Interring Ashes in Regional and Rural NSW

A tall eucalyptus tree with peeling bark standing in a grassy park with other trees and a lake in the background and a partly cloudy sky.

Photo by Madeleine Maguire on Unsplash

Interment offers families across rural and regional NSW a permanent, publicly recorded resting place for ashes. Many find enduring comfort in this.

Options for Interring Ashes

Cemeteries operated by councils and churches might offer the options below. Please note: terminology varies between cemeteries.

Memorial garden or tree — individual placement, sometimes with provision for the spouse, in the future

Family estate — with provision for future family members

Niche wall — purpose-built brick structures with individual recesses (sometimes also known as memorial walls or columbarium walls)

Columbarium — a dedicated room or building housing ashes

Grave plot — designated space for a specified number of ashes, or placed in the coffin of another person at the time of burial.

Most options allow you to reserve adjacent space for future interments.

Scattering in Cemeteries

Whilst scattering ashes on a grave or within cemetery grounds is sometimes permitted, it requires proper authorisation. See our guide to scattering ashes for fuller details.

Understanding Costs

When reviewing fees, clarify what's included. Plaques and memorial stonework often incur additional charges.

Council cemeteries typically list fees in their general fee schedules. Search "cemetery", “ash” or “cremains”, rather than scrolling through all charges.

Need help navigating these decisions? We're here to serve families with clarity and care, free from commercial pressure. Call us on 1300 136 473.

Cemeteries and Memorial Parks in Regional and Rural NSW

The NSW Government maintains a complete cemetery database. Below are the rural and regional cemeteries located in the areas we serve where ashes can be interred, with contact details for your convenience.

Please note: We've researched this information carefully, but available options can change. Please contact the relevant council or cemetery directly to confirm what is currently possible.

Search by Local Government Area:

  • Cemeteries: Blayney, Carcoar, Hobbys Yards, Lyndhurst, Millthorpe, Neville

    Contact: (02) 6368 2104 | council@blayney.nsw.gov.au | Web page

    Fees and Charges: in their website menu, go to Council > Council information > Fees and Charges

    Note: Plaque and masonry costs are additional

  • Main Options in the Bathurst Region

    Maranatha Lawn Cemetery, Bathurst
    — gardens, niche wall, or grave
    (02) 6332 5904 | bathurst@norwoodpark.com.au | Web site

    Holy Trinity Lawn Cemetery, Kelso —
    garden, columbarium or grave
    (02) 6332 4606 | info@holytrinitykelso.org.au | Web site

    Council-Operated Rural Cemeteries: Georges Plains, Hill End Tambaroora General, Peel General, Rockley General, Sofala General and Trunkey Creek.

    Important: After emailing Council in January 2026 to clarify the impact of changes to their management of rural cemeteries, they confirmed that ash interments are permitted within existing occupied grave sites (where family has an existing burial) or within existing niche walls.

    New grave purchases for ash interment require approval from the Mayor or General Manager.

    Council Contact: (02) 6333 6111 | council@bathurst.nsw.gov.au | Web site

  • Council Cemeteries: Cowra, Gooloogong, Morongla, Woodstock

    Across their cemeteries, they offer interment of ashes in: a columbarium, memorial tree, memorial garden, and a grave.

    Contact: (02) 6340 2070 | council@cowra.nsw.gov.au | Web page | Fees and charges

  • Privately-Operated Options

    These offer more choice:

    Cemeteries Operated by Dubbo Regional Council

    Cemeteries where interment is only in a grave: Elong Elong, Euchareena and Holy Family. 

    Cemeteries with additional options for interment: 

    • Wall niche – Geurie, Stuart Town, Wellington Lawn, Yeoval

    • Garden – New Dubbo

    • Ashes Rose or Memorial Garden - Wellington Lawn 

    Note: Most gravesites at each of these cemeteries can take up to four interments of ashes. 

    Council Contact:(02) 6801 4000 | council@dubbo.nsw.gov.au | website - see the helpful Cemeteries Quick Guide (PDF). | Fees and charges

  • Cemeteries: Dungog, Bandon Grove, Belgrave (Eccleston), Clarence Town, Paterson, Munni (Quartpot) and Salisbury. 

    Options for interment: grave (each cemetery) or columbarium (Dungog or Paterson) 

    Contact: (02) 4995 7777 | shirecouncil@dungog.nsw.gov.au | Website | Fees and charges

  • Cemeteries: Memorial Lawn (Gunnedah), Curlewis, Curlewis, Breeza and Tambar Springs

    Option for interment: columbarium

    Contact: 02 6740 2100 | council@gunnedah.nsw.gov.au | Website | Fees and charges - search “ashes”

  • Chain O Ponds Private Cemetery & Memorial Park

    Contact: (02) 6562 3160 | Email | Website

    Walkers Crematorium

    Contact: (02) 6562 4329 | Website‍

    Council Cemeteries: Arakoon, Bellbrook, Comara, Crescent Head, Euroka, Hickeys Creek and Stuarts Point

    Cemeteries closed for reservations: East Kempsey, Frederickton and West Kempsey ‍

    Options: grave, columbarium or garden

    Contact: 02 6566 3200 | ksc@kempsey.nsw.gov.au | Web page | Fees

  • Cemeteries: Lithgow, Capertee, Cullen Bullen, Dark Corner, Glen Alice, Hartley, Gooloogong, Lowther, Meadow Flat, Palmers Oaky, Portland and Wallerawang.

