The Geraldton Guardian

Geraldton Cemetery supporters were recently welcomed to an event more upbeat than what the cemetery usually hosts as a thank-you for the contributions they have made to the facility.The Geraldton Cemetery receives has received charitable contributions from businesses and people throughout the community.Last week they took the time to show their appreciation, inviting their supporters to an event more upbeat than usual.“All the good football teams have a supporter base. That’s what these folk are,” Cemetery Board chairman Max Correy said.The Batavia Coast Rotary Club built two pergolas this year, while the Walkaway Country Women’s Association has provided catering for post service gatherings.“Someone came along a couple of days ago and said, ‘the cornucopia down at the infant memorial garden … looks a bit scruffy, we’ll bring some paint and do it up for you’,” Mr Correy said. “By having those things done for us, we’re able to do more with the money we generate.”The cemetery, which Mayor Shane Van Styn described as the “flashest garden ... in town,” receives yearly grants from the City of Greater Geraldton, to the tune of $30,000. In the past, the board would have had to write an application, but recently the grant has been made a permanent part of the City’s budget. “A lot of local governments, particularly in regional areas, run cemeteries themselves,” Mayor Shane Van Styn said. “We don’t, and we’re actually quite grateful for that.” Credit: Edward Scown