Find a grave, burial plot or memorial

• SMCT's free Deceased Search tool lets you find a grave, burial plot or memorial across three Melbourne cemeteries: Bunurong Memorial Park, Springvale Botanical Cemetery and St Kilda Cemetery.
• You can search by name, service type (buried, cremated or memorial), date of birth or death, or grave reference number.
• With over 1,000,000 people commemorated across SMCT's cemeteries, you may need additional identifying details - such as a middle name, date of birth or date of service - to locate the right record.
• If you can't find a grave using the online tool, contact SMCT directly or request further information from the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

On this page

1. How to find a grave or burial plot
2. How to use the Deceased Search tool
3. Important Information - Please note
4. Deceased Search Disclaimer
5. Frequently Asked Questions

Looking to find a grave in Melbourne or across Victoria? SMCT's free Deceased Search tool helps you locate burial records across our cemeteries. Whether you're researching family history, planning a memorial visit, or trying to find a grave for a loved one, this guide will help you use our search tool effectively.

Our records cover interments at Bunurong Memorial Park, Springvale Botanical Cemetery and St Kilda Cemetery, with over 1,000,000 people commemorated across our sites.

Step 1 - Visit the search page Go to smct.org.au/deceased-search to begin your search.

Step 2 - Select a cemetery Choose from our list of cemeteries to narrow your search to a specific location.

Step 3 - Enter your search details You can find a grave or burial record by searching for:

• Service type (buried, cremated or memorial)
• Full name or partial name

Use the advanced filters to also search by:

• Grave location or reference number (if known)
• Date of funeral service
• Date of birth or death

Tick the box to accept the Terms & Conditions, then click the search button.

Step 4 - View your results Matching records will appear in a list showing the name, cemetery, service type and date of service. Click on any result to view the individual record, which may include further details such as grave location, reference number, religion or cultural preference and any additional information held on file.

If no records match your search, a message will advise you. When searching by reference number, only one record will appear as each individual has their own unique reference number.

If you're having trouble locating a loved one's resting place, please contact us for assistance.

• Due to the Privacy Act, we are prohibited from disclosing the names of the authorised owner/s or next of kin of a deceased person.
• Early records are not as comprehensive as more current ones and in most instances do not provide more detailed information.
• The Deceased Search Facility does not provide information on headstone or plaque inscriptions.
• Neither the Deceased Search Facility nor records held have information on maiden names, names of parents, names of siblings, newspaper announcements, or immigration.
• If you require more extensive information, e.g. headstone/plaque inscriptions, photographs, listings of names etc., a fee may apply.

Tenure Expiry Date

If the tenure of a memorial you have selected has expired, a message will be displayed to contact Administration. Please contact our End of Tenure team for more information on (03) 8558 8299 during normal business hours.

Recent Losses

Commemorative plaques and monuments can often take a number of months to complete. Therefore, a permanent memorial location may appear on the facility before the memorial is established.

Temporary Memorials at the Walls of Reflection

Springvale Botanical Cemetery provides a free temporary memorial for up to three months for cremated remains. These locations are not listed on the Deceased Search facility.

General Deceased Search Disclaimer

There are well over 1,000,000 people commemorated within Bunurong Memorial Park, Springvale Botanical and St Kilda cemeteries. Thus, it is not uncommon for our records to include a number of people with the same name. In this case, you will require additional accurate information about the person you are searching for so that you can verify the records found.

Records may be validated by information such as the cemetery location, the full name of the deceased (middle name), the age of the deceased, the date of birth, the date of death and the date of service.

If you do not have the additional information needed to validate a record, it may be obtained from the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages.