By learning more about death, our mortality, and ways to say goodbye, the inevitable becomes less confronting. Written by Australian journalist Lisa Herbert, this blog aims to reveal interesting, informative, and sometimes fascinating facts and thoughts about end-of-life planning.
So put on some comfy shoes as we explore cemeteries, the world of funerals, and death and dying.
A spotlight was shone on Australia’s funeral industry in 2021, but much of the hard work flew under the radar. Several Australian looked at the regulation of the industry and improving consumer outcomes.
Few cemeteries don’t tell of a typhoid history. Very prevalent in the late 1890s, thankfully vaccination and improved sanitation means that typhoid is rare in developed countries. But the evidence of its aftermath remains etched in stone in our cemeteries.
When Ken Roberts was invited to a friend’s memorial party, he didn’t know what to wear. “There was plenty of food and drink and time to reflect and chat. I was amazed that three hours passed so very quickly. I thought it was a lovely, relaxed and genuine way to honour her life.”
In a small central Gippsland town, pull-down blind was used to protect a grieving mother from the sight of the names of her four sons who made the supreme sacrifice.
“When my sister died, I needed the ability to sit in my car alone, or under my blankets and watch her photo tribute, listen to her favourite songs and have a good old cry because I missed her. That is one of the reasons KeepAR exists.”
Kelly’s mother filled in her copy of The Bottom Drawer Book after being diagnosed with cancer, letting her family know her funeral wishes and writing down her life’s reflections. One of the songs Kelly’s mum chose for her own funeral now has a special and permanent place on Kelly as a tattoo.
A garden is being planted on an unmarked grave in Brisbane’s Toowong Cemetery. Daryn Sibley’s research found six family members over three generations i the forgotten grave.
Elizabeth died in her 30s as a “spinster”. How does a woman remain unmarried in a gold mining town in the early 1900s? Ora Banda Cemetery reveals all.
SCATTERING ASHES: Musicians poured the ashes of a band mate into a shaker and another flushed the ashes of a good mate down the toilet at a popular country music venue.
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