.

I have lost my live stream invitation email, what do I do?

Simply contact your funeral director and they will be able to provide you with the details and live stream PIN.

Do live streams have audio?

All live streams include audio. Please ensure your device’s speakers are set at an appropriate volume or alternatively you can use headphones.

I can see a picture, but there is no audio.

Sometimes, due to internet connectivity issues, your location and our servers, video and audio may not synchronize and can cause a delayed audio and picture.

While live streams can be viewed on mobile devices over wireless networks, we cannot guarantee that reliability of the live stream, particularly in locations where signal is unreliable. Please consider watching the stream from a fixed Internet connection.

Please try refreshing the page in your browser. If this doesn’t work, please close the web page, and reload the event.

There is still no audio!

Please ensure your devices speakers are set at an appropriate volume or alternatively you can use headphones.

What happens if your internet goes down?

If the internet connection is lost and the connection is re-established, the live stream will automatically continue from its current position.

Unfortunately, internet connection is something we can’t control (and therefore we cannot guarantee that reliability of the live stream, particularly in locations where signal is unreliable).

If the connection is down for a lengthy period, where possible we will try to provide you with a recording of the service after the event.

Please consider watching the stream from a fixed internet connection.

Other

Do you cremate pets at Centennial Park?

No, Centennial Park does not cremate pets or animals.

Is the Crematorium available for the public to view?

Yes, it is and we encourage people who are interested to contact us for a tour so they can see for themselves the environment we offer and meet those who provide the utmost care of loved ones!

Not only is our crematorium within a stunning 40 hectare botanical park, we also have gardens surrounding and in view of our cremators. We believe in offering the very best.

Centennial Park offers Behind the Scenes tours to community groups and the general public so that everyone has the opportunity to see our beautiful grounds and learn about how we operate. Accompanied by one of our friendly team, the tour takes you through our spectacular gardens and includes an in-depth Crematorium tour. A motorised buggy is provided for the group’s comfort.

To enquire about our Behind The Scenes tours please contact our Customer Service Team on (08) 8276 6011. More information can be found here.