SYDNEY’S ‘SLEEPING CITY’ COMES TO LIFE FOR ROOKWOOD HERITAGE DAY

Go behind the scenes of a working crematorium, watch a grave digging demonstration and discover the famous – and infamous – people who have their final resting places at the Southern Hemisphere’s largest cemetery.
Sydney, September 2026: One of Sydney's most fascinating historic sites is opening up for a free day of tours, demonstrations and discovery, giving visitors a rare chance to explore what lies behind the gates of Rookwood Necropolis.

On Sunday 13 September, Rookwood Heritage Day will invite Sydneysiders to discover more than 150 years of history at one of Australia's most significant cemetery landscapes and see a side of Rookwood Necropolis they may never have expected.

Visitors can go behind the scenes of Rookwood's crematoriums, watch a live grave digging demonstration, explore the restored Frazer Mausoleum, see vintage hearses and police cars, and take a trackless train through the historic grounds.

There will even be a mushroom coffin on display, alongside contemporary urns and memorial jewellery, traditional stonemasonry, weaving workshops, heritage exhibitions, live music and food.

For those interested in the stories behind the headstones, the Dead Famous Tour will uncover the lives of some of the remarkable figures laid to rest at Rookwood, including newspaper proprietor and women's suffrage pioneer Louisa Lawson, bushranger Captain Moonlite, merchant and philanthropist Mei Quong Tart, retailer David Jones, newspaper proprietor John Fairfax, architect James Barnet and biscuit maker William Arnott.

Established in 1867, Rookwood was originally known as Haslams Creek Cemetery but soon became known as Rookwood Necropolis, from the ancient Greek for “city of the dead”. More than 150 years later, the sprawling cemetery remains a remarkable record of Sydney's past, with the stories of generations of Australians captured in its graves, monuments, architecture and landscapes.

Metropolitan Memorial Parks CEO Denise Ora said Heritage Day was an opportunity for people to experience Rookwood in an entirely different way.

"People don't necessarily think of spending a Sunday exploring a cemetery, but Rookwood is an extraordinary place. There are more than 150 years of Sydney's stories here, told through the people, monuments, architecture and landscape," Ora said.

"Heritage Day is about opening those stories up. You can visit the resting places of people who helped shape Australia, see craftsmanship that has survived for generations and go behind the scenes of places most people would never normally see.

"We want to showcase Rookwood as a place of history, culture, community and memory, and there is an enormous amount here to discover."

Catholic Cemeteries + Crematoria CEO Lauren Hardgrove said the event would give visitors a rare look at both the history of Rookwood and the way cemetery traditions continue to evolve.

“Rookwood tells us as much about how people lived as it does about how they died. Across its grounds you can see how Sydney’s cultures, faiths and traditions have changed over generations, and Rookwood Heritage Day is a chance to explore those stories firsthand,” Hardgrove said.

“It’s also an opportunity to see how the way we remember people continues to change, from traditions that have been practised for generations through to some of the very different choices families are making today.”

The event forms part of NSW History Week 2026, with this year's theme Keeping Stories. Rookwood Heritage Day is jointly presented by Metropolitan Memorial Parks and Catholic Cemeteries + Crematoria.

Rounding out the day, visitors can step inside St Michael the Archangel Chapel, uncover the story of the railway that once carried coffins and mourners into Rookwood, and see traditional stonemasons at work as MMP launches its Masters of Stone Exhibition. There will also be a self-guided Stations of the Cross walk, community displays and the My Wishes Café, inviting visitors to have a very different kind of conversation about how they want to be remembered.

Rookwood Heritage Day is a free, all-ages event, with food, live music and activities throughout the grounds.

EVENT DETAILS

Rookwood Heritage Day
Sunday 13 September 2026
9.00am – 2.00pm
Rookwood General Cemetery & Crematorium
Free