Geelong Memorial Park vandalised again

GEELONG Cemeteries Trust has reported new vandalism at The Pavilion at Geelong Memorial Park, and is urging the community to treat the Armstrong Creek facility with respect.

The trust says the floor of The Pavilion – which it describes as an open-air space thoughtfully designed for remembrance, reflection, and final farewells – had been damaged by electric scooters earlier this moth.

Previous incidents involving motorbikes left boards so damaged they had to be replaced, prompting the installation of box seating and gates to prevent further misuse.

“We take enormous pride in caring for our locations,” Geelong Cemeteries Trust chief executive officer Dean Matthews said.

“The Pavilion is a beautiful feature of the park where families gather to say their final goodbyes. To see it misused in this way is incredibly disheartening, for us and the community.”

He said ongoing repairs were also costly, too, but the impact was much more significant.

“Every act of damage isn’t just financial – it risks the space not being ready for when families need it most. And that’s something we don’t take lightly.”

Located along the water’s edge, The Pavilion is surrounded by natural parkland that many use for walking, including with their dogs.

The trust says it welcomes respectful recreational use, but ongoing misuse, whether through vandalism or failure to clean up after dogs, threatens the dignity of the shared public space.

“We welcome the community to enjoy these grounds with the respect they deserve,” Mr Matthews said.

“This is not just a park, it’s a memorial park. And it should be treated as such.”