About
Carr Villa Memorial Park, providing a peaceful and respectful location for families to honour their loved ones.
Established in 1905, Carr Villa is situated 5km from Launceston CBD, nestled amidst the suburbs of Kings Meadows and Norwood. Spanning over 50 hectares of land, Carr Villa stands as the principal cemetery and crematorium complex serving Launceston and the wider Northern Tasmania region.
Operating for over a century, the Carr Villa site represents a remarkable blend of nature, history, art, and spirituality. Featuring mature aged trees, rosemary hedges, manicured lawns, and picturesque landscaped gardens, the site offers a peaceful, tranquil setting for both commemoration and reflection.
Owned and operated by the City of Launceston, Carr Villa's dedication lies in offering services that resonate with the needs, beliefs, and preferences of the community. Our burial, ash placement and memorial services are anchored in principles of respect, compassion, integrity, and trust.
Carr Villa's Crematorium provides cremation services for funeral homes and has been operating since 1939. The Carr Villa Chapel, seating 70 guests, is the perfect private location for funeral or memorial services and is available for community use.
Carr Villa's Client Services Team are committed to supporting individuals and families as they make important, long-term decisions that are reflective of their needs, wishes and beliefs as they honour their loved ones, or plan for the future.
Carr Villa history
Carr Villa Memorial Park is not just a place of burial but a living testament to the history, culture, and resilience of the community it serves.
The Tasmanian Government purchased Carr Villa around 1880 then leased the site to the Launceston Metropolitan Corporation, which chose it as the city's new cemetery in 1895. Overcrowding at smaller cemeteries meant there was a pressing need for Carr Villa; however, locals were concerned the site was too far from the centre of town, municipal boundary, public transport and water supply.
By 1902, opposition had waned and contracts were let for preparation. The State Government loaned £3000 but engineer Charles St. John David, who had earlier designed the town's hydro power station, sewers, public buildings and Brisbane's tram system, completed the task with £500 to spare.
By 1904, five of 20 acres had been cleared and levelled, new trees and shrubs planted plus a supervisor's house and mortuary chapel built.
John Doran was the first man to be interned on August 1, 1905. Later that year on December 2, Annie Scanlon was the first woman to be buried. Annie's grave is among the first rows on the left as you enter Carr Villa.
Carr Villa Memorial Park slowly grew, five acres every five years under St. John David's guidance and denominational boundaries rearranged in 1922. Two years later, St. John David died and was buried in the cemetery he created. His grave is the first upon entering the main gates with the epitaph, "Si Monumentum quaeries circumspice" which translated means, "If you seek his achievements, look around you".
The standard of upkeep diminished in following decades, particularly around the time of World War One and Great Depression.
By 1937, the Launceston City Council had invested just over £10,000 to build features including a crematorium, chapel and rose gardens.
After the Second World War, routine returned to the community and the original loan for Carr Villa was paid off, though the operation ran at a loss largely due to burials and cremations being administered apart. Only when cremations overtook burials in 1968 did Carr Villa register a small profit.
In the late 1970s, level lawn sites, pools and shrubbery began to change Carr Villa's appearance to fit in with its surrounding nature reserve. A decade later, preservation of Carr Villa's heritage became important, and the site's earliest graves were kept along with its new. Monumental sites became available soon after.
Please contact the Client Services Team on 03 6323 3600 or email carrvilla@launceston.tas.gov.au for all enquiries.