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Burial plot up for sale for $100,000

It turns out Australia's housing crisis extends beyond the grave, as it's now equally expensive to die in Sydney as it is to live. A graveyard in Sydney has wait lines longer than that of an Eastern Suburbs rental property, with plots at the exclusive Waverley Cemetery now up for sale for up to $100,000. Eyebrows were raised online when the plot at the cemetery was advertised for sale on Facebook Marketplace, with the ad reading that the plot is “used – like new” and is available “in perpetuity”. To sweeten the deal, the burial site’s owner states it has “ocean views” and is in a “quiet neighbourhood,” which is no doubt what one must take into consideration your forever home. Other plots in the same cemetery are also up for sale for a lesser $50,000 and $70,000. Talking to <a title="9now.nine.com.au" href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/sydneys-cemetery-crisis-exposed-as-100k-grave-listed-on-facebook-marketplace/fc2311a8-3591-4625-84f2-340de78d9f98" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Current Affair</a>, Ben Kelly from the Australasian Cemeteries and Crematoria Association, said cost of living pressures, or perhaps cost of dying pressures, were a factor even in the graveyard industry, given the rising cost of cemetery maintenance. “Waverley Cemetery is a beautiful, historic cemetery with extremely limited capacity left,” Mr Kelly said. “As the population grows these cemeteries are filling up and they are creating new ones but they are further and further away. “So when the spots do come available they are obviously of a premium.” A place in Waverley Cemetery has long been highly sought after, with the heritage listed site boasting impressive Victorian and Edwardian monuments and memorials, as well as ocean views that are... to die for. While there are definitely some people prepared to fork out the expensive sum for their prime spot in the ground, others weren't so sure. “It sounds disgraceful to be honest,” one passer-by told ACA, when told of the price of a plot at the graveyard. “I think that’s ridiculous”. Competition to get into Waverley Cemetery is so fierce that new plots with perpetual rights are no longer available, with the graveyard instead offering renewable internment rights. This allows for the burial of human rights for a minimum initial term of 25 years which then has to be renewed, and even then, there's an extensive waitlist. The extortionate prices after reflected in a 2020 report by the NSW Government, which found some of Sydney’s largest and most well-known public cemeteries were in there “final years” of being able to accommodate new burials and will likely be full by 2032. Image credits: Facebook / A Current Affair

Money & Banking

Princess Di's relative lays to rest longstanding burial myth

Princess Diana's relative has corrected a longstanding myth about where the late Princess of Wales is actually buried. Countess Karen Spencer, who is married to Diana's brother Charles, responded to a fan on her Instagram account to address the claim. Since Princess Diana's death in 1997, there have been many rumours about where she was actually laid to rest. After a large funeral in Westminster Abbey, Diana's casket was returned to her family home for burial. She was buried within a mausoleum on the Oval Lake, on an island in the middle of the Althorp estate, where she grew up. Lady Diana spent her childhood and teenage years at Althorp House, a 90-room stately home located in Northamptonshire, prior to marrying the Prince of Wales in 1981. There is no public access to the island where Diana is buried, with a seperate memorial laying elsewhere on the Althorp grounds for members of the public to pay their respects. Since the Princess's death, she believe she is not buried at Althorp at all. Instead, it's claimed the late Princess of Wales was laid to rest alongside her late father John, who died in 1992, in the Spencer family vault at St Mary's Church in Great Brington. But the countess has now publicly denied such claims. Sharing an innocent photo of the Oval Lake to Instagram, one person asked the countess about the rumour. They said, "I saw online that she may have been buried in the family crypt with her father in a church which was used by the Spencer family". Karen commented below, "The law in the UK is that she would have needed to be creamated [sic] in order to go in the crypt and that was not what she wanted, so that wasn't possible." Another person added to the conversation, "Thank you for publicly addressing this longstanding myth. A statement from the family has been the missing piece in 26 years of speculation." While another comment said, "Agreed this is the first public statement from the family. A bit bizarre it's in the Instagram comments section but at least it's now been addressed!" Image credits: Getty Images

