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Frequently Asked Questions.

Girraween, Qld.

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Burial

What are funeral options for burial?

A burial can be as simple or as formal as you like. There’s no one way it has to happen.

Some families gather at the graveside for both the ceremony and the burial. Others hold a service first, at a church, a community hall, the family property, the bowls club… wherever means something to them, and then head to the cemetery. You can even have the burial first and a memorial or celebration of life later.

Who leads it is up to you too. A celebrant, minister, family member or friend, or no formal celebrant at all. You choose where you gather, who takes part and how much ceremony you want.

Not sure what’s possible? Get in touch and we’ll talk you through the options.

Do you provide burial funerals in my area?

Yes. We look after burials in {{town}} and sort out the arrangements with the cemetery.

Starting at $1908 plus whatever the cemetery fees are, we can certainly assist you with whatever you need when it comes to a burial. A traditional service, a simple graveside farewell, or something completely your own… we’ll talk you through what’s possible and take care of the practical side.

Cremation

Can I arrange a cremation without a funeral service?

Yes. A cremation doesn’t need a funeral service.

Our bare (unattended) cremation is for families who want something simple, with no formal ceremony. You can still hold a farewell before or after, or decide you don’t want one at all. It’s in no way less dignified.

Can I have a cremation without service?

Yes. It’s usually called a direct or unattended cremation, and it’s in no way less dignified.

We bring your person into our care, sort out the paperwork, arrange the cremation and return the ashes to you. There’s no ceremony and no traditional funeral service.

Some families choose it because they want something simple and private. Others hold a memorial or celebration of life later, once everyone can get together. Either way, it’s your choice.

How do I open a standard ashes container?

With a flat-head screwdriver.

Work it gently around the lid a bit at a time rather than forcing it in one spot, so you don’t damage the container or spill anything. If you’d rather not do it yourself, just ask and we’ll give you a hand.

More about the container itself in Standard Ashes Container.

What body coverings can be cremated?

Natural materials are best. Silk, wool, cotton and leather are usually fine, and polyester may be ok depending on the crematorium and the item.

A few things can’t go in, including:

  • anything containing PVC or poly-vinyl acetate
  • latex rubber or plastic, like wetsuit material
  • rubber or plastic soles and uppers on shoes, sandals or slippers

Not sure about a particular outfit? Tell us what it is before the cremation and we’ll check with the crematorium.

What coffins or casket can be cremated?

Cardboard, timber or manufactured wood generally, as long as it meets the crematorium’s requirements. That goes for coffins, caskets and open transfer trays.

For the crematoriums we usually work with, that means:

  • no PVC
  • no metal linings or inserts
  • no innerspring, latex rubber or PVC mattresses or pillows
  • only suitable ferrous (steel) screws or nails

Making your own, or have something particular in mind? Brilliant. Just talk to us before you build or buy it, so we can check it against the crematorium’s rules first.

What happens during a cremation?

Your person and the coffin go into a cremator, where very high heat reduces everything except bone. The bone fragments are cooled and then processed into what we call ashes.

So the ashes aren’t the coffin or clothing. They’re mostly processed bone, fine and granular, and they’re placed in the ashes container for you.

Some medical devices need sorting out before a cremation can go ahead. What happens to implants when you are cremated explains more.

What happens to implants when you are cremated?

Some implants, like pacemakers, implanted defibrillators and drug pumps, can be dangerous in a cremator, so they need to be identified first.

If your person has one, tell us as early as you can. The independent doctor who gives permission to cremate checks for anything that could be a risk, and the doctor or crematorium decides what needs to happen before the cremation.

Things like prosthetic limbs and joint replacements don’t usually stop a cremation, but we still need to know about them so the crematorium can plan for it. Metals left after cremation are separated and recycled.

Not sure what they had? Tell us what you do know and we’ll work out the rest.

What will the ashes be returned in?

Unless you choose something else, a standard ashes container.

It’s simple and does the job. If you’d like something more personal, like an urn, a wooden box or something you’ve made, that’s completely up to you. And if you want to move the ashes into something else yourself, How do I open a standard ashes container shows you how.

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Where does a cremation take place?

At a licensed crematorium. We currently work with Warrill Park Lawn Cemetery & Crematorium and Eco Memorial Park.

Which one depends on practical things like where your person is being cared for, transport and availability. If you want to know where a particular cremation is happening, just ask.

Pre planning

Can I prepay my funeral?

Yes. You can prepay your funeral with Rest using a funeral bond.

