Is cremation more costly than burial?
Generally cremation is less expensive than burial at major cemetery/crematoria complexes. However you should discuss the matter with a funeral director who will be able to advise you of the precise cost.
How many people use cremation today in Australia?
There are approximately 100,000 deaths each year in Australia and over 55,000 cremations take place.
Where does the funeral service take place?
A Crematorium has been built at the Warrill Park Lawn Cemetery and has been in operation since early 2014. The new Warrill Chapel and Blue Wren Tea-Room opened in May 2016. These new facilities allow Ipswich Crematorium to offer the community of Ipswich a full death care service.
The service may take place in one’s own church with a short committal service in the crematorium chapel or the whole service may be conducted elsewhere with the deceased coming to the crematorium after this service for a direct committal. You may arrange for your own minister or celebrant to conduct the service at the crematorum. The form of this service should be arranged with the minister and funeral director.
Must there be any religious ceremony with cremation?
No. A civil ceremony may be conducted or there may be none at all. On occasions a memorial service is conducted after the cremation has taken place.
How is cremation arranged?
Due to the finality of cremation, specific documentation is required under the Cremation Act 1966. It is best to approach a funeral director immediately death occurs. Discuss with the funeral directors how soon you wish the cremation to take place, whom you wish to officiate at the service and the form of service. They will then do all that is needed to procure the necessary documents to be completed for the cremation.
Do I have to sign anything at this stage?
Yes. If you are the executor or the next of kin or authorised by either to do so, you will be asked to complete the application for cremation authority forms.
What can happen to the cremated remains?
Many families request a memorial in the crematorium grounds and a variety are available for selection, or cremated remains may be scattered.
What types of memorials are available?
Ipswich Cemeteries combines a variety of different theme areas for memorial locations that provide both peace and tranquillity. Some of these include Wall Memorials, Garden Bed Memorials, Roses, Tree and Shrub Garden Memorials. To assist you in making this decision or if you would like to look around, consultants are available during office hours on 07 5464 3145 for an appointment.
What happens at the crematorium on the day of the funeral?
The coffin is usually brought into the chapel and placed on the catafalque prior to the mourners entering and taking their seats. At the appropriate time during the service the coffin will be removed from view, by being lowered. At the end of the service the mourners leave the chapel and may inspect the floral arrangements before leaving.
What happens to the coffin after the service?
It is withdrawn into a committal room where the nameplate of the coffin is checked with the cremation order to ensure correct identity. The coffin is then identified with a label giving all the relevant information. This identification then stays with the coffin until the final disposal of the cremated remains.
Does the cremation take place immediately, or are the coffins stored up until a number are ready to be cremated?
The cremation will follow as soon as possible after the service.
Is the coffin cremated with the body?
Yes. The coffin is placed in the cremation chamber intact.
What happens about handles and other fittings?
Due to EPA considerations, the handles and fittings are removed.
What about precious and other metals?
The temperature at which a modern cremator operators (between 800 and 1000C) is such that metals are destroyed or fused together with other materials, so that they are not recognisable and have no salvage value. Any metallic material resulting from a cremation is disposed of in accordance with the instruction of the cremation act.
What do you recommend to people about leaving items of jewelry on a body?
The best advice is that they should be removed after death. Once the coffin has entered the crematorium grounds the coffin cannot be opened.
Is more than one coffin at once in a cremator?
No. The only exceptions permitted to this rule are in the case of a mother and baby or twin children, when we will accept both in the same coffin, if the next of kin request that the two be cremated together.
Can relatives witness the committal of the coffin into the cremator?
Yes. People are permitted to attend if they wish, however advance notice is required and special arrangements as to timing may need to be made.
How can I be sure that I receive the correct ashes?
As explained, each coffin is identified on arrival and the identity label is placed on the outside of the cremator as soon as the coffin is placed into it. This label stays there until the remains are removed and it is then transferred to the cooling tray which then goes to the preparation room. The label stays with the remains until they are placed in a container which is also suitably identified. As each cremation chamber will only accept one coffin and the remains must be withdrawn before the cremator is used again, all remains are kept separate throughout the process.