Caring

Our cemeteries face a housing crisis too. 4 changes can make burial sustainable

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kate-falconer-1171812">Kate Falconer</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hannah-gould-999499">Hannah Gould</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Australia’s housing crisis is no secret. What many people don’t realise is that there’s another, less visible housing crisis. Australia’s urban cemeteries are <a href="https://theconversation.com/housing-the-dead-what-happens-when-a-city-runs-out-of-space-70121">running out of space</a> to house the dead. In Sydney, for example, a <a href="https://www.cemeteries.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/Statutory-Review-of-the-Cemeteries-Crematoria-Act.pdf">2020 report</a> found all of the city’s existing public cemeteries would be full by 2032. This will leave the communities they serve without a place to bury their dead. We know how to solve this crisis. A few key changes can make Australia’s cemeteries more sustainable and viable for generations to come. But these changes require political will to act. That’s because the solutions involve changes to the state-based laws that govern cemeteries. We can start with Victoria’s <a href="https://www.health.vic.gov.au/cemeteries-and-crematoria/cemeteries-and-crematoria-regulations-2015">Cemeteries and Crematoria Regulations 2015</a>, which must be updated by 2025. <h2>Make renewable grave tenure the default option</h2> Most Australians <a href="https://theconversation.com/losing-the-plot-death-is-permanent-but-your-grave-isnt-33459">assume graves last forever</a>. This system of perpetual tenure is mandatory in Victoria and the ACT. It’s the (near-universal) default in New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania. But this system makes our burial space a “single use” resource. Overseas, perpetual tenure is the exception rather than the rule. Almost all <a href="https://www.talkdeath.com/cemetery-overcrowding-leading-europe-recycle-burial-plots/">European</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/lack-of-burial-space-is-changing-age-old-funeral-practices-and-in-japan-tree-burials-are-gaining-in-popularity-161323">East Asian countries</a> have limited tenure for burial, or actively encourage cremation. Where grave renewal occurs in Australia, it happens a long time after burial, typically between 25 and 99 years. By this time, the physical remains of the grave’s previous occupant have significantly degraded. Any remnants are preserved in an ossuary or dug deeper into the soil. Cemeteries in South Australia and Western Australia already have renewable grave tenure. Families have an option to extend tenure, should they wish to do so. By making renewable tenure the default option across Australia, cemeteries will greatly increase future capacity. If all of Sydney’s public cemeteries adopted a 35-year renewable tenure system, for example, it has <a href="https://www.cemeteries.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/Statutory-Review-of-the-Cemeteries-Crematoria-Act.pdf">been estimated</a> the city’s burial needs over the next 99 years would require 38% less land. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zysuo1Pw-2w?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>One of Perth’s major cemeteries is redeveloping existing burial grounds in response to running out of space.</figcaption></figure> <h2>Create dedicated natural burial grounds</h2> One simple, more environmentally friendly option is “<a href="https://www.gmct.com.au/services/natural-burials">natural burial</a>”. Natural burial eschews embalming, caskets made from hardwood or metal, and monumental headstones. Instead, the body is buried in biodegradable materials, such as wicker or cardboard. Green burial grounds are popular in the United Kingdom and Europe. They require less irrigation and maintenance. They also offer <a href="https://theecologist.org/2019/jan/14/case-natural-burial">a way to conserve natural woodlands</a> and so help foster biodiversity. Some Australian cemeteries offer <a href="https://smct.org.au/murrun-naroon-natural-burials">natural burial as an option</a> next to traditional grave plots. There are, however, few dedicated natural burial grounds. Legislating natural burial grounds as distinct entities will allow specific regulations that give priority to regular grave renewal and positive environmental impact. Natural burial grounds may also make “better neighbours” than traditional cemeteries if communities are going to be <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-23/sydney-is-running-out-of-burial-space/101881570">asked to live alongside new cemeteries</a>. Overcoming resistance to new cemetery developments is essential to secure future burial capacity. <h2>Legalise alternative disposal methods</h2> We are all familiar with burial and cremation. But what about dissolving bodies in an alkaline solution – known as “<a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/could-water-cremation-become-the-new-american-way-of-death-180980479/">water cremation</a>” or “alkaline hydrolysis” – or transforming them into compost (“natural organic reduction”)? These options have <a href="https://theconversation.com/life-after-death-americans-are-embracing-new-ways-to-leave-their-remains-85657">robust environmental credentials</a>. They require less space than burial, as they produce portable remains in the form of ashes or soil. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64140571">Several US states</a> now permit these options. In most of Australia, these options exist in a legal grey area. In <a href="https://content.legislation.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-04/03-80aa034%20authorised_0.pdf">Victoria</a>, authorisation must be sought from the Department of Health to dispose of a body other than by burial or cremation. Queensland has no comprehensive cemeteries legislation, and thus no guidance on the legality of these alternatives. <a href="https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/pdf/asmade/sl-2011-568">New South Wales</a> legalised water cremation (but not natural organic reduction) in 2011. The state now has two such facilities. Other states and territories should follow NSW in explicitly legalising viable alternative disposal methods. This will ease pressure on cemeteries and provide greater choice to families. <h2>Invest in cemeteries as multi-use green spaces</h2> Current regulatory frameworks emphasise the cemetery as a space of sombre reflection and remembrance. <a href="https://content.legislation.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-07/15-59sra003%20authorised.pdf">Victoria</a>, for example, prohibits a wide range of activities, including dancing, fishing and sport. However, as <a href="https://www.acf.org.au/natural_solutions_needed_for_our_overheating_cities">green space becomes scarce</a> in Australia’s major cities, public opinion and current practices are falling out of alignment with such regulations. In a <a href="https://theconversation.com/visions-of-future-cemeteries-5-models-and-how-australians-feel-about-them-149150">recent national survey</a>, two-thirds of respondents disagreed with the sentiment that cemeteries were solely spaces for memorialisation. They supported the use of cemeteries as public green space. Historic cemeteries, where new burials and visits are rare, offer even greater potential as multi-use public space. In <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1618866722001418">cities overseas</a>, jogging, walking the dog and picnics are common in these cemeteries. Australia is yet to feel the full effects of the impending crisis of cemetery space. While big changes are needed to avert this crisis, at least the path forward is clear.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205987/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kate-falconer-1171812">Kate Falconer</a>, Lecturer, T.C. Beirne School of Law, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hannah-gould-999499">Hannah Gould</a>, Research Fellow, Social And Political Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/our-cemeteries-face-a-housing-crisis-too-4-changes-can-make-burial-sustainable-205987">original article</a>.

