Elvis may have long ago left the building, but he’s remained in the hearts of fans around the world since his death, including in Australia.
Nestled unexpectedly in the middle of Melbourne General Cemetery is the Elvis Presley Memorial Garden, commissioned by the President of the King of Rock ‘n Roll’s Australian fan club following his death in 1977. In fact, it’s still thought to be the only official Elvis memorial outside of the U.S..
The memorial draws thousands of visitors from across Australia each year, particularly on the anniversary of his death on August 16th. After displaying his birth and death details, the memorial is emblazoned with the following: “In gratitude, from the millions to whom you gave so much.”
Standing tall and pure black, like the singer’s in famous all-black leather suit and iconic quiff, the memorial is tucked inside the pleasant stone grotto, perhaps the most beautiful tombstone in the entire cemetery. And that’s probably what sums up his legacy over here more than anything: despite never having even once toured in Australia, his fans made sure there was a touching tribute to him in the country.
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When Baz Luhrmann decided to make a biopic about Elvis, a lot of critics doubted that the singer still held the cultural cachet to make the film a success.
In just a few short weeks though, the biopic’s made over $120 million at the global box office. After decades of poor efforts, it’s even received the approval of the Presley family.
So if you’re in Melbourne and seeing Luhrmann’s film, why not swing by Melbourne Cemetery and remember one of the true rock ‘n roll greats. Only the best get given such a unique memorial.
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Check out the trailer for Elvis:
