Description

Held in collaboration with the Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (SMCT) and Open House Melbourne, Design and Death: Time Immemorial invites audiences to explore the intersection of design and death as expressed at Bunurong Memorial Park.

Following a Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country with the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation (BLCAC), the Time Immemorial panel conversation will look the cemetery’s new Miscarriage Memorial and discuss varying practices of memorialisation. 

Panellists:

• Damian Ramondetta, SMCT, Chief Customer Officer
• Hayley West, Artist and Death Literacy Advocate
• Melissa King, MISS, Founder and President
• Moderated by Amy Muir, Director, MUIR Architecture

In Memorial Landscapes: Aspirations + Design, SMCT's Head of Property, Infrastructure & Facilities, Nicholas Beck and Aspect Studio's Kirsten Bauer discuss how they tackled the unique brief for creating an inclusive space to meet the cultural, spiritual and future needs of the Victorian community.

Self-serve lunch

Refuel with a thoughtfully curated lunch, incorporating native ingredients and herbs grown on site in BMP's communal garden.

Afternoon breakout sessions

Gain a greater understanding of the cemetery’s design and its ongoing operations in one of a series of interactive afternoon breakout sessions.

Option one: Memorial Landscapes: Aspect Studio Tour 

Join Aspect Studio's Kirsten Bauer and Erwin Taal on a tour to hear about the planning, design and natural environments that shape and connect the space.

Option two: Call of the Dreaming

Presented by proud Bunurong woman Jillian West, this session explores Bunurong Memorial Park as a part of the cycle of birth, life and death on traditional Bunurong land. 

Option three: Grave Matters: Sustainability in Cemeteries

Hear Environmental Strategy Manager Nina Thomas on SMCT’s environmental strategy, being green within cemeteries, and the rise in popularity of natural burials.  

Option four: The Language of Flowers

SMCT’s Florist Team Leader Gina Kelly takes you through designing your own beautiful hand-tied classic floral bouquet, using predominantly locally grown flowers.