The Melbourne General Cemetery, on the northern edge of Carlton, opened in 1853 and quickly became the city's main burial ground. Its 43 hectares contain around 300,000 graves, including those of three Australian prime ministers (Robert Menzies, Sir John Gorton, and James Scullin), several Victorian premiers, the explorers Burke and Wills, and Walter Lindrum the world billiards champion.
The cemetery is laid out as a series of denominational sections — Anglican, Catholic, Jewish, Presbyterian, Greek, Chinese — and includes some of the more elaborate Victorian-era monumental masonry in the country. Self-guided heritage walks are available from the cemetery office; guided tours run on most weekends.