Northern Suburbs Crematorium, Sydney Explained

Northern Suburbs Crematorium, Sydney
Alternate Names:	Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens and Crematorium
Location:	Sydney, New South Wales
Address:	199 Delhi Road, North Ryde NSW 2067
Coordinates:	-33.795°N 151.1529°W
Opened Date:	1933
Website:	http://www.northernsuburbscrem.com.au/

The Northern Suburbs Crematorium, officially Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens and Crematorium, is a crematorium in North Ryde, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. It was officially opened on 28 October 1933, and the first cremation took place on 30 October 1933.^[1]

Northern Suburbs Crematorium was the second crematorium in New South Wales. It was designed by Frank I'Anson Bloomfield (1879–1949), who was cremated there, and also designed NSW and Sydney's first crematorium at Rookwood Cemetery.^{[2] [1]} Bloomfield designed both places with a view to an authentic "florentine" feel. The grounds feature Art Deco statues, Royal Doulton tiles,^[3] classic iron work and other period features. The Memorial Gardens is a heritage listed site^[4] and often features in historical tours of Sydney and the North Shore.^[1]

In 2012 a new Function Centre was opened by the Governor of New South Wales, Professor Marie Bashir.

Notable interments

The cremated remains of notable persons located at Northern Suburbs Crematorium include:

• • Jack Baddeley, 2nd Deputy Premier of New South Wales Sir Garfield Barwick, 7th Chief Justice of Australia and politician
• Harry Scott Bennett, radical
• Sir Nigel Bowen, Australian Attorney-General, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia
  • • Sir Joseph Cook, 6th Prime Minister of Australia Dame Mary Cook, Spouse of the Prime Minister of Australia Sir Talbot Duckmanton, former General Manager of Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
  • Pat Hills, 6th Deputy Premier of New South Wales and 69th Lord Mayor of Sydney Sir Samuel Hordern, businessman and namesake of the Hordern Pavilion
• Stuart Inder, journalist^[5]
• Frederick Kneeshaw, politician
  • Sir William McKell, 12th Governor General of Australia and 27th Premier of New South Wales Sir Bill Northam, Olympic yachtsman and businessman
    • Lt. Gen. Sir John Northcott, 30th Governor of New South Wales Lady Jean Page, second wife of Prime Minister Sir Earle Page Banjo Paterson, poet
• Sir William Pettingell, businessman
• Maj. Gen Sir Charles Rosenthal, soldier and politician
• Sir Percy Spender, politician
• Sir Vernon Treatt, 17th Leader of the Opposition of New South Wales
• Sir Gordon Wallace, 1st President of the New South Wales Court of Appeal
• Sir Edward Warren, politician
• Chris Watson, 3rd Prime Minister of Australia
• Reginald Weaver, 16th Leader of the Opposition of New South Wales
  • Lt. Gen. Sir Eric Woodward, 31st Governor of New South Wales Sir William Yeo, soldier
• Ada Baker, soprano and singing teacher

Notable cremations

Cremations of notable people at the Northern Suburbs Crematorium include:

• Sid Barnes, cricketer
• Sir Thomas Bavin, Premier of New South Wales
• Captain George Cartwright, A.I.F., VC recipient, World War I^[6]
• Captain Frank Chaffey, soldier and New South Wales politician
• V. Gordon Childe, archaeologist and philologist
• Charmian Clift, novelist
• W.A. Crowle, businessman and philanthropist
• Slim Dusty, country singer
• Air Commodore Sir Hughie Edwards, Royal Air Force VC recipient World War II and Governor of Western Australia – ashes buried Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth, Western Australia^[6]
• Sergeant Arthur Evans, Lincolnshire Regiment VC recipient World War I – ashes buried Lytham St Annes, England^[6]
• May Gibbs, author^[7]
• Michael Hutchence, INXS lead singer^[8]
• Alison Kerr, Lady Kerr, first wife of Sir John Kerr
• Andrew Olle, journalist^[9]
• Sir Frank Packer, media mogul
• Banjo Paterson, poet
• Mervyn Victor Richardson, Victa lawnmower inventor^[7]
• Lindsay Gordon Scott, architect^[10]
• Sir James Joynton Smith, Lord Mayor of Sydney
• Corporal Arthur Sullivan, A.I.F. VC recipient, Russian Civil War – previously cremated Golders Green Crematorium, London, ashes rest near Tree 267A, North section.^[11]
• E. J. Tait, theatre entrepreneur
• Arkie Whiteley, actress
• James (Jimmy) Brown Watt, born in Scotland 1898 and died at Lidcombe State Hospital 11th May 1952. Bravery In The Field recipient in WW1 & Sydney drummer with Jimmy Watt’s Orchestra

Commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission are 64 Commonwealth service personnel and a Dutch merchant seaman who were cremated here during World War II.^[12]

Notes and References

1. http://www.northernsuburbscrem.com.au/en.aspx Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens and Crematorium website
2. https://books.google.com/books?id=BdhDM6Qcl1IC&dq=northern+suburbs+crematorium&pg=PA70 Encyclopedia of Cremation, p. 70
3. Source says "Royal Dalton" [sic], but this seems to be a spelling error.
4. Web site: State Heritage Inventory: Northern Suburbs Crematorium and Memorial Gardens . www.environment.nsw.gov.au. Heritage Division, NSW Office of Environment and Heritage. 15 November 2016.
5. News: Bob. Lawrence. Doyen of Pacific journalism, Stuart Inder MBE, dies at 88 . . 8 February 2015 . 1 March 2015.
6. http://www.victoriacross.org/ggausnsw.htm
7. http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/crematorium-opens-doors-to-everlasting-celebrations-of-life-20120615-20fdl.html Sydney Morning Herald, "Crematorium opens doors to everlasting celebrations of life", 16 June 2012
8. Web site: Bell . Adam . 12 February 2016 . INXS’ Michael Hutchence and Johnny O’Keefe lie at Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens . The Daily Telegraph.
9. News: The ABC: a family in mourning. The Sydney Morning Herald. 16 December 1995. Helen. Pitt. 19.
10. News: Obituary. Mr. Lindsay G. Scott. . New South Wales, Australia . 11 January 1941 . 6 November 2021 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
11. http://www.victoriacross.org/cogolder.htm Burial Locations of VC holders
12. http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/2112421/NORTHERN%20SUBURBS%20CREMATORIUM,%20CHATSWOOD CWGC Cemetery Report