Melbourne General Cemetery

You just can't keep us from cemetery browsing. We visited the Melbourne General Cemetery and discovered a really large place filled with interesting people and cemetery art.

Much of what we saw was pretty typical for the genre, but there's lots of it and it is well done.

I found it interesting to see a statue of mitred figure with a mosque in the background.

And it is always a good picture to see the city of the dead and the city of the living in the same composition.

Like most other cemeteries we've seen here, there is little or no grass. Certainly the graves are quite close together since this place was opened in June 1853. In fact, there are many newer graves that seem to be on the sidewalk that once ran along the edge next to the roads.

Like other places, many of the markers are in need of repair. It isn't clear who, if anyone, maintains the markers. It seems to be the families, hence, the older ones decline.

But many of the stones tell stories, sad and brave. Consider this one below. Reading from top to bottom, you see a family story that getting increasingly sad.

There are lighter moments in the cemetery as well. Someone made a jumper for this tree. Don't know why. First one I've seen in a cemetery.

The railing around the grave sites can also make a good place for a spider to weave her web.

Perhaps the best statues we saw were smaller ones on the grave markers

A very large cemetery with a large jewish section and many people who were born in England and Ireland. Much more to explore. Our next house/pet sit is very close to this place, so I expect that you'll see more of it.