Grave location search and family history

Brisbane City Council maintains records of people buried or cremated (interments) at our cemeteries and crematoria. The online search tool makes it easy to locate the resting place of a loved one or to research family history and genealogy.

Use our grave location search tool

Search tips

To help with your search, you should:

  • search by all, or part of, the surname
  • try different spellings.

Note: sometimes adding less information is better. Most of the search tool information is transcribed from old burial books where the handwriting can be illegible or hard to read (e.g. 'Anderson' may be spelt 'Andersen', so try 'Ander'). Many people in the 1900s used their middle name as their first name, so try both names (separately) or just the surname.

Locating burial and memorial sites

If your search has returned a result, select the relevant cemetery for advice and information on how to locate the site:

Unable to find record

Unfortunately, not all records are recorded due to missing burial registers.

You can order a death certificate from Births, Deaths and Marriages. All death certificates show the location of the burial or cremation.

Council can add an interment to our records if you email a copy of the death certificate.

For more information, visit the births, deaths, marriages and divorces section of the Queensland Government website. 

Only records of burials in Brisbane City Council cemeteries are available through the search tool. The websites below are for private cemeteries and crematoria in South East Queensland. The list also includes those managed by other local authorities (does not include all facilities):

Incorrect or missing data

Not all records are accurate. This is due to poorly kept records in the 1800s and 1900s, including illegible handwriting and missing burial books.

Council can amend or add information to official burial records if you can provide confirmation. You can email Cemeteries Customer Care Team a copy of the birth certificate, death certificate or a photograph of the headstone. You must be able to clearly read the information on the headstone.

Council cannot amend official burial records using newspaper clippings or family history research.

Information in burial records

Council is only able to record the following information in our burial records database:

  • name
  • date of birth
  • date of death
  • age
  • photograph of headstone or grave (where available).

Only a small number of burial records have a photograph added. A Council officer can photograph a grave for a fee and send the photo to you via email. You can contact the cemetery to arrange this service.

Council does not record burial records for parents, children or relatives. It was rare that cemeteries recorded next of kin throughout the 1800s and 1900s. The next of kin details are required these days. Due to privacy laws, these details are not available to the public.

Last updated:

Brisbane City Council acknowledges this Country and its Traditional Custodians. We pay our respects to the Elders, those who have passed into the Dreaming; those here today; those of tomorrow.