    Contact:(02) 6354 9999 | council@lithgow.nsw.gov.au | Fees and charges

  • Manning Great Lakes Memorial Gardens, Pampoolah

    Options for interment: into existing grave, gardens or scattering

    Contact: (02) 6550 0755 | admin@mglmg.com.au | website

    Council cemeteries:‍ ‍

    • Barrington

    • Bo Bo Creek

    • Bulahdelah

    • Coolongolook

    • Coopernook

    • Copeland

    • Dawson River

    • Elands

    • Failford

    • Forster

    • Gloucester

    • Killabakh

    • Krambach

    • Lansdowne

    • Marlee

    • Mitchells Island

    • Moorland

    • Oxley Island

    • Redbank

    • Stratford

    • Stroud

    • Tea Gardens

    • The Bight (Wingham)

    • Tinonee

    • Tuncurry

    • Wingham

    Options for interment: into existing grave, columbarium, gardens or scattering

    Contact: (02) 7955 7777 | council@midcoast.nsw.gov.au‍ | ‍Web page | Fees - search “ashes”

  • Cemeteries: Mudgee, Cudgegong, Gulgong, Hargraves, Ilford, Lue, Rylstone Kandos, Tannabutta, Ulan, Windeyer, Wollar.

    Note: depending on the location, ashes can be interred in a grave or memorial wall.

    Contact: (02) 6378 2850 | council@midwestern.nsw.gov.au | Website | Fees and charges

  • Cemeteries: Muswellbrook, Denman, Giant’s Creek and Wybong.

    Options for interment: grave (each cemetery) or columbarium (Muswellbrook and Denman)

    Contact: (02) 6549 3700 | council@muswellbrook.nsw.gov.au | Website | Fees and charges

  • Council cemeteries: Oberon, Black Springs, Burraga, Isabella, O'Connell, Porters Retreat, and Shooters Hill.

    Note: up to two sets of ashes can be interred in a grave. Oberon Lawn Cemetery has a rose garden where ashes can be interred.

    Contact: (02) 6329 8100 | council@oberon.nsw.gov.au | website | fees and charges

  • Privately operated:

    These only offer a columbarium wall:

  • Council cemeteries:‍ ‍Comboyne, Herons Creek, Kendall, Laurieton, Rolland Plains and Wauchope.

    Options for interment: existing grave site or columbarium

    Options for interment: existing grave, wall niche

    Contact: (02) 6581 8111 | council@pmhc.nsw.gov.au‍ | Web page | Fees - search “ash”

  • Lincoln Grove Memorial Gardens

    Contact: (02) 6761 5707 | Email | Website‍ ‍

    Council Cemeteries (open):‍ Tamworth, Attunga, Barraba, Bendemeer, Bowling Alley Point, Dungowan, Manilla, Kootingal/Moonbi, Hanging Rock, Nundle and Somerton.

    Options for interment: existing grave (open or closed cemetery), columbarium, garden

    Contact: (02) 6767 5555 | Email | Web page | Fees and charges - search “ashes”

  • Cemeteries: Scone, Aberdeen, Gundy, Merriwa (168 Flaggs Road), Moonan Brook, Murrurundi, Upper Rouchel, Sparkes Creek (Thornthwaite), Stewarts Brook and Wingen.

    Options for interment: grave (all cemeteries) and columbarium wall (Scone, Aberdeen, Merriwa Cemetery (168 Flaggs Road), and Murrurundi).

    Contact: (02) 6540 1100 | council@upperhunter.nsw.gov.au | Website | Fees and charges

  • Council cemeteries: Crookwell, Bigga (Marks Street), Binda, Dalton, Gunning (Wombat Street), Peelwood, Stonequarry Taralga and Tuena.

    Options for interment: grave (each cemetery) or columbarium wall (Crookwell, Gunning, Stonequarry Taralga).

    Contact: (02) 4830 1000 | council@upperlachlan.nsw.gov.au | Fees and charges 

    Crookwell Uniting Church cemeteries: Jerrara Uniting Church and Wheeo Uniting Church 

    Contact: (02) 4832 1026 | crookwelluniting@gmail.com | Website

  • Wagga Wagga Lawn Cemetery and Crematorium

    Options: 

    • Crematorium: various memorial gardens and a scatter garden, niches and rustic niche  

    • Lawn Cemetery: Granite, lawn headstone set with ashes niche (section 12 only) 

    Other cemeteries: Wagga Wagga Monumental, Tarcutta, Humula, Currawarna and Uranquinty. 

    Option at all cemeteries: grave or placing of ashes in the coffin of another person at time burial

    Contact: (02) 6926 9310 | cemetery@wagga.nsw.gov.au | Website | Fees and charges - search “ashes”

  • Cemeteries:‍ ‍General (Walcha), Catholic (Walcha), Nowendoc and Woolbrook.

    Options for interment: existing grave, columbarium, garden

    Contact: (02) 6774 2500 | Website | Fees and charges - search “ashes”