Thousands of people pass by or through Melbourne General Cemetery every day, but we aren’t treating it as a precious inner city open space.

Much of it is very dry, with minimal vegetation, and many old graves are in disrepair.

Our cemetery could become a green, attractive destination for walkers and picnickers, while still respecting the graves it contains.

It’s also an important historical site which we should protect and could do more to promote as a destination worth visiting. And as our climate heats up, more trees will help counter the urban heat island effect and keep our neighbourhood cool.

Many cemeteries in Australia and around the world are already green havens, even tourist destinations, where the bereaved and the wider community can pass the time, walking, relaxing and picnicking.

Let’s make Melbourne General Cemetery the best it can be: a lush local walking spot, an iconic place to commemorate those who have come before us, and a peaceful, green space to visit.

If you’d like to be kept up to date with local efforts to green the Melbourne General Cemetery, please add your name.

And you can read my recent blog piece here, which goes into more detail.