Gallant Garden ─ Burial Ground for Officers Killed on Duty

A plot of land at the Wo Hop Shek Public Cemetery in the New Territories, named "Gallant Garden", was commissioned in November 1996 for burial of civil servants who died on duty. It has 110 earth burial spaces, 165 urn spaces and a columbarium consisting of 120 niches.

A civil servant is considered to have died on duty if he dies as a result of injuries received in the actual discharge of his duty and not due to his own serious and wilful misconduct.

To conserve land, earth burials in public cemeteries are subject to the six-year exhumation policy. As Gallant Garden forms part of the Wo Hop Shek Public Cemetery, the earth burials therein are also subject to this policy. So the remains of deceased civil servants buried in Gallant Garden have to be exhumed after six years for re-interment in permanent urn spaces or in niches (after cremation) in Gallant Garden.

The Administration decided in September 2000 to grant permanent earth burial to civil servants who died whilst performing exceptional acts of bravery in their final duties. As to what constitutes exceptional acts of bravery, it is normally expected that the act should be recognisable by the posthumous award of a bravery medal granted by the Chief Executive on the recommendation of the Honours Committee.

Useful Reference

• Papers for Legislative Council:
  7. 2006 - Policy on earth burial at Gallant Garden (PDF Format)
  4. 2001 - Burial policy applicable to Gallant Garden (PDF Format)