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17th-century Polish ‘vampire’ found buried with sickle across neck

The remains of a woman found in a 17th-century graveyard in Poland are believed to be an example of an ‘anti-vampire’ burial after a sickle was also found placed across her neck to prevent her from rising from the dead. Dariusz Poliński, a professor at Nicholas Copernicus University, led the archaeological dig where the remains were uncovered, with the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11173505/Remains-VAMPIRE-pinned-ground-sickle-throat-Poland.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail</a> reporting that the skeleton was found wearing a silk cap and with a protruding front tooth. “The sickle was not laid flat but placed on the neck in such a way that if the deceased had tried to get up… the head would have been cut off,” Professor Poliński told the outlet. According to the <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/17th-century-poland-vampires-werent-boogeymen-out-town-girl-or-boy-next-door-180953476/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Smithsonian</a> magazine, Eastern Europeans reported fears of vampires and began treating their dead with anti-vampire rituals during the 11th century. By the 17th century, these practices were common across Poland in response to reports of a vampire outbreak, per <a href="https://www.sciencealert.com/research-reveals-the-origin-of-poland-s-mysterious-vampires" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ScienceAlert</a>. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/09/skeleton-lady1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> The skeletal remains, pictured from above. Image: Łukasz Czyżewski, NCU Professor Poliński told the New York Post that there were other forms of protection to prevent vampires from returning from the dead, including cutting off limbs and using fire. “Other ways to protect against the return of the dead include cutting off the head or legs, placing the deceased face down to bite into the ground, burning them, and smashing them with a stone,” he said. The skeleton’s toe was also padlocked, which Professor Poliński said likely symbolised “the closing of a stage and the impossibility of returning”. This isn’t the first time a ‘vampire’ has been discovered by archaeologists either. Matteo Borrini, a lecturer at Liverpool John Moore University, discovered the remains of a woman who died in the 16th century and was buried with a stone in her mouth in a mass grave with plague victims. He explained that outbreaks of ‘vampires’ were often associated with periods where people were dying from unknown causes at the time - such as pandemics or mass poisoning. “These ‘vampires’ start to hunt and kill family members first, then the neighbours, and then all the other villages,” he said. “This is the classical pattern of a disease that is contagious.” The most recent ‘vampire’ remains, which were dug up in August, are being further investigated by scientists. Image: Mirosław Blicharski

