Centennial Park Open Day

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Posted 2015-10-08 by Kat May ⇒ follow

Sun 25 Oct 2015

Centennial Park is South Australia's largest cemetery, with over 100 acres of land. At first, it may seem an unlikely spot to hold a day event. However, as most of the day has been planned to give visitors a chance to learn about dying and funerals, the location is an appropriate one. Centennial Park will show you what they have to offer and reveal how the place all works. We have probably all been to funerals, both ground burials and cremations, and we all have our preferences, but do you talk about this with your loved ones?

This day is the opportunity to come along and see how a cemetery is operated, without the sadness of attending a funeral. Many people have questions on the requirements of dying but may be too afraid to ask, so here is the place to have them answered. There is a lot to know to prepare for death, and we all have to do it. Everything from having a will, financial matters, and choosing a cemetery must be decided on, and it is a burden to leave all that up in the air for your loved ones to deal with when the time comes.

The open day will be informative and also a relaxed way to learn about what goes on at Centennial Park. One part of the day will be guided tours of the crematorium. I have been to a cremation service and when the coffin disappeared, I wanted to know now what happens behind there. On the tour, which lasts less than half an hour, you will find out exactly what does happen and ask any questions that concern you. This may help you to make up your mind on the cremation or burial decision for you or a relative. Crematorium tours are scheduled every half hour, from 10am with the last one at 3.30pm, however these must be booked online.

After that you may wish to get out into the sunshine and see something beautiful. You can take a stroll through the pretty memorial gardens with Adelaide's own gardening expert Kim Syrus. Centennial Park has over 7,500 roses, which will be in full bloom and look splendid at this time. Or just wander around on your own and have a chat with your loved ones. Other activities include cultural rose workshops hosted by the Rose Society of SA, an interactive stonemason lettering display, on-site outdoor landscape painting, Zoos SA animal bus and much more.

Indoors at the Jubilee Complex an education centre will be set up for the day. There will be displays from community groups and government organisations including; Centrelink, Active Ageing Australia, Genealogy SA and more. All on the topic of preparing for dying, as well as keeping well and informed until we get there. Information seminars will run throughout the day covering topics such as wills, estate planning, and financial matters. Another topic that needs discussion in the family is the importance of leaving a legacy. This can be done by way of organ donation, leaving a bequest or through creating a memorial. These topics will also be covered in the seminars. There will also be people on hand to discuss funeral planning.

The Cemetery is a large one, so a complimentary hop on /hop off bus service will take those who need it around the grounds. The is an opportunity for you to find out everything you need to know about the things that matter to you.

The organisers request if you would like to attend to complete the online registration. Here you will be asked to tick a few boxes, such as the topics you may be interested in on the day and the number of people you are bringing. You also need to book in for the crematorium tours and the special guided rose garden walks. Sitting in the rose garden in a cemetery on a peaceful day out is an ideal way to discuss the future with a loved one.