Mackay Cemetery Guide: Mount Bassett, Walkerston, Sarina and More

Whether you are choosing a resting place, planning ahead or looking for a grandparent's grave, it helps to know how each Mackay cemetery works. This guide explains the six council cemeteries, how to search burial records and cemetery maps, your options for ashes, and cemeteries in Proserpine, Bowen and Collinsville.

Mackay region cemeteries at a glance

Mackay Regional Council looks after six operating cemeteries. Here is a quick summary from council's cemeteries page:

Cemetery	Location	Type	Ashes options
Mackay Cemetery	Cemetery Road, West Mackay	Heritage listed, monument only. Burials in existing family plots only	Ashes in existing family plots
Mount Bassett Cemetery	Mount Bassett Cemetery Road, towards Mackay Harbour	Lawn and monument sections	Five columbarium walls and five Garden of Memories areas
Walkerston Cemetery	Peak Downs Highway, just outside Walkerston	Monument only. The only council cemetery where vaults can be built	Three columbarium walls
Marian Cemetery	Stayts Road, Marian	Monument only	Columbarium wall
Mirani West Cemetery	Cemetery Road, off Mackay–Eungella Road	Monument only	Columbarium wall
Sarina Cemetery	Cemetery Road, Sarina	Monument only	Two columbarium walls

Interactive

Find a cemetery near you

Choose an area, tap a town on the map, or pick what you are looking for. Includes the Whitsundays cemeteries in Proserpine, Bowen and Collinsville.

All areasMackayPioneer ValleySarinaWhitsundays

Looking for:Columbarium nichesLawn sectionGarden sectionsHeritage listedVaults

9 cemeteries shown

MackayRecords from 1872

Mackay Cemetery

Cemetery Road, West Mackay

• Heritage listed
• Monument only
• Existing family plots only

Ashes: Ashes burials in existing family plots

Council publishes a Heritage Walk brochure.

Mackay Regional Council cemeteries page ↗ (opens in a new tab)

MackayRecords from 1953

Mount Bassett Cemetery

Mount Bassett Cemetery Road, towards Mackay Harbour

• Lawn section
• Monument section
• Garden of Memories

Ashes: Five columbarium walls (granite and brick) and five Garden of Memories areas

Map also available with numbered beams.

Mackay Regional Council cemeteries page ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Pioneer ValleyRecords from 1885

Walkerston Cemetery

Peak Downs Highway, just outside Walkerston

• Monument only
• Vaults can be built

Ashes: Three columbarium walls (granite and brick); the brick wall has double niches

The only council cemetery where vaults can be constructed.

Mackay Regional Council cemeteries page ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Pioneer Valley

Marian Cemetery

Stayts Road, Marian

• Monument only

Ashes: Brick columbarium wall

Shares a combined council map with Walkerston and Mirani.

Mackay Regional Council cemeteries page ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Pioneer Valley

Mirani West Cemetery

Cemetery Road, off Mackay–Eungella Road

• Monument only

Ashes: Brick columbarium wall with double niches

Shares a combined council map with Walkerston and Marian.

Mackay Regional Council cemeteries page ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Sarina

Sarina Cemetery

Cemetery Road, Sarina

• Monument only
• Suitable for special Muslim cultural burials

Ashes: Two columbarium walls (granite and brick)

Please tell us early about any faith or cultural needs.

Mackay Regional Council cemeteries page ↗ (opens in a new tab)

WhitsundaysFirst recorded burial 1861

Bowen Cemetery

John and West Streets, Bowen

• Memorial
• Lawn
• Beam
• Palm Memorial Garden

Ashes: Columbarium wall section

The oldest cemetery in the Whitsunday region.

Whitsunday Regional Council cemeteries page ↗ (opens in a new tab)

WhitsundaysFirst used in the 1880s

Proserpine Cemetery

Crystal Brook Road, Proserpine

• Lawn
• Rose Garden
• Historic memorial areas

Ashes: Columbarium wall section

Our Proserpine office on Mann Street is close by.

Whitsunday Regional Council cemeteries page ↗ (opens in a new tab)

WhitsundaysBurials from 1927

Collinsville Cemetery

Scottsville Road, Collinsville

• Queensland Heritage Register (2009)

Ask us or Whitsunday Regional Council about current options.

Whitsunday Regional Council cemeteries page ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Summarised from Mackay Regional Council and Whitsunday Regional Council information. Details can change, so please check with council or simply ask us.

Each Mackay cemetery in a little more detail

Mackay Cemetery (West Mackay)

Burials here are recorded as far back as 1872. It is still operational, but only for full or ashes burials in existing family plots. Council publishes a Heritage Walk brochure if you would like to explore its history.

Mount Bassett Cemetery

Mount Bassett, on the way to Mackay Harbour, has both lawn and monument sections, with burial records dating back to 1953. It is also the only council cemetery with memorial gardens for ashes.

Walkerston Cemetery

Burial records here date back to 1885. It is the only council cemetery where vaults can be constructed.

Sarina Cemetery

Because of its positioning, council notes it is the only cemetery in the region suitable for special Muslim cultural burials. If faith or cultural needs shape your plans, please tell us early.

Historical cemeteries

Council holds only limited details about older cemeteries, such as those at Hampden, Eton, Glenella, Nebo and Grasstree. The Mackay Historical Society also keeps records for many of these smaller sites.

