About Us

The Clare Estate Crematorium is 109 years old. The present cemetery grounds were ceded to the Hindu residents of Clare Estate in 1904. Prior to this graves were located in private holdings and open fire cremations took place on private properties.

Many of the pioneering residents of Clare Estate were imbued with the idea of service to the community. These residents made representations to the owners of the Estate for a grant of land. They succeeded in acquiring a sizable tract of the land from the surveyor of the Estate, acting on behalf of his principal, a Mr. John Henry Ernest Wall.

Prior to 1964, when the first crematorium was built, cremations on an open fire took place within the Clare Estate Cemetery. The sunken ground bound by four iron poles in a rectangular pattern next to the “old” crematorium building and adjacent to the present official granite name plaque marks the site of the open-air funeral pyre.

It would be of interest to record that during the early period a dipping tank for the convenience of cattle owners of the district was built on a part of the cemetery grounds. There was a levy of one penny (1d) per head of cattle. The revenue raised from the dipping tank was used for the maintenance of the crematorium. In 1940 the dip was closed.

In 1930 the Clare Estate Cemetery and Crematorium Committee was formed. Much improvement was made by this body. The Crematorium was fenced and an arch way to the entrance was constructed by community members. The committee had appointed a caretaker/gravedigger. Burials now took place in a more orderly manner with proper demarcation of graves. Proper record keeping began at this time.

About the year 1932 the outer areas of the city of Durban were incorporated into the borough of greater Durban. The cemetery, thus, became under control of the City By-Laws which were strictly enforced in 1938. The city authorities frowned upon open-air cremations, particularly as the Clare Estate was beginning to get densely populated. At this time too, all private cemeteries had to be registered. The committee complied with this By-Law. Records show that the first burial after the registration of the cemetery was that of the late Kewal Singh.

The cemetery was now subject to visit s by an inspector of cemeteries. The committee was complemented on the manner in which it maintained its grounds. To raise funds for the upkeep and maintenance of the cemetery and to pay for labour, every land-owner or resident of the area was requested to pay a sum of five shillings, the equivalent of fifty cents, annually and this entitled him to membership to the Society.

In 1947, the out buildings were built for the meetings and a store room was completed for storage of garden implements. The funds for these structures were raised through public donation. Other improvements during this time were a bathroom and a brick wall.

On 29 April 1948 the committee received a welcome letter from the Natal Provincial Administration Secretary approving and registering the crematorium on condition the committee begins its construction. The first plan of the crematorium building was drawn in 1954 for a coke-fired furnace. Unfortunately it was not easy for the building to commence immediately. For almost the next six years there was a period of little activity. Hence, renewals for open-air pyre cremations continued to be granted.

In 1961 there came a rude shock for the Clare Estate Cemetery and Crematorium Committee when the Provincial Authorities threatened to stop renewals for temporary certificates of cremations. A determined effort was made to erect the building. The Committee members themselves made initial contributions of R2000-00, which was a magnificent effort in those days. The members then went on a drive for funds throughout Clare Estate. They worked tirelessly from 1961 t0 1964.

The official opening ceremony of the crematorium was performed by Mr. Baljore Gangaram on 3 May 1964. After much hard work from the Committee members in the late 1960’s a second furnace was installed. In 1978 the Board Room and extensions to the caretaker’s quarters were completed, prior to this Board meetings were held at schools, under the trees and at times in the furnace room due to inclement weather. In 1984 cremator number three was installed, the life span of the machine was very short and it had to be scrapped.

Since inception the usual access to the crematorium was via Clare Road and the Palmiet River Bridge crossing. In September 1987, the Palmiet River came down in torrential flood and washed away the bridge. This resulted in an inconvenient situation for undertakers and mourners as they had to make a long detour at a point where Mountbatten Drive passes the New Germany Road. Strong motivations were conveyed to the Durban City Council for the re-opening of the Palmiet Bridge but with out success.

Another organization, the Umgeni Crematorium Society, had been functioning on a site close to the present Umgeni Railway Station. Cremations here were done on open pyres by members of the Gujerati community. This land was later taken over by the Railways for expansion purposes. The Umgeni Crematorium Society then moved to a new site in the Springfield area, but strong objections were raised by the Town Planning Department as it would not permit a crematorium in a declared industrial area. The officials of the Umgeni Crematorium Society then approached the Clare Estate Committee in view of merging the two organizations. In 1994, once the merger was finalized, the name of the Clare Estate Crematorium Society was changed to Clare Estate Umgeni Hindu Crematorium Society. In 1997, on behalf of the Umgeni Committee, the City Counsel donated a piece of land to Clare Estate.

In 1997, a decision was reached that it was in the best of the community that a new Building Project commenced. When the plans were finally approved by the Inner West Council in December 1997, the members of the Board of Management were accorded the opportunity to submit the names of quantity surveyors and builders to the Tender Board for the final awarding of tenders. In June 1998, the construction of the new building commenced and by December 1998 the project was completed. The building has a seating capacity of 500 people. Additional facilities include a prayer room; waiting room, for the collection of ashes and a furnace room for two or more incinerators.

The acquisition of the adjacent land from the eThekwini Municipality made it possible for the Society to develop a parking lot. The parking lot accommodates over 300 cars. Earthworks commenced on 5 June 2002.

A Special General Meeting of the Society, held on 7 September 2003, mandated the Board of Management, to proceed with additions, renovations and extensions to the old crematorium. The main addition of the crematorium was an extension of 3.5 metres in front of the building and the two sides. Anew prayer room for the last rites and an extension to the ante chamber had to be completed. New toilets for the public and disabled people have been built and a modern shower has been erected for the use of staff. In July 2004, the three furnaces in the old crematorium, required urgent repairs. The Board of Management agreed to completely overhaul the furnaces.

A common problem at the crematorium is power failure. Whenever we had this problem, the operators diverted the bodies to Verulam and Mobeni Heights crematorium. It is pleasing to note that very soon thereafter a modern generator was strategically installed.

The Clare Estate Umgeni Hindu Crematorium Society was registered as a NON PROFIT ORGANISATION (N.P.O.) through the DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT on 02 August 2004. The N.P.O. number is 034 – 011. The Society, then registered itself, as a Public Benefit Organization (P.B.O.) with effect from 23 October 2008. The South African Revenue Service P.B.O. number is 9300 180 71.

The Crematorium Society is always raising the bar. Refurbishments to the existing buildings and cremators are continuously taking place. Soon a third mini-chapel that will seat 240 will be constructed. In the not too distant future a 500-seater hall is envisaged.

Our founding pioneers are truly looking down upon the Society with a great sense of pride!