Cemetery at Highett

Unmade Graham Road opposite the Highett Railway Station, 1932. Courtesy John Brooks.

The Moorabbin council in 1928 opposed the development of a cemetery adjacent to the Highett station. The proposal was put by B Matthews on behalf of a new company to be known as the Highett Model Cemetery Company Propriety Limited. Matthews indicated the company would abide by all planning requirements and statutory regulations and, in addition, the company proposed to beautify the property. But this was insufficient to convince the councillors on the suitability of the project.

No councillor spoke in support of the proposal. Cr George, a Highett resident, acknowledged he had spoken with Matthews indicating his disapproval of the plan. He saw the development as being detrimental to the Highett shopping centre citing Cheltenham and Box Hill where cemeteries were just outside stations to justify his position. Cr Allnutt also used the Cheltenham example in support of his opposition. Cr Castle pointed out that the Oakleigh Council was doing everything it could to hide its cemetery from view, including constructing municipal offices. Cr Stooke saw Highett as just starting to progress and believed the cemetery initiative would set it back. He pointed to the existence of suitable ground in other places.

Five years later the New Cheltenham Cemetery was established approximately three miles distant from Highett on twenty one acres in Holloway (Wangara) Road. This land allocation was later expanded to approximately forty acres. This development was under the Cheltenham Cemetery Trust and is now known as the Cheltenham Memorial Park.