Initially

Whether a death occurs at home, in hospital or in a public place, the first person that should be contacted is the deceased’s attending doctor, and/or an ambulance. They will then inform you of what steps you need to take. You may need to call the Police if the death is unexpected.

The next person to contact, after the immediate family and/or close friends, is the Funeral Director.

Removal

The Funeral Director will arrange the transfer of the deceased to their premises and facility. They will call you, when appropriate, and arrange a time to meet with you and your family to discuss funeral arrangements.

Arrangement

When presented with the need to make funeral arrangements many people can feel overwhelmed with what is required.

Our role is to provide you with the required experience as our service. We can coordinate a wide range of services to suit your precise needs. We are able to organise and liase with churches, councils, crematoria, media and florists etc to ensure everything runs smoothly. We can help you make the funeral as simple or as elaborate as you wish.

After you have called the Funeral Director an arrangement interview will occur. The Funeral Director will meet with you and/or your family at their offices or in your own home, which ever you prefer.

During the arrangement interview questions will be raised, uncertainties clarified and choices offered about the funeral service you desire.

Whilst some people may have clear knowledge of the arrangements they want to make, others may wish to consider a range of choices before making any decisions.

The Funeral Director is there to help you consider these matters.

Types of Service

Church: a traditional setting for a funeral service which can take place either with the coffin placed at the front of the church or without the coffin present at all (often referred to as a memorial service).

Crematorium Chapel: the local crematorium has a well appointed chapel which would seat approximately 90 people. Although this is a non denominational setting a minister of religion can still lead any service or if you prefer a non denominational celebrant can be used. It could even be a case where the family actually conducts the service themselves.

Graveside: this service is, as suggested, held at the graveside and is usually shorter in duration than a traditional service. This form of service can be run by either a minister of religion or a celebrant. We provide chairs, sound systems etc to make this outdoor setting a more comfortable experience in which to farewell your loved one.

Alternate location: Whilst the above examples are the common types of services there is no reason why alternative locations such as the local beach, golf course etc cannot be used. Obviously there may be some logistical constraints connected with any location we will try our hardest to accommodate your requests.

No Service no Attendance: this service is characterized by the fact that no-one from the family attends either the burial or cremation. We deliver the body at a time suitable to us to either the crematorium or the cemetery.

Individualistic

Each funeral service is unique. The main purpose of a funeral is to help the bereaved in their grief. Funerals can assist people to cope with their loss and can be a source of strength, hope and peace.

Viewings

Sometimes members of the family wish to view the deceased prior to the funeral taking place. Although difficult, this time can be very rewarding as it offers a more peaceful, private chance to say last farewells.

Some mortuary work is required to make the deceased more presentable and the final approval as to whether the body is fit for a viewing rests with the funeral. All viewings are conducted at our office and due to both the emotive nature and need for privacy of this occasion, appointments need to be made in advance.

Items to be placed in Coffin

Whether it be a burial or a cremation there is the opportunity to place treasured items in the coffin with the deceased. Photos, flowers, cards and letters are typical items which are placed in coffins, either by our staff or by the family during a viewing, however more unusual items such as crossword book, TAB form guide, golf club, ornaments and even mobile phones (without the battery) are quite acceptable.

There are some items which are not permitted and examples of these are given in the FAQ section of this web site.

Burial

This is the traditional way in which loved ones are laid to rest. Grave plots can be reserved prior to someone’s death or we will organize the allocation of a site in the time between being notified of the death and the funeral itself. When purchasing a lawn cemetery plot, a plaque is included in the purchase price, however headstones are not included when purchasing a general cemetery plot.

We would recommend that your initial point of contact for matters relating to the purchase of grave sites is the local councils Great Lakes Council - www.greatlakes.nsw.gov.au (02) 65917222 or Greater Taree City Council - www.gtcc.nsw.gov.au (02) 65925399 as it is these authorities which own and operate all cemeteries in our local area.

Cremation

Our local crematorium is the Manning Great Lakes Memorial Gardens crematorium, situated on Pampoolah Rd Taree. As mentioned above services can be conducted ate their chapel and the recent addition of tea rooms allows families to stay on site to have refreshments following the service. For a full explanation of the services provided by the crematorium we would recommend that you telephone them on 02) 65500755. - www.mglmg.com.au