A man known as the “king of town hall” in Sydney, who was familiar to homelessness support workers, was buried in an unmarked communal grave with four strangers by the New South Wales government. Jon Swain, an adviser to the Australian Alliance to End Homelessness, was unaware of the burial until contacted by the Guardian.
This case is part of a broader investigation revealing that at least 17 other clients of Sydney homelessness support services have also been buried in similar unmarked communal graves by the NSW government. These burials occurred in bare patches of earth at Rookwood cemetery in western Sydney, often without a plaque or tombstone.
The investigation has prompted an apology from NSW Health, which oversees the process, and calls for prime ministerial intervention. NSW Health Minister Ryan Park has signalled his intention to end the practice of using unmarked communal graves. Homelessness support providers, including the St Vincent de Paul Society, stated they were not aware of these burial practices.
Rev Bill Crews, head of the Rev Bill Crews Foundation, said he was never informed about three former clients buried in communal graves, stating they would have received dignified funerals. He has been raising concerns about unmarked communal graves with the NSW government for many years without response.
NSW Health acknowledged it has not always treated those without financial means with dignity and respect, and committed to changing its approach. The NSW government has indicated it will increase cooperation with community and charity groups to seek funeral funding.