Brighton General Cemetery

Law Week Walk – “Lives Cut Short”
Brighton Cemetery, Sunday 24 May

This weekend, join us for a guided walking tour organised by Brighton Cemetorians. On this walk you will hear of the three young lads who drowned in Gardiners Creek, a young girl murdered when going on an errand for her mother, the jockey who fell during a race meeting. These are but a few of the stories that you will hear about on this walk of lives full of promise, never to be.

Walk begins at the office at 2.00pm
$15 per person / Members $10 [Cash]
Bookings essential: Lois on 9558 4248

Join the City Nature Challenge 25-28 April 2026 🐝🌱🌸
The City Nature Challenge is a worldwide initiative to gather observations of wild plants and animals.
This year, we encourage you to explore our beautiful sites, and log it as part of the local council area. 📷 Snap a photo of a plant or animal, or record a call, and upload it to iNaturalist between 25 - 28 April 2026.
Your observations are automatically added to the project, and will help your local council (and SMCT!) understand who and what is growing in our urban spaces.
➡️ Visit the iNaturalist page here
https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/.../city-nature-challenge...
🪲 For more tips visit https://engagewith.smct.org.au/calling-all-citizen...

Hand on heart, they came with hope.

This St Patrick’s Day, look beyond the parades and discover the real stories of the Irish immigrants who helped build our community.

Join us on Sunday, 15 March for a special guided walk at Brighton General Cemetery. We will explore the triumphs and tragedies of those who arrived with willingness, resilience, and perhaps a bit of blarney.

We will visit the memorials of local figures including:

- Mary Malahan, who remarkably emigrated in her 70s to follow her sons to East Bentleigh—a testament to the strength of family bonds.

- Michael Quirk, Mary Brady, and Robert & Harriet Arnold, among others who made this area their home.

Discover the history written in stone right on your doorstep.

Event Details:
Date: Sunday, 15 March
Time: 2 pm
Meeting Point: Near the front gate, Brighton General Cemetery
Cost: $15 per person

Bookings are essential. Please call Lois on 9558 4248 to secure your place.

If stones could speak... ✒️ Brighton General Cemetery is the final resting place of poets, politicians, and pioneers. Their stories helped shape Victoria. Who is the most interesting figure you've discovered here?



Photo Credit: S. Milbourn, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Step back into the exuberant era of the Yorick Club.

Brighton General Cemetery is more than a resting place; it is a library of Melbourne’s most fascinating stories.

Join us this Sunday, 15 February for a special guided tour exploring the legends of the Yorick Club—the writers, artists, and personalities who shaped the cultural fabric of our city.

We will be viewing the superb refurbishment of poet Adam Lindsay Gordon’s grave and visiting the final resting places of celebrated figures including:

- Cartoonist, illustrator and writer Tom Carrington
- Former Chief of Hansard David Dickenson Wheeler
- Journalist George Arthur Walstab

Come and hear the stories of these members and the lively era they represented.

Event Details:
Date: Sunday, 15 February
Time: 2 pm
Meeting Point: Near the front gate, Brighton General Cemetery
Cost: $15 per person

Bookings are essential. Please call Lois on 9558 4248 to secure your place.

With hot conditions and higher temperatures forecast over the next few days, we encourage visitors to plan ahead and take care while visiting our cemeteries.

✅ Plan your visit: Come early or postpone to avoid the hottest part of the day.
💧 Stay safe: Drink plenty of water, take breaks in the shade, and wear a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen.
🤝 Be prepared: Look out for yourself and others in the extreme heat.

With hot conditions continuing across the state and higher temperatures forecast tomorrow, we encourage visitors to plan ahead and take care while visiting our cemeteries.

✅ Plan your visit: Come early or postpone to avoid the hottest part of the day.
💧 Stay safe: Drink plenty of water, take breaks in the shade, and wear a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen.
🤝 Be prepared: Look out for yourself and others in the extreme heat.

As the sun sets on 2025, we reflect on the memories we hold dear and the legacies we honour.

Thank you for allowing us to care for your loved ones this year. We look forward to serving you in 2026.

To our community, today, we light a candle for those who are present in our hearts, even if they are absent from our tables.

However you are spending today, we wish you peace, comfort, and safe travels.
– The team at Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust.

We’re taking a short festive break🎄 Responses may take a little longer than usual, but we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. For anything urgent, please call 1300 466 904 or submit a contact form: www.smct.org.au/contact-us.

Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season!