International Travel

“Truly grotesque”: Ivana Trump’s golf course burial may help Trump get tax breaks

Ivana Trump, who <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/ivana-trump-s-cause-of-death-revealed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed away</a> aged 73 in her New York home in mid-July, has been buried on the grounds of her ex-husband Donald Trump’s golf club - and the choice of burial plot may grant the former US president some long-sought tax breaks. Ivana is the first person known to have been buried at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, a state where land taxes are notoriously high. But, cemetery land is exempt from all taxes, rates and assessments, with the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jul/31/donald-ivana-trump-cemetery-golf-course-taxes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Guardian</a> reporting that Ivana’s grave would therefore have “advantageous tax implications”. According to <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/465718872" target="_blank" rel="noopener">documents</a> published by ProPublica, the Trump family trust has previously sought to classify a nearby property in Hackettstown, New Jersey, as a cemetery company. Brooke Harrington, a professor of sociology at Dartmouth College, tweeted that she investigated claims that the placement of Ivana’s grave would benefit Trump. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> As a tax researcher, I was skeptical of rumors Trump buried his ex-wife in that sad little plot of dirt on his Bedminster, NJ golf course just for tax breaks. So I checked the NJ tax code & folks...it's a trifecta of tax avoidance. Property, income & sales tax, all eliminated. <a href="https://t.co/VDZBlDyuhQ">pic.twitter.com/VDZBlDyuhQ</a> — Brooke Harrington (@EBHarrington) <a href="https://twitter.com/EBHarrington/status/1553533320469905409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2022</a></blockquote> “As a tax researcher, I was skeptical of rumors Trump buried his ex-wife in that sad little plot of dirt on his Bedminster, NJ golf course just for tax breaks,” she tweeted. “So I checked the NJ tax code & folks...it's a trifecta of tax avoidance. Property, income & sales tax, all eliminated.” In 2012, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2012/02/03/146342330/fairway-to-heaven-trump-eyes-a-golf-course-burial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US radio station NPR reported</a> that Trump planned to build a mausoleum on the property, with the proposal later expanding to potentially containing 1000 possible graves. The plan, which attracted local objections, was later dropped and replaced with a design for a 10-plot private family cemetery” in the same spot before changing again into a proposal for a commercial 284-plot cemetery. Images of Ivana’s final resting place have begun circling online, with many calling out her family for its plain appearance in comparison to memorials to everything from Richard Nixon’s dog to Internet Explorer. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Internet Explorer got a nicer burial than Ivana Trump. <a href="https://t.co/tm5T1hX1bH">pic.twitter.com/tm5T1hX1bH</a> — Thomas (@tarnished_usa) <a href="https://twitter.com/tarnished_usa/status/1553121815517601794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2022</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Top: Richard Nixon’s dog ‘Checkers’ grave. Donald Trump’s first wife Ivana’s on his golf course. <a href="https://t.co/Rh9q96B8H0">pic.twitter.com/Rh9q96B8H0</a> — Hoodlum 🇺🇸 (@NotHoodlum) <a href="https://twitter.com/NotHoodlum/status/1553490177120681985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2022</a></blockquote> “Not sure which is more shocking - - that Trump had Ivana buried on his golf course for a tax write-off or that her three kids thought this was okay,” investigative journalist Victoria Brownworth <a href="https://twitter.com/VABVOX/status/1554049715184062465" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>. “You don’t have to be an Ivana fan to find this truly grotesque.” “You should be ashamed of yourself. This is a public display of your complete disgrace towards your own mother,” another person <a href="https://twitter.com/keraz37/status/1553538090609827842">tweeted</a>, along with a photo of Ivana’s plot surrounded by patchy grass and a golf court in the background. Image: Twitter

