Both St Joseph's Church at Willunga and St Peter's Church at Normanville have cemeteries adjacent. Graves in both cemeteries date from the very early days of settlement in South Australia.

Both cemeteries are meticulously maintained. The very old graves are treasured for their historical value. They provide a wealth of information for historians.

The Willunga cemetery has various sections including the old historical cemetery where the first burial took place in 1867. This section has many old-style slate and marble monuments and some of the old wrought iron grave fences still remain. There are some more recent graves with full monumentation. This section is now full and is seldom used these days for burials, except for some of the very old families, who still hold plots in this area.

There is a very interesting story regarding an early settler's grave. This story was included in the Official Opening booklet produced at the time of the opening of the new cemetery extensions at Willunga.

There is an excellent website which lists the details of the graves in the Willunga cemetery.

BURIALS

• HISTORICAL SECTIONS
There are no plots available in the old sections at either Normanville or Willunga cemeteries.

• ROSE GARDEN 1 - WILLUNGA
A few years ago, Rose Garden 1 was established and this consists of a kerbed area in which a red rose garden has been planted. Monuments consist of a granite or bronze plaque on a plinth. The graves are dug in the grass in front of the plinth.

• ROSE GARDEN 2 - WILLUNGA
Rose Garden 2 is similar to Rose Garden 1 except that the modular monuments are mounted on a concrete base. The graves are dug in the grass in front.

• BEAM SECTION - WILLUNGA
The Beam Section has upright monuments mounted on a beam. Height and width restrictions apply. The graves are dug in front of the beam.

• VAULT SECTION - WILLUNGA
The vaults are sealed with a concrete lid and full monumental work.

• NEW SECTION - NORMANVILLE
There are ample sites available.

CREMATION MEMORIALS

• NICHE WALLS - WILLUNGA AND NORMANVILLE
Niche walls, for the interment of cremated remains, are available at both cemeteries. Once the remains are placed in the wall, a standard-sized bronze plaque is fixed in place to cover the niche.

• NATIVE TREE SECTION - WILLUNGA
The Native Tree Section has 'rustic' and small upright monuments mounted on a beam.

• GAZEBO MEMORIAL - WILLUNGA
The Gazebo Memorial is a new edition to the Willunga cemetery. Cremated remains are interred in this area and a bronze plaque is fixed to the seating around the sides of the gazebo.

All enquiries regarding burial sites and memorials must be directed to the Curators of the Parish cemeteries. The fees and costs were revised in 2017 and are available online - Willunga Parish Cemetery Fees.