/ Saying Goodbye (Planning a funeral)

Saying Goodbye (Planning a funeral)

Funerals are a time to remember and celebrate a loved one’s life. This is an important part of the grieving process. Just as important, is having a memorial where you can visit to remember your loved one for years to come. We are here to support you through this difficult time.

1. Choose a Funeral Director

The team at Northern Cemeteries are here to help you find a funeral director who will meet your own or your loved ones wishes. We can help with general searches online based on locality, beliefs or diversity*. Get in touch

If you have chosen a suitable funeral director, they will organise the cemetery arrangements, taking into account all of your requests.

2. Choose a memorial type and location

You can choose a burial or a cremation and memorialisation to commemorate your loved one’s life. Northern Cemeteries offers a range of options to cater to all needs, and can accommodate all cultural and religious beliefs. Before you make a decision, be sure to check whether your loved one has pre-purchased a site.

Use the links below to see what options are available at each of our locations or get in touch with our team.

3. Book a funeral service

If you have chosen a funeral director, they will book the funeral service with our team at a suitable time and date and at a Chapel of your choice. If you want to learn more about what is available at Northern Cemeteries, our team are more than happy to help. Get in touch

4. Organise an after-funeral service

Northern Cemeteries can help you plan a service to honour your loved ones memory. Each location has a range of chapels and facilities fit for a celebration of life. Get in touch

Other things to consider

Ask for support from friends and family

Personal choice of coffin or urn

Choose a coffin (your funeral director can help) or an urn that suits your loved ones personality. Northern Cemeteries also have a range of urns to choose from.

Personal requests in the will

Your loved one may have written thoughts on their funeral in their will. You can check if there are any special request by contacting the executor of their will.

For those planning ahead, we have also developed the My Wi shes bookle t to help capture your preferences.

Key terminology

Terminology	Description
Ashes	Commonly used to refer to the cremated remains of a loved one.
Cemetery to allocate	In some areas, the right of interment (also known as burial or memorial site) is allocated next in row by the cemetery trust. In this case, individual selection of row or site is not available.
Columbarium	A wall or building with niches for ashes to be kept for memorialisation.
Crypt	A chamber, often stone and part of a building, used as an above-ground burial site.
Grave	Commonly used to refer to a burial site (may also be used to refer to an ash memorial).
Holder of Right of Interment (ROI)	A holder is the person or persons to whom the Right of Interment is granted. They are, in effect, the ‘owner’ of the grave or ash memorial.
Immediate need	The purchasing of a right of interment (site) or a service at the time of actual need (loved one has passed away).
Interment	The burial or entombment of a loved one’s remains or cremated remains.
Memorial	Any type of site including burial (below or above ground), ash memorial, niche walls or memorial markers.
Niche	Commonly used to refer to an ash memorial which may be in a structure such as a niche wall.
Package	Indicates that the internment and plaque are included in addition to the product. Packages exclude the NSW Government levy.
Pre-planned	The pre-purchasing of a right of interment (site) or a service in advance of actual need (individual is still alive).
Right of Internment	A right of interment is a legal entitlement to inter a loved one’s remains or cremated remains into a particular grave or ash memorial.
Site	Commonly used to refer to the burial or ash area.
Tomb	Above ground monumental burial site.
Touch plate	A memorial with the loved one’s name, date of birth and death which is accessible in the event of limited access to crypts (high rows, where flowers are difficult to place).
Vault	Chamber room with space for family crypts, often 8 – 12 spaces.