Money & Banking

Family traumatised after shocking burial blunder

A South Australian family have been left traumatised after the funeral of a much-loved mother was ruined by an unimaginable mistake. As Debby Giles was being lowered into the ground, her coffin was forced open as the grave was dug 20 centimetres too short. As her family was gathered around the burial site at the time of the blunder, the devastating issue caused Debby's mourning partner Kevin Bartsch to faint. “The lid lifted up a little bit because it scraped on the side of the wall,” Ms Giles’ son Nathaniel Mark told <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/sa/sa-mother-of-six-robbed-of-dignified-send-off-as-coffin-lid-forced-open-in-shocking-burial-blunder-c-6237437" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a>. “The coffin wouldn’t fit in the hole. It was stuck... like a quarter of a way,” Mr Bartsch said. Mr Bartsch was throwing petals onto his late-partner’s coffin, which was tilted diagonally, when he passed out. “They rolled straight off the coffin and then… I don’t know what happened after that,” Mr Bartsch said. The funeral director, who was present at the service, then allegedly began trying to force the coffin into the ground by pushing it down with her hands. “She was on the other side just trying to push it in,” Mr Bartsch said. Mr Bartsch says “it’s going to take a long time” before the image of that moment ceases to haunt him. Those at the burial site were then asked to leave so the coffin could be removed from its awkward position and the gravesite size corrected. Debby's body was then buried without her loved ones present, with the grieving family saying the cultural significance of physically witnessing Ms Giles’ burial on their land was something that was taken from them. The funeral home blamed the local council for the mistake, with the Mid-Murray Council admitting fault and offering the family compensation. However, the family say no money could offer them a proper chance to say goodbye. Image credits: 7News footage

Caring

5 bizarre alternatives to burial and cremation

Back in the day, there were only two options when it came to dealing with death – you could be buried, or you could be cremated. These days, however, it’s a different story. From being turned into a diamond to having your ashes grow into a beautiful tree, here are 5 bizarre yet incredible alternatives if the “normal” methods sound a little dull. 1. Become a diamond A number of companies offer people the opportunity to have their (or their loved one’s) hair or ashes turned into beautiful, sparkling diamonds in a range of cuts and colours, so you can be with your loved one even in death and shine forever. 2. Grow into a tree Thanks to special biodegradable urns, you can “plant” your loved one in their favourite place and watch a beautiful tree grow from their ashes – a great option for nature lovers and those wanting to give back to the earth. 3. Fireworks Want to go out with a bang? You can – literally. If you’re not a fan of the idea of being trapped in an urn, you can scatter your ashes in style by having them fired into the sky in a glorious firework display – the perfect send-off for the vibrant, bubbly, colourful person in your life. 4. Be pressed into a vinyl record A US company called And Vinyly (what a pun!) has come up with a way for you to share your favourite song long after you’re gone – by having your ashes pressed into a working vinyl record. The ashes do interfere with the sound, but the “pops and crackles” you’d hear would simply be your loved one’s own stamp. 5. Become part of a reef Ideal for seafarers, surfers and lovers of the ocean, Reef Ball Australia’s “Rest in Reef” service allows you to have your remains become part of an eco-friendly, artificial reef so you can literally become one with the ocean. Have you ever heard of (or used) any of these services before? What would you like to be done with your remains when you pass? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

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Burial plot up for sale for $100,000

Princess Di's relative lays to rest longstanding burial myth

Our cemeteries face a housing crisis too. 4 changes can make burial sustainable

17th-century Polish ‘vampire’ found buried with sickle across neck

“Truly grotesque”: Ivana Trump’s golf course burial may help Trump get tax breaks

Family traumatised after shocking burial blunder

5 bizarre alternatives to burial and cremation

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