How to search Mackay cemetery records and find a grave

Using council's burial register search

Mackay Regional Council's burial register can be searched on its online customer portal. Council's tips:

• Add an asterisk after the given name (for example, Joseph* or Jose*) to widen your results. If the person had a middle name, they will only show up if you use the asterisk.
• To see everyone with the same surname, leave the given name blank.

If you need more detail, such as an exact plot location, you can contact council directly through its website or by email at council@mackay.qld.gov.au.

For deeper family history research, see the Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages family history service and Queensland State Archives' guide to cemetery records.

Cemetery maps

Council publishes PDF cemetery maps on its cemeteries page: Mackay Cemetery, Mount Bassett (plus a version with numbered beams), a combined Walkerston, Marian and Mirani map, and Sarina. Downloading the right map before you visit can save a lot of wandering on a hot afternoon.

Options for ashes: columbarium walls, Garden of Memories and family plots

If your loved one has been cremated, including by water cremation, Mackay's council cemeteries offer several gentle options.

• Columbarium walls. A columbarium is a wall of small niches that hold ashes, each closed with a plaque. Granite walls are available at Mount Bassett, Walkerston and Sarina, with black granite-etched plaques. Brick walls, with brass or brass-coloured plaques, are available at every council cemetery except Mackay Cemetery. The brick walls at Mirani and Walkerston are the only ones with double niches for two sets of ashes together.
• Garden of Memories (Mount Bassett only). These memorial garden sites can be memorial only or, for an additional fee, hold ashes. Most sites allow for two sets of ashes.
• An existing family plot. Every plot allows for up to four ashes burials. The burial rights holder (or an authorised family representative) applies, and council asks for at least three business days' notice of your preferred date and time.
• Scattering. Permitted in all council cemeteries, on grassed areas only (never over concrete, headstones or monuments). Recording it in council's database needs an application and fee.

Niches and Garden of Memories sites can be bought at the time of interment, reserved ahead, or used as a memorial only. Since 1 July 2025, the plaque and interment are charged separately from the niche itself. Plaques are ordered through council and can take several weeks to arrive, so it is worth starting early if you have a date in mind.

Some families keep ashes at home in an urn for a while before deciding. If you are still weighing things up, our page on cremation in Mackay explains how it works.

Arranging a burial, and can you reserve a plot?

When a family chooses burial, council explains that the funeral director liaises directly with cemetery staff, so you don't need to contact council yourself. If a death has only just happened, our guide to what to do when someone dies walks you through the first steps.

Mackay Regional Council does not pre-sell burial plots unless there are exceptional circumstances. At the time of a burial, though, the family can reserve one adjoining grave, for example so a husband and wife can rest side by side. Columbarium niches and Garden of Memories sites, on the other hand, can be pre-purchased at any time.

Fees are set by council. Please check council's current Cemetery Fees and Charges 2026/27, or simply ask us. If you want to compare the overall picture, our guide to choosing a funeral director in Mackay walks through burial, water cremation and memorial options side by side.

Burial rights, headstones and caring for a grave

When a grave, niche or garden site is purchased, council issues a deed, or certificate of right of burial. The holder decides who can be buried there, approves any headstone or plaque, and is responsible for looking after the grave. Keep it somewhere safe, such as with your solicitor.

Burial rights cannot be sold, but a vacant or reserved plot or niche can be transferred to another person or surrendered back to council.

Council does not supply or install headstones. If you would like a headstone, monument or lawn plaque, a qualified stonemason will handle the application with council, with the burial rights holder's permission. Temporary markers, such as a simple wooden cross, are allowed for a limited time. Planting trees, shrubs or plants is not permitted in council cemeteries.

Cemeteries in the Whitsundays: Proserpine, Bowen and Collinsville

In Proserpine, Airlie Beach, Cannonvale and Bowen, Whitsunday Regional Council manages three active cemeteries:

• Bowen Cemetery (John and West Streets): the oldest in the region, with its first recorded burial in 1861. It has Memorial, Lawn, Beam, Palm Memorial Garden and columbarium wall sections.
• Proserpine Cemetery (Crystal Brook Road): first used in the 1880s, with Lawn, Rose Garden and columbarium wall sections as well as its historic memorial areas.
• Collinsville Cemetery (Scottsville Road): gazetted for burials from 1927 and listed on the Queensland Heritage Register in 2009.

Whitsunday Regional Council's online "Find an Ancestor" search covers its transcribed cemetery registers. Its rules differ from Mackay's; for example, its Cemeteries Policy allows reservations at each of its cemeteries. Our Proserpine office on Mann Street can help families across the Whitsundays with local arrangements, and you can see the areas we serve.

How Gentle Way Funerals can help

Burials and ashes interments involve forms, statutory declarations, plaque wording and dates. When you are grieving, you shouldn't have to work through that alone.

Gentle Way Funerals can:

• talk you through which cemetery suits your family
• liaise with council to book the burial, including reserving an adjoining plot where allowed
• arrange the interment of ashes in a niche, the Garden of Memories or a family plot

Our burial service is $5,800 (inc GST), and direct water cremation starts from $2,640 (inc GST). See our pricing or try the funeral cost planner for an itemised, no-obligation picture. If you are thinking ahead, a free pre-planning chat is a good place to start.

Frequently asked questions

We're here when you need us

Whether it's a burial at Mount Bassett, a niche at Walkerston or a place for ashes in the family plot, you don't have to arrange it alone. Call (07) 4881 0491, any time, and our local team will gently take care of the details with council. You can also contact us online.