Hundreds of Australians, including war veterans, are being buried in unmarked communal graves
Hundreds of Australians, including war veterans, people experiencing homelessness and others unable to afford funeral costs, are reportedly being buried in unmarked communal graves in New South Wales and Queensland.
An investigation by The Guardian Australia identified more than 100 unmarked graves across New South Wales, including at Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney. The graves reportedly contain the remains of four to six people buried together without individual headstones.
Those buried in the communal graves include Vietnam veterans, cancer patients, people affected by gambling addiction and severe mental illness, as well as migrants whose families could not afford the cost of returning their remains to their home countries.
The investigation found that in at least six cases, authorities failed to contact relatives, friends or support workers before the individuals were buried. Such failures could breach a New South Wales government policy intended to prevent unnecessary distress to people who may have wanted to make alternative funeral arrangements.
One case involved Roger Davies, a rough sleeper who was buried alongside four strangers at Rookwood Cemetery without his sister Chantel Dubsky being informed. Dubsky said her brother deserved to be buried among his family and loved ones rather than treated as someone without connections.
The investigation also identified 18 people in the communal graves who had experienced homelessness. Leaders in Sydney’s homelessness sector said they were unaware that such burials were taking place and had not been given opportunities to help arrange alternative funerals.
The Rev Bill Crews Foundation, a Sydney-based homelessness charity, said it had repeatedly raised concerns with the state government about the use of unmarked communal graves. The revelations have prompted renewed concerns about how governments treat people who die in poverty and whether families are being given adequate opportunities to make funeral arrangements.
