Hot on the news that Australia’s largest deathcare company has opened its cremators to shrouded cremations in New South Wales and Queensland, I asked some independent deathcare workers about their experience with using material shrouds instead of coffins and caskets.
Annie Caulfield: deathCare worker, funeral director & celebrant, Grassroots Deathcare, Brisbane.
I was working through the funeral arrangements with a family, and at the very end of the meeting, almost as an afterthought, they said, ‘Mum didn’t want to be burnt in a box. Is there any way you can take her out of the coffin for the cremation?’ This was after they had chosen a coffin that they thought would be lovely for their mum, for the funeral itself. I told them that I knew it was possible, but I’d have to see what I could do.
I knew that a shrouded cremation had been done at Mt Thompson a few months prior. I phoned Albany Creek Memorial Park, and their initial answer was, ‘No, we don’t allow that here’.
I followed up with the question of ‘Why is that?’
At first, they couldn’t really answer me, but my query was passed on to the manager of the park. After a lot of back and forth, they agreed to allow it.
There were requirements that needed to be met, which we worked through together. Things like the shroud bearer had to be a certain height at the ends, for the cremator to be able to push it into the cremator safely, and it had to be completely flat on the bottom, so it didn’t catch on anything as it went in.
I made the shroud myself, from plain calico. It had to have handles and a backboard, so we could lift the deceased out of the coffin after the funeral, and onto the shroud bearer. I have a very handy friend who built the shroud bearer for me.
After the funeral service, my team and the team at Albany Creek worked together to lift her out of the coffin, onto the shroud bearer. She needed to be secured well to that, so no movement would happen once in the cremator.
The staff at Albany Creek were amazing, and about as excited to be doing it as I was. It was the test case for it to be possible in the future for them. While in this instance the family did not want to be present, Albany Creek said they would allow witness insertion in future.
Jennifer Deaton: death doula, Hand to Heart Healing, Melbourne
Shrouding has been increasingly embraced within the general community as people seek more personal, meaningful, and hands-on approaches to death and after-death care. For many families, the act of washing, dressing, and wrapping a loved one in a shroud offers a gentle and intimate way to say goodbye, creating space for connection, ritual, and reflection.
This photo is of me in a class facilitated by Barb Ferguson, using Denise Love’s Death Doula training course. This was a very confronting undertaking, but an amazing thing happened in that room as I was being shrouded. As the other students placed their hands on me, slowly wrapping my body, they began to say beautiful, kind words to me. I have never felt so held or cared for; it was beautiful. As they wrapped my feet, they talked of my love of hiking; as they placed their hands on mine, they talked of busy hands that have done so many amazing things; as they were near my head, they talked of my bright, sunny self.
Words will never convey how beautiful it felt; as they tied the scarves, it felt like a loving hug. I felt warm and safe.
Shrouds can be made of material that the family loved and had readily available in their linen press, scarves the person loved to wear. This helps the shrouding stay very personal to the family. I was still feeling overwhelmed with the care and love I was treated with; it was very confronting, but in quite a profound and beautiful way.
The photo on the right is of the training group lifting a student. It was to show how to lift and move the family member with care. We are using a local shroud and bearer from Heaven & Earth Eco Burial Products.
Helen Sieker: hospice support worker and volunteer death doula, North East Victoria
I learnt about shrouds many years ago when I lived in Malaysia in the early 90s. It is a predominantly Muslim culture, and it was a completely natural way to be buried. Sometimes in a coffin, sometimes on a bearer. I was surprised when, on my return to Australia in the mid-1990s, it was not even an option except for religious funerals.
We’ve used various shrouds, beautifully created from eco cotton or hemp, purpose-made shrouds. They can be quite pricey but worth every cent as far as shrouds made in Australia go. I have used Kaffin white cotton bought in long 5-metre lengths to make simple shrouds and ties. They are absolutely fine to use and meet legal burial rites in Victoria.
