An architect's desk at Australia's oldest continuously operating crematorium housed a trove of artefacts inside a compartment, only to be unearthed 100 years later.

Rookwood Crematorium in Sydney's west returned to public stewardship this year, and with the new chapter came a big clean-up — including the office of the crematorium operator.

When Metropolitan Memorial Parks (MMP) received the keys to the site on July 1, they looked inside the office, only to find an old desk shoved in the corner belonging to the architect behind the crematorium, Frank Bloomfield.

Rookwood Crematorium manager Michelle Sturgess was one of those who came across the desk that day.

As soon as she opened one of the inconspicuous drawers, she found a series of artefacts of heritage significance.

"There was a n

See Full Page