News

More room for remembrance at Shepparton cemetery

By Brynne Timewell

Jun 23, 2026

The Shepparton Cemetery has completed stage four of the mausoleum with a $1 million upgrade. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

The Shepparton Cemetery has completed its $1 million upgrade of its mausoleum and is now expanding its lawn area, as demand for alternative burial options continues to grow.

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Construction of stage four of the mausoleum development began in February last year, with completion seeing 72 new crypts added.

The initial stage was carried out after fundraising efforts in 2011, with proceeds from each sold crypt now going towards funding the later stages.

Vice-chairperson Vince Sagoleo said the decision to expand the mausoleum came after major public interest.

“There was a high demand and a lot of inquiries about the mausoleum,” Mr Sagoleo said.

“The trust came up with enough funds to start it and through the sale of crypts we’ve been able to continue the upgrades.”

A spot in the premium middle-row crypts is currently priced at $32,055, with places in the upper and lower crypts costing $26,120.

From July 1 prices will increase by 3.1 per cent in line with CPI adjustments.

Shepparton Cemetery trust chairperson Rick Brun and vice chairperson Vince Sagoleo are excited about stage four of the mausoleum. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

Trust chairperson Rick Brun said the mausoleum provided an important option for local families.

With Cobram being the only other cemetery in the region to house a mausoleum, families would otherwise have to travel further past the border, or south to Melbourne.

“Having the mausoleum here means people can remain close to their family and community,” Mr Brun said.

The mausoleum also offers a unique emotional connection for people visiting a loved one.

“My dad is in there [the mausoleum] and one of the advantages is that you can physically touch the crypt and say, ‘That’s Dad there,’” Mr Brun said.

In addition to the upgrade of the mausoleum, the trust has added two new paths in an extension of the lawn cemetery, with works expected to be completed in the coming weeks.

The lawn cemetery began around seven years ago as an alternative to traditional burial plots and is proving extremely popular.

With continued room for future expansions and strong community interest, the cemetery trust believes the recent upgrades will play an important role of meeting the needs of the region for many years to come.