I have used a veil of colourful silk and flowers to decorate. I now work with a textile artist and we dye and heat-treat material to create Silks To Dye For. The vision was to craft something meaningful and beautiful, not a traditional shroud, but to produce delicate silk covers and veils that can float and drape, easily adjusted to honour the individuality of each person.
In my early nursing days, when training we always washed and wrapped our people in sheets for the coroner or the morgue. My first charge nurse stressed the respect and solemnness. It was not always a vigil and often distressing after a surgery or emergency room departure. It was a fast-learning curve. Then, fast forward 40 years later when learning ritual and ceremony puts it in a whole new light. Such a beautiful final gift.
So many companies are starting to offer this now. The cynical me though sees some companies push back on shrouds, as it lessens their margin on high end coffins etc. Costs are not realised for the company so I’m sure they will add costs in other areas of service. The companies that are caring and empathetic will see a shift to shrouds.
Carly Dalton: Independent funeral director, Greenhaven Funerals, Melbourne
We have been working in the area of natural death care and eco-friendly funerals for 14 years. But after all that time, it’s only a select, almost cult, following that is still following the eco-friendly path!
Many of our clients love the idea of being kinder to the earth and leaving a lighter footprint but the idea of being shrouded and placed on a simple bearer tray is something many individuals cannot get their mind around.
Is it too confrontational? Too far from the norm? Are they scared of upsetting Aunty Mary if she sees this in the chapel or the church?
Families love the idea of it but are worried that when they see the shape of a body wrapped in material on a simple bearer like a tray structure, it will be too much.
So, what we find is that many families will opt to shroud their loved one, but they still want their loved one’s body hidden from sight.
Instead, they may choose to put them in a bio-board casket, a particle board casket, a sustainably grown pine coffin or a beautiful hand-woven willow casket — whatever their idea of eco-friendly and simple is.
Esther Guinea: End of Life Doula, funeral guide, nurse, Ballendella
My family shrouded my brother a few years ago. Such a beautiful experience for all involved. I then trained as an End of Life doula, now working in my rural community.
A beautiful vigil was held with close family and friends. We were able to spend time with Bill at the funeral director’s. I was able to add a play-doh heart to his from his great niece (1-year-old). His final shroud was laid out on a table and decorated with messages from family and friends. We then participated in a ritual wash and shrouded his body. He was then transferred by the group into the shroud bearer, a simple pine tray. In the vigil room, we tied him loosely with jute straps through the handles of the bearer.
As for the practicalities, the shroud bearer is provided with a pine lid (a box-like cover) which can be reused many times. This further reduces costs and upholds the values of sustainability. The shroud bearer makes it easy to lower the person into a grave using the jute straps; however, the shrouded form can be lowered without the use of the bearer, too. To be cremated, the shroud must be on a bearer to provide a firm surface for travel on the rollers into the cremator.
Everyone had brought flowers and greenery from their homes so that Bill would leave surrounded by some of the nature he so loved.
We spent time celebrating his life, sharing memories and singing songs. A handful of liquorice allsorts (his favourite lolly) was added by his grandson to ensure he had his favourite snack for his journey.
Sharon Tregoning: holistic funeral director, Natural Grace.
The use of shrouds, whether for cremation or burial, is a centuries-old, gentle practice that is both beautiful and sustainable in its footprint.
For burials, it’s important that burial shrouds are commercially constructed to ensure the integrity, dignity and respect of everyone involved, but most especially our guest (the deceased). If a private shroud, blanket, doona, etc., is desired, it can be used, and we then also use a timber shroud bearer.
For transport, we have a bespoke timber cover that elegantly meets the requirements of having guests covered during transportation. It can also be used for ceremonies.
It’s good to have choice
As Ben Kelly from the Australasian Cemeteries and Crematoria Association told me, “I don’t think shrouded cremation is going to replace the standard cremation. It’s nice as an industry, as a profession, we are adapting and helping people, whatever their needs are.”
