Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park: A Family Guide

Written by Gift of Grace Funerals · Published 8 September 2026 · 10 min read

Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park is one of Perth’s most peaceful places to say goodbye, a bushland memorial park that is home to native animals, including kangaroos. If a funeral, burial or cremation has been planned there, or you are visiting someone who rests at Pinnaroo, it helps to know what to expect. This guide covers where it is, what the park offers, how a funeral there works and how to find a grave.

Where is Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park?

Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park is on Whitfords Avenue in Padbury WA 6025, and you can enter from either Whitfords Avenue or Gibson Avenue. Padbury is in the City of Joondalup, roughly 23 kilometres north-north-west of Perth.

The park is managed by the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board, the WA Government authority that also runs Karrakatta, Fremantle, Midland, Guildford and Rockingham cemeteries. MCB says there is ample visitor parking, and disability parking is marked on the park’s main map.

Because of its location, Pinnaroo is a natural choice for many families in the northern suburbs, including Padbury, Hillarys, Kallaroo, Craigie, Kingsley, Duncraig, Greenwood, Sorrento and Woodvale, as well as the wider Joondalup and Stirling areas.

What makes Pinnaroo different from other Perth cemeteries?

Pinnaroo is a bushland memorial park rather than a traditional cemetery. It is planted only with native species, and graves are marked with flat plaques instead of upright headstones and monuments.

The result is open, quiet parkland. MCB notes that native animals, including kangaroos, live in the park, and many local people use it for walks, exercise and picnics. For some families this setting is a real comfort, because it feels less like a cemetery and more like a garden they can return to.

It does mean some choices are different. If your family wants a tall headstone or a monument, Pinnaroo is not the right fit, and a cemetery with lawn or monumental sections may suit you better.

Burial options at Pinnaroo

Pinnaroo offers lawn-style burials with flat plaques, a dedicated area for children and a natural burial area. Headstones and monuments are not permitted anywhere in the park.

Standard burials

According to MCB, adult burials take place in Melaleuca Court and Tuart Court, and children’s burials are in Zamia Court. Each grave is marked with a bronze or flat natural stone plaque. A grave can hold up to four interments in total, including cremated remains, and up to three of those can be burials. This makes it possible for a family to share a grave over time.

Natural burials

Pinnaroo is one of two MCB cemeteries with a natural burial area. It sits in what MCB describes as “a small and secluded bushland pocket”, which is gradually replanted with local bushland species as plots are used. The key rules, from the MCB natural burials brochure, are:

• The body is placed in a biodegradable coffin made from natural fibres.
• Preparatory chemicals are not allowed.
• Graves stay unmarked, and no plaque can be placed on the grave itself. A simple plaque can go on a shared commemorative feature instead.
• Flowers and other tributes cannot be left at the grave.
• Every grave is mapped and surveyed, so it can be found again later.

Our coffin range includes eco-friendly coffins made from pandanus, kubu, bamboo and rattan, and you can read more in our guide to natural and eco-friendly funerals. MCB recommends a frank conversation with family before choosing a natural burial, because there is no individual marker to visit.

The Pinnaroo chapels and crematorium

Pinnaroo has two matching chapels, the East Chapel and the West Chapel, and an on-site crematorium. Each chapel holds up to 210 people, with 118 seated.

MCB’s facilities guide describes the chapels as built from limestone and timber. Each has its own condolence lounge, and the West Chapel opens onto an alfresco area. Facilities include:

• an audio-visual system with fixed and walkabout microphones
• livestreaming, arranged through your funeral director before the day
• a musicians’ gallery and external screens for larger gatherings
• a quiet room, disabled access and accessible toilets

Saturday morning services are possible but attract a surcharge. Your funeral director will confirm available times when booking.

How a cremation at Pinnaroo works

Most cremations at Pinnaroo begin with a service in one of the chapels, which ends with the committal of the coffin. A viewing room is also available, so family can stay with the coffin until committal. This needs to be arranged through your funeral director. To understand the full process and options, see our page on cremations in Perth.

Memorial options at Pinnaroo

Pinnaroo offers memorials that suit its bushland setting, from trees and garden plaques to plaques along the lake boardwalk. MCB offers free memorial selection appointments to help families choose.

