Cemeteries

Recovered and missing memorial plaques

More than 100 memorial plaques were stolen from sites at Tweed Heads Lawn and General Cemetery on 20 August 2024. They were later recovered, and police are continuing their investigations into the incident.

The recovered plaques were badly damaged and are being assessed for repair or replacement at a foundry. The cost will not be passed onto the families, as Council has agreed to pay this expense. When the plaques are returned and placed, cemetery staff will let the families who contacted Council know.

The completed plaques are expected to be back in place in early 2025.

Recovered memorial plaques - Tweed Heads Lawn and General Cemetery

In alphabetical order of surname.

Surname Christian Name/s Section Row Plot
ANDREW William Vincent 172 A 3
ARMSTRONG Lillian Maud 172 A 2
BAINE Thomas Joseph 171 A 4
BLAIR Albert Moore 163 B 1b
BOURKE Ernest 164 C 7
BROWN Thomas Arnold 166 C 7
BUTLER Patrick Thomas Daniel Joseph 165 B 2
BYRNE Kevin Charles 163 C 7
BYRNE David Alexander and Ivy Jean 172 B 4
CAFE Evelyn Ruby 164 C 3
CHAPPELL James Clifford 174 A 8a
CHITTS Joan Clare 172 A 1
COFFISON Emily May 171 A 5
COLLIS Edith Marion 171 B 7
CONLEY Helen Jessie 163 C 3
CORNEY Lillian Ethel Mary 163 C 5
CULLEN Eva Jane 158 C 1
DANVERS Michael Anthony and Marjorie Mavis 164 B 7
DANVERS Paul Anthony 164 B 8
DAVIDSON Glen William and Noeleen Merle 164 B 1
DAVIS Joseph Wilfred 172 B 5
DEEHAN John Patrick 164 C 4
DIAMOND Eric 163 B 7
DYER Alice 173 A 1
EDE Godfrey Stafford and Clare Evelyn 175 C 6
FARLEY Harry Leeden 171 A 1c
FINN Alexander 159 C 8
FIRTH Vivian Francis 159 D 3
FLAHERTY Adelaide Gwendoline 172 B 2
FORBES Carlisle Norman 171 B 1a
FRIEND Jacqueline Gweneth 164 C 6
GALLAGHER John Gregory and Veronica Susan 173 A 3
GAY Allan Ian and Edna Maude 174 A 1
GILL Winnifred Monica 171 B 8
GRAY Harold 174 A 8
HALL Elizabeth Annie 165 C 7
HALLIDAY Bruce Crawford and Norma 175 D 1
HARRIS Eunice Jane 172 B 6
HAYES Mary 172 A 6
HOLT Charles Edwin Geoffrey 166 C 4
JARVIS Harold William George 171 A 1
JOHNSON William Frances 163 B 1c
JONES Ernest Charles 163 B 2
KEKEL Anton and Peter 171 B 2
KELLEHER Beryl Emily 166 C 2
KELLY Delma Mary 163 C 2
KELLY Frederick 163 C 5
KEMPNICH Patrick Aloysius 175 D 3
KING Clarence John William and Dora Marie 175 C 2
KOENIG Ivan Theodore 175 C 1
LEVEY Alleyne 165 C 8
LOGAN Mary Patricia and Cedric Howard 175 C 4
LOWREY Grace Noble 171 B 1
MANN Mervyn William 163 C 1c
MASON Victor Oliver and Catherine Florence 166 B 8
MATTHEWS Edith Myrtle May 164 C 2
McCARTHY Thomas Patrick and Gloria Margaret (Small ashes plaque still on-site) 165 C 6
McCONNELL Patrick Martin 174 A 3
McGINLEY Jack Leslie 159 B 7
McGUIRE Lillian Elizabeth 172 B 8
McLEAN Linden 172 A 8
MOLYNEUX Colleen Kay 171 A 1b
MUDGE Graham 163 C 1b
MUSSING Thomas 171 A 3
MYE William 166 C 6
NEWELL Effie Hastings 172 A 7
PAGE Beryl Margaret 172 B 7
PARKES Jeffrey Edgar 163 C 1a
PARSONS John Horatius 171 B 1b
PARSONS George Thomas 171 B 1c
PARTRIDGE John Colin 172 A 5
PAULSON Frank David and Adrian 163 B 5
PEARCE Robin May and Alexander Francis 173 B 6
PHILIP Annie Catherine 163 C 6
PHILLIPS Donald James and Gladys Anne 163 B 1a
POWER Adele Mabel 172 B 1
PRICE Eileen Madeline Mary and William Anthony 165 C 5
RALSTON Glendon Maxwell 171 A 1a
RATCLIFF Hanorah and Henry James 175 C 3
RENNES Stephen Calder 171 B 6
RETCHLESS Dawson Harold and Maureen 174 A 7
SANDERSON Josephine Bianca 171 B 5
SATTLER Warren John 164 C 8
SEIDENKAMP Carrol Charles Henry and Catherine Hannah 163 B 6
SIMPSON Edward Leslie 158 C 7
SLOANE Leonard Keith 171 A 7
SLOCKEE Norman Edgar and Joyce Bertha 163 B 4
SMITH Richard John 165 C 3
SMITH Donald Fisher 165 C 4
SONNEVELD Anna and Arie 165 B 1
STANLEY Albert Leslie and StClair Jane 164 B 4
SUTTON Charles Patrick 172 A 4
SYMONS Reginald George and June Mary 165 B 3
TALBOT Neil Phillip 176 B 1
THOMAS Kathleen Mary 175 D 5
THORNE Edward Nuttal 171 A 2
THORNTON Lincoln Stewart 164 C 5
TOOTELL James 164 B 5
WALE Frank Kitchener and Violet 164 B 6
WEST Arthur Edwin and Isobel Rowena 163 B 1
WHITE Charles William 166 C 8
WILLIAMSON Edward James 164 C 1
WINTERTON Frederick Kenneth 174 A 4
WYLIE Ruby Florence 173 A 5
WESTAWAY Freda Mary 173 A 5

Council has recognised that additional plaques are missing from Murwillumbah Lawn Cemetery. The cemetery employees will be notifying the impacted families on next steps.