A funeral bond is money set aside just for your funeral. Unlike funeral insurance, there are no ongoing premiums. Once it’s paid, it’s paid. We’ll talk through what you want, what you’d like to pay for now and what you’re happy to leave for your family to decide.

To be honest, it isn’t always necessary. If there’s money in your account when you die, your bank will usually pay the funeral invoice directly. And if you’re not ready to pay yet, you can still preplan so your family knows exactly what you want.

Learn more about pre-paid funeral options.

Can I preplan my funeral?

Yes, and you don’t have to pay anything to do it.

Preplanning can be as simple as a chat about what you’d like, writing it down and making sure your family knows where to find it. Cremation or burial, a service or not, what music, who’s there… you decide while you can, so nobody’s left guessing later.

If you’d like to put money aside as well, we can talk about a funeral bond.

Get in touch to start planning.

My funeral wishes are in my will. Do I need to plan?

Yes. Putting it in your will is better than nothing, but your will often isn’t read until after the funeral.

We hear this a lot: “It’s all in my will. I want to be cremated.” The trouble is timing. A funeral usually needs to be arranged within days, while a will is about your estate and may not be found or read until well after the burial or cremation has happened. Your wishes can be perfectly clear and still arrive too late.

When I made my own will, my solicitor and I agreed the funeral side should be kept separate for exactly this reason. Think of your will as instructions for your estate, and a funeral plan as instructions for your farewell.

So what should I do?

Keep it in your will if you like, but don’t stop there.

You don’t have to pay for anything to do this. If you’d like to take the cost off your family’s plate as well, have a look at Funeral Bonds.

Just don’t make your family wait for your will to tell them what you wanted.

Death

Can my loved one stay at home?

Yes. In most cases your person can stay at home after they die. You have time.

You might want to sit with them, have family and friends drop in, or help wash and dress them. While there’s no set time limit, keeping someone at home for three to five days isn’t unusual. A cooling plate keeps your person cool while you have that time together, and we can set one up for you.

Even if your person is in hospital or a funeral home, you have the right to bring them home for a vigil before the burial or cremation. If the coroner is involved there are extra steps, but that doesn’t necessarily rule it out.

Get in touch and we’ll help you work out what’s possible for you.

What happens when someone dies at home?

It depends on whether the death was expected.

If it was expected, for example someone receiving palliative care, it isn’t an emergency. You don’t need to call an ambulance, and there’s no rush. It can wait until the morning to call your palliative nurse or GP. If you do call 000, let them know the death was expected and there’s no need for lights and sirens.

If it was unexpected, call 000. The ambulance (and often police) will attend and complete a Life Extinct form, and they’ll decide whether the death needs to be reported to the Coroner. Make sure the original Life Extinct form stays with your person.

Either way, you don’t have to work it all out on your own. Give us a call and we’ll talk you through it.

For the full step-by-step, see What happens when someone dies in Queensland. If you’d like your person to stay at home for a while, see Can my loved one stay at home.

What happens if someone dies at home in my area?

It depends on whether the death was expected.

If it was expected, it isn’t an emergency. There’s no rush, and it can usually wait until the morning to call the palliative nurse or GP. If it was unexpected, call 000. Police may attend and the Coroner may need to be involved.

Either way, give us a call and we’ll talk you through what happens next.

  • What happens when someone dies

Daisybox

Can we get the Daisybox early?

Yes, and we love it when families do. We’ll drop the Daisybox off at your place so you’ve got time to decorate it.

Paint, drawings, photos, messages, découpage, handprints… whatever feels right. Having it at home a few days (or even weeks) beforehand means everyone, kids included, can be part of it without a last-minute rush.

Have a read of What is a Daisybox to learn more about the coffin itself, and take a look at our Daisybox Decorations gallery for some of the beautiful ways families have made theirs.

What is a Daisybox?

A Daisybox is a cardboard coffin, made in Australia, that’s simple, affordable and about as personal as it gets.

Families and friends decorate them with drawings, photos, messages, paint, flowers, handprints… whatever feels right. For a lot of families, decorating it together becomes part of the farewell itself.

And no, it won’t fall apart. Its multi-layer design and rope handles mean a Daisybox can carry up to 240 kg, so it’s fine for a graveside service as well as cremation.

Read more about the Daisybox, and see some of the beautiful ones families have made in Daisybox Decorations.

Memorials

Can we have a memorial service after cremation?

Yes. A memorial can happen days, weeks or even months after the cremation.

It takes the pressure off having to organise everything straight away, and gives people time to get there. It can be as simple or as big as you like.

