By CASEY NEILL
CLARENCE Reardon was just seven months old when he succumbed to a month-long battle with whooping cough on 19 March 1902.
The following day he became the first burial at Springvale Botanical Cemetery.
Last Thursday, Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (SMCT) named a new $12.9 million function and administration centre in his honour.
Health and Ageing Minister David Davis joined Clarence’s fourth cousins, Patricia Mourant and Bronwen Sanneman, to open the centre on 11 September.
“I think it’s lovely to respect the path when you’re building for the future,” Ms Mourant said.
“There are so many modern things now that don’t take into account the past.”
Cultural heritage manager and historian Celestina Sagazio said other cemetery features were named after trustees.
“What a wonderful thing for a little boy to have the centre named after him,” she said.
Ms Sagazio said Springvale was very remote when the cemetery opened.
“A lot of poor people and babies and wards of the state were buried here in the very early years because this cemetery undercut Melbourne General Cemetery,” she said.
“The railway opened in 1904 but was never very popular, so they never got the patronage that they wanted.”
She helped to track down Clarence’s family members.
“I tried to do my own research and, pardon the pun, I came to a dead end,” she said.
The Genealogical Society of Victoria completed a full search and discovered volunteer Wilma Mourant – Patricia and Bronwen’s mother, who was overseas last week – was “a descendent of the first wife of the grandfather”.
“I thought we would never find them,” Ms Sagazio said.
“The GSV are the experts and they came good.”
The cemetery recently cleaned and stabilised the historic grave.
“Just recently we were given permission from the Department of Health to use non-core funds – proceeds from tours, publications, donations – for the restoration of monuments,” Ms Sagazio said.
“That’s something that most of us have been arguing for for 20 years or more.”
SMCT CEO Jonathan Tribe said naming the centre in Clarence’s honour was symbolic of its role as a custodian of history.
“We could think of no better way of honouring his short life and, by doing so, acknowledging that our cemetery has served the community for over a century,” he said.
The function and administration facility is one of the largest investment projects the trust has undertaken. Construction started in July 2013.
The carbon-neutral complex includes seven botanical-inspired function rooms, a commercial kitchen, and a cafe-florist with alfresco dining deck and children’s playground.
The first floor is SMCT’s principal headquarters.
The building was designed to blend seamlessly with Springvale Botanical Cemetery’s expansive gardens, with surrounding trees reflected in its specially treated glass facade.
Each function room accommodates up to 50 guests and the flexible floor plan can combine with adjoining rooms to accommodate larger gatherings.
