A Guide To Organising Your Relative's Funeral

What Are Cemetery Monuments?

One of the reasons a funeral is so important is that it can act as a way of bringing closure to a grieving family and friends of a loved one. The funeral itself usually forms part of a grieving process, that allows the family to move forward in some way, and to hopefully begin some type of healing.

Once the funeral has taken place, many families think about what type of headstone or monument they would like on the grave. This provides an opportunity for them to have something more permanent to preserve a loved one's memory because it is a physical object.

The monument may be quite small or may be quite large. It is likely to embody how the family wish to remember their loved one. It can act as a physical space where they can relate to someone they have lost.

Cemetery monuments

Creating a cemetery monument can actually be quite a prolonged process. There are different types of cemeteries, and each will have their own requirements and guidelines as to what type of monument may be installed.

The requirements or specifications for a monument differ depending on whether it is a full monument or simply a headstone. The cemetery can have detailed requirements that normally have to comply with Australian Standard AS4020 - 1994  (Headstones and Cemetery Monuments).

These specifications determine the height, depth and width of the monument, as well as what materials it can be made from. There are likely to be conditions on such things as how many flower containers may be contained within the monument structure.

Types of cemetery

A cemetery is considered a conservation area, and as such, cemetery monuments have to be considered in that context. This means that the planning and erection of them is not simply a matter for the family, but for whoever owns the cemetery as well.

General cemeteries

These are the most common types of cemeteries and are normally owned by local authorities. They will usually require that any company wishing to build a monument needs to have a current permit that allows them to work in council cemeteries. This may affect the choice for the type of monument the family wish to have.

Church cemeteries

This land is normally owned and controlled by the local diocese of the church. The attitude of the church involved will to a large extent determine what type of monument is deemed acceptable. This will be in relation to other monuments that are already there.

There are other types of cemeteries such as family cemeteries, lone graves and crematoria.

Monument engraving

The wording on a monument is an integral part of its construction. It is important that the finished engraving is in keeping with how the rest of the monument looks. The headstone engraver should be able to advise on the type of engraving that is best suited to the material that the monument is being constructed from.

This should take into account long-term exposure to different weather conditions.

Contact a funeral home for more information about cemetery monuments.


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