Missing memorial plaques – Murwillumbah Lawn Cemetery

In alphabetical order of surname.

Surname Christian Name/s Section Row Plot
AROUTSIDIS Carolyn Louise 258 B 6
BROWN Joan Veronica & Edward Ambrose 289 D 5
BRYAN George & Sylvia Eileen May 276 B 1
COLLIER Benjamin Jack 266 B 3
DALY Denis Francis & Ida Veronica 256 B 2
EDWARDS Alice Marion 255 B 6
FAULKNER Denis Edward 285 B 5
FORD Edgar James & Alma Rose 258 B 4
GILLESPIE Kenneth George & Delma Claire 254 B 3
GUDGEON Michael Charles 282 C 5
HUGHES Alice Teresa 280 B 3
KING Mary 257 B 1
MARTYN Marjorie Joyce 256 A 4
McMAHON Eileen Joan & Vincent John 278 A 5
MURRAY Donald Charles 282 C 1
PATCH Wayne Allen 269 C 6
RENEHAN Brenda Patricia & William Eamonn 279 D 6
STOVIN Sylvia Ethel 255 A 1
WIDDOWSON Emily Ada 266 B 3

Council is asking for community assistance in identifying the names associated with the plaques so impacted families can be notified. If you recognise the name of a family member on either list, please call Council on 02 6670 2400 or email tsc@tweed.nsw.gov.au.

Police have taken the plaques into evidence. Once returned, cemetery staff will assess the condition of the plaques and work with impacted families on next steps. Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to come forward and contact Tweed Byron Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Council's cemeteries provide peaceful and respectful surrounds in some of the Tweed’s most beautiful locations.

We manage 11 cemeteries, from the large regional facility, Tweed Valley Lawn Cemetery, to our smaller village cemeteries.

Burial plots and memorials to store ashes are available, offering a special place for friends and family to remember loved ones. 

We offer a full list of high quality and cost-effective services, whether you're planning ahead for your own funeral or farewelling a loved one.

All services can be provided in one location, offering a more relaxed, less stressful day for family and friends.

Contact us

The Tweed Valley Cemetery Administrator is available during Council business hours.

Please phone to make an appointment to organise burial and ash interment sites.

Appointments are essential for all enquiries.

Cemetery opening hours for visiting grave sites

Vehicle access to the Tweed Valley Cemetery parking area is available from 6 am to 7 pm from the eastern entrance 7 days a week.

The western entrance closes at 4 pm Monday to Friday and is closed on weekends and public holidays.

Pedestrian access is available at all times from the eastern entrance.

Customer service

Our Compliments and complaints handling policy(PDF, 156KB) provides a framework for effectively managing customer compliments, complaints and anonymous requests. Council also offers a Customer service charter policy(PDF, 124KB) and has guidelines for Service standards and performance.

Private burials on private land

As Council’s duty is to protect public health, no area can be used for private burials unless written permission of Council has been obtained. See Council's Cemeteries and pprivate burials policy(PDF, 122KB).

Council may consider an application for a burial on private property under the Public Health Act 2010 and the Public Health (Disposal of Bodies) Regulation 2012.

An application should be made in writing, accompanied by a site plan and the current fee. Applications are not considered if the land parcel is less than 5 hectares.

Private cemetery/burial on private land - online form

Contact us: Call Council’s Environmental Health Services on 02 6670 2400.

Note: Establishing a private cemetery may need a development application, contact Council’s Development Assessment Unit on 02 6670 2400.

Frequently asked questions

Can I scatter the ashes of my loved one at the beach, a river or a public park or reserve?

This practice is allowed throughout the Tweed, however you are to ensure that discretion is applied so that the general public are not impacted or affected by the ashes being scattered (be mindful of wind and its direction before scattering of ashes) and that ashes are not scattered in the vicinity of bathers or beach users, or users of a park or reserve.

A record of the scattering of ashes can be recorded in Council's Cemetery database for a standard administration fee (contact the Cemetery Administrator on 02 6670 2435) that will record the deceased details and location of scattering. This may be important for future generations looking for their family history.

What do I do when someone dies?

Contact the person's doctor. A doctor must certify that death has occurred.

In most cases, funeral arrangements cannot be completed until the doctor has signed and issued a Death Certificate. A funeral director can then take the deceased into their care.

In Australia, the great majority of deaths occur in hospital or other care facilities, where the facility's authorities take care of the medical formalities.

In certain instances, it might not be legally possible for the doctor to issue a Death Certificate and there is a need for police and coronial involvement.

Who is responsible for arranging a funeral?

In most instances, the next of kin is responsible for arranging the funeral of the deceased, for example, a spouse, child, parent, legal partner or sibling.

In the rare occasion there is a dispute and a legal will exists, the will's nominated executor is responsible for organising the funeral. The executor has the option to appoint a person to make the necessary arrangements with a funeral director.

If the deceased resided in an institution and had no known relatives, authorities at the institution might need to make necessary arrangements. This is usually done by a social worker or another authorised officer.

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