Options listed by MCB include:

• Tree of Life: a Donnybrook stone sculpture with bronze leaves, each one remembering a loved one.
• Memorial gardens: native, bushland-style gardens throughout the park.
• Family trees: a native tree as a living memorial for one person or up to four people.
• Vista memorials: larger plaques on bridges around the park and on the Sir Thomas Meagher Lake Boardwalk.
• Ground niches and memorial rocks: exclusive ground niches on Sir Thomas Meagher Island, premium ground niches in Magpie Loop and memorial rocks at Santalum Court.

Decorative urns can be viewed at the Pinnaroo office, and the current prices are in the MCB memorials brochure.

How does a funeral at Pinnaroo work with a funeral director?

Your funeral director books the chapel, burial or cremation with MCB and handles the paperwork for you. MCB licenses funeral directors to conduct funerals at each of its metropolitan cemeteries, and they are responsible for making the arrangements with the cemetery.

In practice, the steps usually look like this:

1. You call a funeral director, who brings your loved one into their care.
2. You meet to plan the service, choosing between burial, natural burial or cremation, the chapel or graveside, music, readings and any livestream.
3. The funeral director books Pinnaroo and lodges the MCB application, which you sign.
4. On the day, the funeral director manages the hearse, the chapel and the committal, and can arrange catering in the condolence lounge.

MCB’s own advice to families is not to feel rushed, to read any contract carefully and to ask what cemetery fees are included. At Gift of Grace Funerals our burial packages, such as Forever Grace from $11,500, and our cremation packages starting with Essential Grace at $3,800, are fixed and GST inclusive. If you are not sure what you need, we are happy to talk it through with no obligation.

Visiting Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park

The grounds are generally open from daylight to dusk every day, and the administration office is open 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday. You can contact MCB on 1300 793 109.

• Vehicle access: MCB’s facilities guide lists vehicle access from 6am to 7pm every day.
• Office: closed on public holidays.
• Pinnaroo Café: a 70-seat café open to the public on weekdays, which can also prepare platters after a funeral.
• Flowers and tributes: because graves have flat plaques, tributes are removed so the lawns can be mown. They go to a collection point in the Administration car park, and family can return them to the grave. MCB publishes collection dates and a flower and ornament policy.
• Today’s funerals: MCB lists the day’s funerals online, which helps if you are attending a service and want to check the chapel.

How do I find a grave at Pinnaroo?

Start with the MCB online Name Search, where you enter a surname (required) and given names (optional). It covers MCB records of burials, cremations and memorials back to 1899, across all six metropolitan cemeteries, including Pinnaroo.

Once you know the section, the Pinnaroo maps help you find your way around the courts and gardens. If you can’t find a record, the office staff can help during business hours.

A Peaceful Bushland Setting for Northern Suburbs Families

Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park offers something different from a traditional cemetery: open bushland, flat plaques instead of headstones, and a natural burial area where nature is part of the memorial. With chapels, a crematorium and a café on site, a whole farewell can take place in one calm setting.

If you are planning a funeral at Pinnaroo, your funeral director will book the chapel and cemetery services and guide you through each choice, so you can focus on saying goodbye.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Pinnaroo Cemetery?

Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park is on Whitfords Avenue, Padbury WA 6025, in the City of Joondalup. You can enter from Whitfords Avenue or Gibson Avenue, and there is visitor parking inside the park.

Is there a crematorium at Pinnaroo?

Yes. Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park has a crematorium alongside its East and West chapels. Most cremations follow a chapel service, and families can arrange to use the viewing room through their funeral director.

Can you have a headstone at Pinnaroo?

No. Headstones and monuments are not permitted at Pinnaroo. Graves are marked with flat bronze or natural stone plaques, which keeps the park’s natural bushland feel.

Does Pinnaroo offer natural burials?

Yes. Pinnaroo has a natural burial area in a secluded bushland pocket. The person is buried in a biodegradable coffin, no preparatory chemicals are used and the grave stays unmarked, with a simple plaque possible on a shared memorial feature.

What are the opening hours at Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park?

The grounds are generally open from daylight to dusk each day. The administration office is open 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday, and is closed on public holidays.

Please note: Details in this guide were checked against Metropolitan Cemeteries Board information at the time of publishing. Facilities, hours and fees can change, so please confirm with the MCB on 1300 793 109 before you visit or book.