Pick up a cemetery plot at pop-up sale in Scarborough

The cliffside cemetery's ash internment wall has been full for some time but in January this year, Wollongong City Council started work to increase the space.

The result is an extra 480 memorial wall placements available and Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery said people are already looking to buy.

"Already, we've received interest from our community who have held onto their loved one's ashes in hopes of memorialising them at Scarborough Cemetery," Cr Bradbery said.

"In response to this interest, we're hosting two pop up sale days at the cemetery. These will be an opportunity for community members to check out the new section, ask our Memorial Gardens staff questions and perhaps purchase a spot."

The pop-up sale days are July 6 and 20 from 9am to 11am.

The cemetery site has had a long history of burials dating back to the 1890s, but Cr Bradbery said space restrictions had stopped that from happening in recent years.

"Scarborough Cemetery is one of the most scenic locations in the city, but it's also limited by space as it overlooks the coastline," Cr Bradbery said.

"Up until very recently, there has been no room for new ash placements, with the cemetery already home to over a thousand ash memorials.

"Now that works have finished, we're pleased to share that the new memorial space and garden is open.

"This will come as good news to those who have long been interested in memorialising their loved one at the Scarborough Cemetery and now have the opportunity to purchase a place in the wall."

Cr Bradbery also said the council was working on the design of a new Aboriginal burial section at the Wollongong Lawn Cemetery.

"This long-term project, done in consultation with local elders, as well as the Illawarra Aboriginal Corporation and the Illawarra Local Aboriginal Land Council, is an exciting next step for the cemetery," Cr Bradbery said.

"Once completed, the project will offer an appropriate burial place for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people."

Council is developing the final concept design, which included looking at how best to manage drainage and water flow in the area.

"This is a long-term project, and it's important we get this essential preliminary work done right so that we can be sure the design meets the community's needs," Cr Bradbery said.