  • Memorial Services
Can I have a memorial after cremation?

Yes. There’s no rule that the ceremony has to happen before the cremation.

Plenty of families choose a simple cremation first, then hold a memorial or celebration of life later, once everyone’s had time to get there. It can be at a community hall, at home, somewhere that meant something to your person… formal or relaxed, whatever suits.

  • Cremation without service
  • Funeral Pricing

Funerals

Do I need to have a funeral?

No. There is no legal requirement to have a funeral service or an official funeral gathering when someone dies.

A funeral can be a meaningful way for family and friends to come together, say goodbye and remember the person who has died. For many people, that gathering is an important part of grieving.

But it is a choice.

There is no requirement for everyone to gather at a church, chapel, cemetery or other venue. You can choose to have a simple burial or cremation without a ceremony, or you can arrange something later when the time feels right.

You might have a graveside gathering, a church or chapel service, a service at a private venue, a gathering at home, or something completely different. You can also have a memorial or celebration of life after the burial or cremation.

Some families want a funeral straight away. Others don’t want a formal funeral at all. Some want to say goodbye privately and gather together later.

There is no right or wrong way to do it. What matters is that you have the opportunity to make a choice rather than feeling that a traditional funeral is something you are required to have.

If you do want a funeral, we can help you make it as simple, personal or traditional as you like. And if you don’t, we can help with that too.

How do I find out if someone has a funeral?

There’s no public list of every funeral in the area. It’s up to each family whether they share the details, so some funerals are never advertised at all.

Locally, a lot of people use the free Warwick and District Funeral Notices Facebook group. Community radio stations often read out notices too.

We only publish a funeral notice when the family asks us to. When they do, we can also set up a tribute page where people can leave a private message for the family. Families share what they want, when they want, with who they want, and that’s how it should be.

Who provides funeral services in my area?

Rest Funerals & Death Care is an independent, local funeral service looking after families in {{town}} and the surrounding area.

Funerals, cremations, burials, home vigils or something else entirely… we give you clear information and real choice, take care of the things that need taking care of, and help you say goodbye your way.

Process

Undertaker? Funeral Director?

Undertaker, funeral director, funeral service provider… they can all mean the person or business helping with a funeral. None of them tells you exactly what that person does.

Undertaker

Originally an undertaker was just someone who undertook a job. Since the late 1600s it’s meant someone who takes on the responsibility of a funeral, like;

arranging the coffin, transporting the deceased, organising the burial and bringing together the various people and services needed.

Many early undertakers were cabinet makers, stonemasons, printers or upholsterers. The State Library of Queensland describes undertaking as a business that pulled together lots of different trades.

Funeral director

As funerals became more organised, ‘funeral director’ slowly took over, mostly through the late 1800s and early 1900s. (The British Undertakers’ Association, formed in 1905, later became the National Association of Funeral Directors.) The title changed, but the job didn’t really.

Funeral service provider

This one’s newer and more descriptive. A funeral service provider might collect and care for your person, arrange a burial or cremation, help with paperwork, coordinate a service, or just do some of those things. It also doesn’t assume every funeral needs to be ‘directed’.

What do we call ourselves?

Undertaker and funeral service provider, because that’s what we do. We undertake the practical side and bring it all together, but the funeral belongs to your family. We’ll do as much or as little as you need.

Do I need to use a funeral director?

No. There’s no law in Queensland that says you have to use a ‘funeral director’ for any part of a funeral.

Families can arrange a funeral themselves. A close relative or personal representative can even apply for permission to cremate, either personally or through someone else. There’s no special licence to be a funeral director either.

The catch is that some hospitals, cemeteries and crematoriums have their own policies and will only deal with a funeral service provider. That’s a big part of why Rest exists: to help you understand what you can do yourselves, and step in where you actually need us. When Mum died, we would have struggled without someone in our corner.

It isn’t all or nothing. There’s a lot of ground in between.

What happens when someone dies in Queensland

It depends on where and how the death happened, but a few things always need to happen before a burial or cremation.

First, the death is confirmed, and it’s decided whether it needs to go to the Coroner. After that, there’s usually no rush. You can take a breath and start thinking about caring for your person and the kind of farewell you want.

For a cremation, Queensland needs permission to cremate. A close relative or personal representative can apply, either themselves or through someone like us. The death also has to be registered with the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, generally within 14 days.

There’s a lot more to it than fits in an FAQ, so I’ve written the whole thing out, from the moment of death through to the Death Certificate, in P is for PROCESS, POWER and PREPARATION.

What is a will?

