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Festivals, celebrations, events and tours

Macquarie Park’s calendar of events attract the spirited participation of numerous community groups, families and religious denominations.

The beautiful parklands, chapels and modern amenities attract large numbers to share in popular religious festivals, nondenominational celebrations and fascinating tours.

Moving formal ceremonies and memorial services are staged in memory of those fallen in world and regional conflicts.

Intimate family and cultural events recognise and honour those memorialised within the park and beyond.

A fitting commemoration of your special community or cultural event can be arranged by consultation with a community relations consultant via e-mail, phone (+61 2) 9805 0499 or complete an on-line enquiry right now to request further information or book one of our popular tours.

Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium is open to the community it serves every day, and continues to offer a unique and inspirational experience within its 64 hectares (160 acres) of attractive and meticulously maintained parkland.

On site catering, comfortable air conditioned modern function rooms plus ample parking make Macquarie Park your ideal north shore location for staging religious festivals, community events and memorial services.

The growing calendar of events and tours hosted at Macquarie Park have caught the attention of ever increasing numbers of public participants, community groups, associations and families in addition to Sydney’s varied ethnic, religious and cultural communities.

Public events that you are welcome to attend include:

All Souls Day ANZAC Day Armistice Day Ching Ming Festival Father’s Day OPEN DAY

Historic Lantern Tours Mother’s Day Macquarie Park Open Day Palm Sunday Victory in the Pacific Day

EVENTS FOR 2012	DATE	LOCATION
All Souls Day	11am (New Time)       Nov 3	Christ the Redeemer Mausoleum
ANZAC Day Memorial Service	Thurs  - April 19. 11am	RSL dedicated site. All welcome
PALM SUNDAY & Stations of the Cross	Sunday April 1, 2.30pm	Stations of the Cross, Olive Grove.
Historic Lantern Tours	One Friday per month.  Next Tour:     Friday February 17, 2012	2 hours gentle walk incl. supper.  Cost is $25.00 To book call 9805 0499.
Open Day and  Fathers Day Celebrations - 10am-2pm	2012 - To be advised	10am- Memorial Service with TJ Andrews   11am  Morning Tea    12 noon, Heroes Historical Tour   12 noon Grief Seminar with Mark Franklin All Day - 10am -2pm Family Consultants and Horticultural Advice
Victory in the Pacific	Thursday,  Aug  9	RSL Site
Armistice Day	Thursday, Nov  8	RSL Site
Mother's Day/Father's Day	As per calendar - Sunday	Palm Chapel 10am - All welcome

Religious Festivals

Christian and other holy days are marked with traditional services to remember, honour and celebrate the lives of loved ones on days of special significance. Light refreshments are available in the Park’s Cafe at the conclusion of formal services.

All Souls Day Memorial Mass - 11am

All Soul's Day (sometimes called the "Day of the Dead") is always 2nd November  (3rd November if the 2nd falls on a Sunday). All Souls Day Masses at Macquarie Park provide Roman Catholic families with an opportunity to attend Christ the Redeemer Mausoleum for a singular and significant Mass that remembers your friends and family who have passed away. It is your  time to pray for their souls that they may be received into heaven. 
(Parishioners write the names of their loved ones prior to the All souls Day Mass) 

Remember your loved ones with a name card on the ‘Wall of Remembrance’, regardless of whether or not they are interred within the cemetery.  Floral offerings of marigolds (considered the traditional flower of the dead), and candles are often placed on loved one’s graves with mementos, photos, and other remembrances of the departed.

Staged in conjunction with WN Bull Funeral Directors and the Holy Spirit Catholic Church North Ryde.

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday is one of Christianity's holiest days, it falls on the last Sunday of Lent (the Sunday before Easter). Come and walk the Stations of The Cross, a beautiful sculptured garden representing the 14 stations of Christ’s Passion and Death in Macquarie Park’s Olive Grove.

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week and commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Palm crosses are often blessed and placed in the homes of service participants or are placed on the graves of the departed.

In the simplest of terms, Palm Sunday is an occasion for reflecting on the final week of Jesus' life. It is a time for Christians to prepare their hearts for the agony of His Passion and the joy of His Resurrection.

