Building Harkness Memorial Park: Learning from Locals
John Bentley, President of the Friends of Melton Botanic Garden (R) and Barbara Frampton, group Secretary (L), examine plants at the Melton Botanic Garden nursery.
Nestled in the volcanic plains of Melbourne’s west, Harkness Memorial Park is in a location notorious for its dry, wind-lashed conditions and flat land. Trees and plantings for a development of this scale need to be carefully selected to thrive well past the opening date – a challenge that demands more than theoretical knowledge.
This is where community collaboration shines. After decades of farming, local knowledge and lived experience is having an active hand in biodiversity regeneration at Harkness Memorial Park. Working with community groups, the Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (GMCT) is drawing insights from those who know the land best – including volunteers who’ve spent years discovering what works in these challenging conditions.
In the fifth video of our Building Harkness Memorial Park series, we meet the Friends of Melton Botanic Garden, whose deep botanical expertise is helping shape a memorial park designed to flourish for generations to come.
Community expertise in action
“The Melton Botanic Garden is a wholly community initiative,” explains group President, John Bentley. “Volunteers manage the development and garden enhancements.”
For over 20 years, the Friends of Melton Botanic Garden have cultivated both local indigenous plants and species from across the world. Their hands-on experience and proven knowledge of what works in the region’s specific conditions is invaluable to major landscape projects like Harkness Memorial Park.
“We’ve taken the landscape design team on a walk around the garden, looking at specific plants that would suit that area,” says John. “That was really great because it’s the sharing of ideas.”
This collaboration goes beyond simple consultation. When GMCT’s design team walked through the Melton Botanic Garden with community volunteers, they were accessing years of trial, observation, and intimate knowledge of the landscape.
The result is a landscape co-designed with community, that supports local biodiversity, habitat restoration, and long-term sustainability.
Sharing knowledge
Members of the Friends group have regularly participated in Harkness Memorial Park’s community workshops, where diverse voices come together to help shape the park’s design.
“I attended a couple of workshops and there were representatives from many religious groups and community groups,” reflects group Secretary, Barbara Frampton. “So it was very interesting.”
These workshops represent genuine opportunities for different communities to learn from each other while contributing to shared decision-making. When Friends group members share their unique knowledge of native plant flowering seasons and habitat creation alongside discussions of cultural memorial practices, the conversations become richer and more informed.
The conversation extends beyond logistics – exploring the deeper question of what memorial spaces can mean to different people. Rather than imposing predetermined designs, GMCT uses these collaborative sessions to understand how different communities want to use and experience the space, with the Friends group’s expertise helping translate those needs into practical landscape solutions.
Volunteers at the Melton Botanic Garden nursery.
A new shared space for Melton
The Friends of Melton Botanic Garden bring a particular perspective to Harkness Memorial Park because they understand how thoughtfully designed landscapes can serve multiple purposes.
“The nature of cemeteries has changed, and I think the choice of plants, the layout of plants just makes it such an appealing place to go to,” says John.
This reflects the vision for Harkness Memorial Park: a cemetery within a park, rather than the other way around.
And for local community groups, Harkness Memorial Park represents more than just a new facility – it’s an opportunity to showcase what their region has to offer.
The Friends of Melton Botanic Garden have watched their community grow rapidly over recent decades, and they understand that major community assets like Harkness Memorial Park can help establish the area’s reputation as a destination worth visiting and a place people are proud to call home.
“It’s going to have something for everyone, not just for a funeral but to enjoy a nature-based memorial park,” says Barbara.
Growing together
As Harkness Memorial Park takes shape over the coming decades, its relationship with local community groups will continue to evolve.
“Community involvement is vital in major projects, and I think the cemeteries trust has done a wonderful job in informing and trying to engage the community,” says John.
The partnership between GMCT and local groups like the Friends of Melton Botanic Garden demonstrates what’s possible when community expertise is genuinely valued.
From the thousands of indigenous trees that will transform the former wheat fields to the careful selection of species that support local birdlife, this collaboration is creating a space that will serve as both a thriving ecosystem and meaningful memorial park.
-
Harkness Memorial Park is redefining what a cemetery can be. As the Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust’s (GMCT) first greenfield development, this landmark project will serve communities for generations to come.
Through a nine-part video series, titled Building Harkness Memorial Park, we’re taking you behind the scenes of Victoria’s largest new cemetery in the last century. Meet the people shaping this innovative space as we explore the vision, design, and community central to the park’s development.
Keep up to date with the project
The first stage of Harkness Memorial Park is expected to open in early 2027.
Keep up to date with our progress by subscribing for project updates or exploring our development timeline.