Annette Sharp: Carla Zampatti’s final resting place at Waverley Cemetery

The mother of Australian fashion Carla Zampatti had to be buried at Sydney’s most fashionable final resting place, Annette Sharp writes.

It’s a good thing the late great Carla Zampatti was only a slip of a thing.

Judging from the size of her grave, had she been any larger – say the size of the nuggety Alex Perry – there’s a fair chance Zampatti’s family would have had to eschew any final
requests the designer had to be buried at Sydney’s most fashionable final resting place, Waverley Cemetery.

But Zampatti maintained her slim figure to the end making it possible for her three children — political candidate for Wentworth Allegra Spender, fashion designer Bianca and their half-brother Alex Schuman — to jam the Australian legend into the Catholic section of one of Sydney’s best-appointed cemeteries, on the Bronte clifftop.

While it would have set the Zampatti progeny back $4763 for a plot at Rookwood, Kemps Creek, North Rocks and Liverpool cemeteries (interment extra), and $11,600 to be planted at the more aspirational Macquarie Park, at Waverley a standard plot starts at $21,000 – roughly the price as 22 1985 Carla Zampatti Ford Laser Hatchbacks.

For a more salubrious site with an ocean view you might have to fork out $52,000.

The final resting place of the late Carla Zampatti at Waverley Cemetery. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Carla Zampatti passed away in 2021. Picture: Supplied

Judging from the size of Zampatti’s east-facing site, her children were working with a bread and butter budget when they acquired the tiny finger of land – wedged tightly between two other graves – although with the cemetery chock full perhaps that’s all that was available.

Regardless, it hardly seems adequate for the mother of Australian fashion. Of course budget constraints and the relentless wet weather might also explain the absence to date of a headstone.

While it’s inadvisable to install a headstone until at least six months after interment, at 13 months we reckon it’s high time.

With an election just around the corner and Australian Fashion Week kicking off on Monday, Allegra and Bianca are probably preoccupied this week, so this column charges Alex with dusting off the whipper snipper and giving the site a much overdue spruce-up.