Staged in conjunction with WN Bull Funeral Directors and the Holy Spirit Catholic Church North Ryde.

Ching Ming Festival

The annual Ching Ming ('Clear Brightness') festival falls in the third lunar month and is always celebrated at Macquarie Park. Families with ties to their Asian ancestry, clan and village origins gather in the Asian section to honour their ancestors and beautify their graves, to ensure sustained good fortune for the family and their business.

Nondenominational Celebrations and Memorial Services

Among our most well patronised events are special occasions that draw families together to pay their respects to, and celebrate the lives of loved ones. Macquarie Park also recognise the significant role of the Returned  Services League of Australia (RSL) in the community and the memory of those killed in various conflicts. In many cases light refreshments will be available in the Park’s Cafe at the conclusion of formal proceedings.

Father’s Day Memorial Service

The celebration of Father's Day (on the first Sunday in September) provides a special opportunity to honour your paternal ancestors and express the admiration of your father. Families often show their love by placing flowers on their father’s or grandfather’s grave, and attending Macquarie Park’s moving Father’s Day memorial service conducted by TJ Andrews in the Palm Chapel.  Light refreshments follow this moving dedication to dads everywhere.

Wearing a rose on Father's Day is gaining popularity as a symbol of paternal respect, a white rose signifies that a person's father is deceased, while a red rose is worn to honour a living father.

Mother’s Day Memorial Service

In Australia, Mother's Day is celebrated with enthusiasm and joy on the second Sunday in May. The Mother's Day memorial service  in the Palm Chapel is our most popular annual event and an opportunity to honour your maternal ancestors and express your appreciation for your mother. Families often show their love by placing the traditional gift of flowers on their mother’s grave, and attending Macquarie Park’s Mother’s Day memorial service conducted by TJ Andrews in the Palm Chapel. Light refreshments follow this moving dedication to mums everywhere.

As a mark of respect, the tradition of wearing a carnation on Mother's Day has gained popularity in recent years. A white carnation signifies that a person's mother is deceased, while a coloured carnation is worn to honour a living mother. Besides their own mothers children honour their grandmothers and other women who love and care for them as a mother does.

ANZAC Day Memorial Service

ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. On 25 April Australians commemorate ANZAC Day. It acknowledges the landing of Australian and New Zealand troops at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915.

Originally the term ANZAC meant someone who fought at Gallipoli, later it came to mean any Australian or New Zealander who fought or served in the First World War. During the Second World War, ANZAC Day became the day that the lives of all Australians and New Zealanders lost in war time were remembered. The spirit of ANZAC recognises the qualities of courage, mateship and sacrifice that were demonstrated at the Gallipoli landing.

(Mrs Peggy Williams OAM , Womens Land Army, lays a wreath for the ANZACS)

At Macquarie Park’s Returned Services Site, our ANZAC memorial service organised by the North Ryde RSL sub branch to commemorate the fallen and also acknowledge the conflict’s survivors. Their past sacrifice must never be forgotten.

Following the ANZAC memorial service light refreshments are available in the Park’s Cafe.

Armistice Day (Remembrance Day)

Originally called Armistice Day, after the signing of the armistice it commemorates the end of the first World War hostilities on 11 November 1918 - the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Armistice Day has been observed by the Allies as a way of remembering those who died, most especially soldiers with 'no known grave'. At Macquarie Park’s Returned Services Site Australians observe one minute's silence at 11.00 am on Remembrance Day each year to pay respect for the sacrifice of those who died or otherwise suffered in Australia's cause in wars and war-like conflicts.
Light refreshments are available in the Park’s Cafe at the conclusion of Remembrance Day formalities.

Victory in the Pacific Day

VP (Victory in the Pacific) Day is celebrated on 15 August. This date commemorates Japan’s acceptance of the Allied demand for unconditional surrender. For Australians, it meant that the Second World War was finally over. On VP day all Australians pause for a few moments to remember those Australians who gave their lives to help achieve the peace that VP Day stands for. At Macquarie Park’s Returned Services Site, our memorial service organised by the North Ryde RSL sub branch, also acknowledges the conflict’s survivors. Their past sacrifice must never be forgotten.

