So this is a mortuary carriage designed to carry coffins out to cemeteries in the early 1900’s when Fawkner cemetery was purposely built encircling Fawkner Station. They used to carry the coffins behind those cute little doors and apparently the mourners would go in the carriage in front. Personally I can visualize any number of gruesome horror stories set in this carriage.
I discovered this van when I was putting up Change of Service posters at Fawkner Station this week. The roses and trees of the cemetery surrounding the station make it both more attractive and gloomier than other stations.
It’s also the first cemetery I’ve ever come across that has a tea rooms. Of course they do after funeral catering there, but when I popped in there a couple of chaps in orange vests were in the café area eating pie and chips for lunch as if it were any old high street caf.
*Gunzelling is train and tram language for train spotting