A will is a legal document that says what you’d like to happen to the things, and the people, you leave behind.

Most people think of money and houses, but it’s more than that. If you have kids under 18, your will is where you can name who you’d like to look after them. The courts will always decide based on what’s best for the children, but your wishes carry real weight.

You don’t have to be old

One of the big myths is that wills are for later in life. If you have kids, a home, super, a car, a business or just people you care about, it’s worth having one. Without a valid will, you die intestate, and the law decides how your estate is shared instead of you.

A will isn’t a funeral plan

We hear “It’s all in my will, I want to be cremated” a lot. The problem is your will often isn’t read until after the funeral. If you have funeral wishes, tell the people who’ll need to know. More on that in My funeral wishes are in my will. Do I need to plan?

Where to start

Think about the people who matter to you first, then your property and who you’d trust to carry out your wishes. A solicitor can help you get it right, and it’s worth reviewing every so often as life changes.

Sometimes the most important question isn’t “Who gets my stuff?” It’s “Who’ll look after the people I love?”

What is probate?

Probate is a court process that gives the executor named in a will the formal authority to deal with the estate.

In Queensland, a grant of probate comes from the Supreme Court. Not every estate needs one. It depends on what the person owned and what banks and other organisations ask for.

Probate is separate from the funeral, and it isn’t something we handle. The Queensland Courts website has current information, and for advice about a particular estate, have a chat with a solicitor.

When will I receive a Death Certificate?

Usually around two weeks after the burial or cremation, but it can take up to four.

Once we have your Personal Details, we register the death with the Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. The Registry says standard applications take up to 10 business days once they have everything they need, plus postage. Missing information slows things down, so we’ll let you know straight away if we need anything from you.

One thing that trips people up: the Form 9 (Cause of Death Certificate) from the doctor isn’t the Death Certificate, even though a lot of people in health and funerals call it a ‘DC’. Centrelink and funeral insurers will usually accept it, but most others need the real one.

Not using a funeral service provider? You can register the death yourself. Queensland Government: Register a death.

Pricing

How much does a funeral cost in my area?

Our simplest cremation starts at $2,697 and our simplest burial starts at $1,908. Both prices include GST. Burial prices don’t include cemetery fees. Those are set by the cemetery or local council and are paid on top. We’ll tell you what they are for your cemetery before you decide anything.

If you’d like a service, a viewing or a memorial, the price goes up from there. Everything is listed on our pricing page, and you’ll get the full cost in writing before anything is arranged.

It depends on what you choose. There’s no set price for a funeral, whatever the ads say.

Remember, it’s not our job to tell you how much to spend. It’s our job to help you do what feels right.

What is the cheapest funeral?

For most families, a direct cremation. You might also hear it called a bare cremation, simple cremation, unattended cremation or sometimes NSNA (no service no attendance). A direct cremation starts at $2,697 inc GST.

It means your person is cremated without a funeral service beforehand. It’s in no way less dignified, and it doesn’t stop you holding a farewell later, at home, at the pub, under a tree… wherever you like.

We offer simple funerals because we think you should be able to spend your money on the parts of a farewell that actually matter to you, not on things you don’t want.

About Rest

What areas does Rest service?

Mainly the Southern Downs, Goondiwindi and Tenterfield areas. We can also work in the Scenic Rim, Ipswich and Brisbane.

That covers communities right across the Southern Downs Regional Council, Goondiwindi Regional Council and Tenterfield Shire Council areas. Being a regional service, the practical side can vary a bit depending on where someone died, where they’re being cared for and where the burial or cremation will be.

If you’re not sure whether we can help, just ask. It’s much easier to have a chat than to assume you’re out of our area.

Southern Downs

What does Rest do?

We help families have the funeral they want, simpler, more affordable and more personal, with as much or as little involvement as they like.

That might mean:

  • a more affordable funeral
  • dying at home, or staying at home after death
  • more time with your person
  • washing and dressing them yourselves, with our support
  • knowing what you can do yourselves
  • taking a bigger part in the funeral and farewell

We don’t make every funeral look the same. We explain what’s possible, what’s actually required, what it all costs and where we can help… then you decide.

What does Rest not do?

We don’t do everything a traditional funeral home does, and that’s on purpose.

We don’t embalm, and we don’t offer viewings or reconstruction once your person is in our care. Instead, we encourage time with your person at home, and if you’d like to wash and dress them yourselves, our end of life doula can support you.

That doesn’t mean you’re on your own. We take care of the parts that need experience, coordination or facilities, and leave room for you to do the parts that matter to you.