Light refreshments are available in the Park’s Cafe at the conclusion of VP Day formalities.

Macquarie Park Tours and Events

Macquarie Park Open Days

The Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium’s Trustees regularly open the park to the public to enable you and those like you to dispel the many myths and mysteries surrounding the funeral industry. You are encouraged to walk freely throughout the cemetery grounds or participate in one of the Behind the Scenes tours of Sydney’s most modern crematorium. Conducted Behind the Scenes tours of the park and crematorium are most suitable between 10:00am and 2:00pm from the administration building and function centre throughout each open day.

Historical Lantern Tours  

The entertaining, fascinating and unusual Historical Night Tours are an extraordinary way to bring to life the stories of the many notable and celebrated individuals buried within the Park’s extensive cemetery.

With tongue firmly in cheek, cemetery Community Relations Officer, Tom Sweeney, hosts each tour dressed as Mr Sowerberry the Dickensian parochial undertaker .

Your host will guide you by the light of his  lantern to the graves of some of the cemetery’s best-known residents. He’ll recount the stories of singer, Johnny O’Keefe (1935-1978), former prime minister, William Morris ‘‘Billy’’ Hughes (1862-1952) (RIGHT) and star of the Australian silent screen,   Lottie Lyell Cox (1890-1925) among others.

Everyone is issued with a personal torch for safety reasons.

There is a wealth of Historical importance among the Park’s 105,000 gravesites. The two-hour walking tours form an engaging and enjoyable part of Tom Sweeney’s quest to demystify cemeteries, funerals and cremations.

You will also be escorted on a behind-the-scenes look at the crematorium and the cemetery’s high tech chapels equipped to broadcast funerals live around the world via the internet.

Historical Lantern Tours are usually scheduled once a month on a Friday evening with participants assembling for  Mr Sowerberry's introduction at 7:00pm. Group size is limited and night tours are usually fully booked. To avoid disappointment call (02) 9805 0499 or complete the on line enquiry to reserve your place in advance.

Historical Day Tours

Macquarie Park’s Historical Day Tour is a one and a half hour (approx.) leisurely walk taking established paths to the most interesting historic areas to visit the graves of the park’s most celebrated and notable cemetery residents.  Subject to availability, a tour of the chapels and crematorium can also be included.  Ideal numbers for a tour range from 10 - 24.   Morning or afternoon tea can be prearranged in the cafe, please call ahead and confirm your cafe bookings on 9889-3899. A courtesy buggy is available for those with walking difficulties.

Funerals Are For The Living - Information Seminars

Macquarie Park also conduct enlightening seminars entitled ‘Funerals Are For The Living’ held either in house or at your community’s venue of choice.  These seminars aim is to answer your questions and address the classic concerns faced when organising a funeral. The laws and customs of NSW and the ways that funeral directors help is clearly and fully explained.

Looking for a Guest Speaker?

Demystifying the funeral industry is an ongoing program that Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium considers to be one of its important community responsibilities. Informative presentations on funeral advice, Park facilities and the workings of the funeral industry are available to local schools, clubs, associations, aged care facilities etc. For information contact  Macquarie Park’s Community Relations Consultant on (02) 9805 0499, or complete an enquiry today.

Newsletter "Around Our Grounds"

To ensure you are always up to date with events and tours at Macquarie Park subscribe to our informative Newsletter 'Around Our Grounds' or telephone one of Macquarie Park’s Community Relations consultants on (+61 2) 9805 0499.  To go on the mailing list please email admin@maccem.com.au

Macquarie Park has made every effort to ensure that event and tour details are correct and accurate prior to publishing. Events and tour information is provided on the basis that Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium will not under any circumstances be liable for any loss, damage or injury actual or inferred arising from any incorrect and/or inaccurate information published on or omitted from this internet site.

© Macquarie Park Cemetery & Crematorium, Sydney Delhi and Plassey Roads
North Ryde, NSW, 2113, Australia

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