A decision to change the headstone design for new graves in Pine Lodge cemetery has angered those who have buried their loved ones there in recent months.
Shepparton’s Ray Cox was devastated to discover that instead of getting the traditional style of an angled raised headstone that is uniform with all other graves at the cemetery, the row his father is buried in had changed.
Instead, his beloved father Stan Cox is buried in a row with a flat footpath-like surface, and people instead stick their plaques either flat to the concrete or on a flat piece of granite.
More recently, Braydon Bux also buried his father in the same section and was disgusted when he discovered the new design.
Their fathers’ graves look to be among 16 buried in this cemetery row.
Both also said they chose the cemetery because of the uniformity of the lawn grave sites.
“No-one is looked upon any differently. It doesn’t matter if you are a millionaire or only had two-bob,” Mr Cox said.
“This was my Dad’s dying wish. He said he wanted to be (buried) there for one reason and I feel like I have failed him.”
Although he buried his father five months ago, the headstone area remains a raw point for Mr Cox.
He said his mother had only been to her husband’s graves twice because the new layout upset her too much.
“Mum said it’s like we’ve put him aside and forgotten about him,” he said.
“It’s not right.
“I want it to be uniformed. There’s no uniformity.
“It’s about a bit of respect. And it feels like they’ve got no respect.
“My Dad was 92. He was my world. And then for me to put him like that — it makes me feel s***.”
Mr Bux lives in Sydney now but returned to Shepparton to bury his Dad Brett Bux.
He said he and his siblings also chose Pine Lodge Cemetery because their grandfather was buried there, and they liked how all the graves looked the same.
“If I had known it would be like this, I probably wouldn’t have sent my Dad there,” Mr Bux said.
“Now we have literally been given a footpath, and you put your plaque on a footpath.
“Why should our loved ones have this? It’s just not up to standard.
“I just don’t think it’s fair.
“We shouldn’t have to deal with this right after I’ve buried my Dad. I want to start to grieve.”
Both men said they had also spoken to family members of other people buried in the same row as their fathers and were also unhappy about how things were.
The section where their fathers are buried is in the last few rows in that part of the cemetery, meaning all the graves look the same until that particular spot.
When contacted by the News, a spokesperson for Remembrance Parks Central Victoria — the trust responsible for running the Pine Lodge Cemetery — said “an operational decision” was made by the former chief executive officer in late 2022 to start the construction of flat beams as opposed to angled beams at the cemetery.
“Unfortunately, this was done without consultation with the community or with the local funeral directors,” the spokesperson said.
However, the spokesperson said the decision was likely made because flat beams were “commonly used in lawn burial sites” and were “more versatile”.
The spokesperson confirmed RPCV’s new chief executive officer would visit Pine Lodge Cemetery soon to meet privately with people who wanted to discuss their specific issues.
She also said the topic of flat and angled beams would be on the agenda of an RPCV infrastructure committee mid this month, with the committee to “consider all options available”.
RPCV will consult directly with people who have bought burial sites at the cemetery, funeral directors and the general community “before making a final decision on this matter”, the spokesperson said.
State Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell said several families had contacted her about headstone changes.
She said the decision to change the grave designs without consultation with families was a “slap in the face” to families and showed that the Bendigo-based Remembrance Parks Central Victoria Trust board had no empathy or compassion for Shepparton families.
She is calling on a representative from Greater Shepparton to be appointed to the board of the trust to represent the community’s views.