Three years ago, Aroha Tupaea tragically passed away at the young age of 19 due to a sudden cardiac arrest. Her family and friends sought to honour her memory with a small yet beautiful tribute at her grave. However, they are now embroiled in a distressing conflict with Pinegrove Memorial Park in Sydney, which they describe as heartless for repeatedly removing personal mementos and restricting decorations to fresh flowers only.
Aroha’s demise marked a devastating loss for her mother, Nicole Biggar, who has now buried three daughters. The situation is further compounded by the cemetery’s strict enforcement of its regulations, which prohibits cherished items such as photographs and ornaments. Nicole labels the cemetery’s actions as callous, adding to her family’s grief.
Chloe Kessell, Aroha’s best friend, took solace in decorating Aroha’s resting place with meaningful items, but now finds herself disheartened as these tokens have been taken away and regularly discarded during the cemetery’s cleanups, which also target artificial flowers.
Pinegrove Memorial Park justifies its policies, stating they aim to ensure the health and safety of visitors and staff. Despite this, Chloe argues that artificial flowers could serve as a more lasting alternative, especially given the rising costs of fresh flowers.
Local Member of Parliament Tanya Davies has joined the family’s cause, advocating for a change in cemetery policies. She is backing an online petition initiated by Chloe, which has gathered over 1200 signatures and is set to be presented in the NSW parliament.
Pinegrove’s management insists that their ornamentation rules are intended to maintain a safe, well-kept environment, consistent with policies across many cemeteries in New South Wales. They also mention compliance with regulations that require them to publicly disclose what commemorative items are allowed.
As the family seeks to reclaim their right to honour Aroha’s memory on her grave, they continue to fight against what they perceive as arbitrary rules that strip away the personal touch essential to their mourning process.