07/09/2026
How much do you actually know about what you can (and can’t) do when someone dies?
Most of us don’t think about it until we’re suddenly in the middle of arranging a funeral.
And that’s when the assumptions start:
❌ You have to call a funeral director immediately.
❌ You have to have a traditional funeral service.
❌ You have to be buried or cremated.
❌ Buying a grave means you own the land forever.
❌ Families can’t be involved in caring for the person who has died.
❌ The rules are the same everywhere in Australia.
Some of these are myths. Others are far more complicated than most of us realise.
For my new article, I’ve pulled together insights from conversations with people working across Australian deathcare — from funeral directors and home funeral advocates to cemetery experts, water cremation pioneers, a cryonics founder and a memorial garden co-founder.
What surprised me most was how many choices exist that most families simply don’t know they have.
And that’s really the point.
There isn’t one “right” way to approach death, funerals, burial, cremation or memorialisation. But you can’t make an informed choice if you don’t know there’s a choice to make.
The best time to ask these questions is before you’re in crisis.
New article on Substack — link in bio.
