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Woronora came into being after land that had been a brickworks and almost a racecourse was gazetted as a general cemetery on April 2 1895.
A short rail line linking the cemetery with Sutherland Station was opened for use on July 28 1900. The platform was situated where the present office stands. The advent of the motor funeral saw the decline in the use of the funeral train, with the last service running in 1944, Although the occasional circus train was said to have been shunted onto the line. The line finally closed in 1947.
Up to 1950's graves were usually surrounded by kerbing with a headstone attached, size and ornamentation more often than not reflected the economic circumstances of the deceased. Around this time the lawn cemetery concept was introduced, with a plain flat bronze plaque, because of this the headstone as an indicator of society and the storytelling epitaph have been lost to some extent.
As time went by the cultural diversity of the district was changing. In the 1970's above ground entombment was introduced. The Trust in the late 1990's constructed the Crypts of Christ the Redeemer, this building is designed to cater for 424 above ground entombments.
The cemetery is nearing capacity with the last large parcel of land being developed. It is expected that space for sale of the right of burial for new gravesites will be exhausted approximately 2025.
In 1929 the Trust discussed the building of a crematorium. The building designed by Louis Robertson, Architect and constructed by R Smith, Master Builder of Bexley was completed and officially opened on April 21 1934. The tender price being 8,974 pounds ($17948). The building, with several additions in keeping with the original design, is considered significant in the Art Deco style and is listed with the National Trust.
The memorial gardens keep expanding as cremation becomes more popular. As well as rose gardens several niche building have been constructed, the Garden Court in the 1950's was followed by the Floral Court, the Palm Court in 1970 and the largest, the Centenary Court was built in 1995 which has over 8000 memorial niches.
It would be expected that because of the nature of cremation and the small space taken up for memorialisation that the crematorium will continue indefinitely.
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