Greendale Cemetery gets new shed

AFTER standing for close to two centuries, the Greendale Cemetery’s original storage shed now has a larger, younger sibling.

The Greendale Cemetery Trust have made use of their new shed since its construction in July.

The original shed has been the site’s primary building since the cemetery’s establishment in 1866, and trust chair Simon Lidgett said the new facility is a boon for mourners and management.

“It’s shelter if the weather comes in a bit rough because there’s no facilities here whatsoever other than the little shed which doesn’t house many people,” he said.

“We’ve been called out a number of times over the last few years with this weather. A shower comes over and there’s nowhere to hide.

“It’s a dual-purpose shed.”

The structure will soon be embellished in the coming months with a plaque dedicated to one of two of the trust’s lifetime members Patrick Shannahan.

Having joined in 1970, he said he’s humbled to be celebrated for his years of service.

“I’m very honoured the trust is recognising me in this way,” he said.

“I’ve found it a great honour to have been able to assist and particularly in times of need when people have aggrievement, you’re able to help in any way you can to help them overcome the loss of their loved ones.”

Mr Shannahan said the new shed responds to a growing need for the cemetery from further afield than Greendale.

“We’re finding we’re getting people from Melbourne buying plots here so the shed’s getting too small for what we want to do,” he said.

The shed and shelter structure marks the first new facility for the cemetery since the columbarium erected in 2016 by local Ian Roberts.

The columbarium was the cemetery’s first major development since its opening in the 19th century.

“Because we’re a small cemetery with no income, things move pretty slow around here,” Mr Lidgett said.

Both developments are the result of about three decades of savings from the trust, which is currently comprised of eight trustees and two life members.