AFDA March 23

THE AUSTRALIAN FUNERAL DIRECTOR

Official Journal of the Australian Funeral Directors Association Ltd.

NATIONAL OFFICE

Suite 6, 27-31 Duerdin Street

Notting Hill VIC 3168

PO Box 1048

Mount Waverley VIC 3149

Tel: 03 9859 9966

Fax: 03 9819 7390

Toll Free: 1300 888 188

Website: www.afda.org.au

NATIONAL COUNCIL

NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

President: Kelly Scott

Senior Vice President: Asha Dooley

Junior Vice President: Deanne McLeod

Treasurer: James MacLeod

DIVISIONAL REPRESENTATIVES

ON NATIONAL COUNCIL

NSW/ACT

Nick Maurer, Simon Law, Asha Dooley

QUEENSLAND

Laurel Shanley, Matt Hansen, Don Burstow

SOUTH AUSTRALIA/NORTHERN TERRITORY

Sharyn Moll, Sarah Gardiner

TASMANIA

Mark Graham, Travis Tann

VICTORIA

Kelly Scott, James MacLeod, Andrew Pinder

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Adrian Barrett, Deanne McLeod

NATIONAL OFFICE STAFF

DALE GILSON

Chief Executive Officer

Email: ceo@afda.org.au

KATE CHAPLEY

Partnership Manager Executive Officer (SA/NT & WA)

Email: kate.chapley@afda.org.au

THERESA BERNSTEIN

Finance Manager

Email: accounts@afda.org.au

SHERIDA GOOD

Events Coordinator (VIC & WA) Executive Officer (VIC)

Email: sherida.good@afda.org.au

DEANNE BROWN

Events Coordinator

(NSW/ACT, QLD & TAS)

National Convention Coordinator

Email: deanne.brown@afda.org.au

LUCINDA CATE

Communications & Marketing Coordinator

Executive Officer (TAS)

Email: lucinda.cate@afda.org.au

The Australian Funeral Director is published quarterly in March, June, September and December. We welcome material for publication. Advertising, artwork and editorial deadline for June 2023 edition is 8 May 2023.

All material submitted is used at the discretion of the Editorial Committee.

Editor: Lucinda Cate, PO Box 1048, Mount Waverley, VIC 3149

Email: admin@afda.org.au

Copyright © 2023: Items in this publication are protected by copyright law. The Australian Funeral Director has been produced by the Australian Funeral Directors Association Ltd. as a service to its Members. No part may be reproduced by any process without written authorisation by the Association.

Printed by: Neo. 5 Dunlop Road, Mulgrave, VIC 3170

Graphic Design: Neo. 5 Dunlop Road, Mulgrave, VIC 3170

Images sourced on www.shutterstock.com

Opinions expressed in this Journal are not those of the AFDA. The AFDA does not accept responsibility for the content of advertisements or articles appearing which may be held to be contrary to law.

Mission Statement

Code of Ethics

Members of the Australian Funeral Directors Association agree to honour the spirit and provisions of the Code and as subscribers to the Code to hereby affirm and accept willingly the responsibilities and privileges that are implied by membership of the Association.

1. To maintain in all matters the highest standards of business, professional and personal conduct.

2. To respect in all circumstances the confidentiality and trust placed in us by our clients and members of the public.

3. To ensure that staff are qualified and competent.

4. To ensure that facilities are adequate for all services rendered to the community.

5. To provide information concerning the range of services available, the prices of these services, and the functions and responsibilities accepted on behalf of our clients.

6. To give a written estimate of all funeral charges and disbursements to be made on a client’s behalf at the time of taking instructions, or as soon as is practicable.

7. To respect the personal choice of clients and have regard for their diversity of beliefs in religious and cultural practices.

8. To ensure that all advertising is in good taste and directed to informing the public.

9. To be thoroughly conversant with the laws of the land as they apply to funeral service and allied industries and professions.

10. To provide access to a client advisory service with conciliation and arbitration arrangements available to help resolve any disputes which arise between members and their clients.

What’s Happening

National President’s Message

Welcome to the first AFDA Journal for 2023 and, as the newly inducted National President, it is my absolute privilege to share my first message in this role.

AFDA Members finally had the opportunity to come together in our Nation's capital, after three long years, for the AFDA National Convention on 24-26 February. Members joined together to learn, contribute and celebrate what we do. And we should celebrate what we do because AFDA Members do it proudly and we do it best!

The last three years has seen a host of challenges for our industry and for our Association and we have been led through the last two years of continuous changes by our outgoing President Adrian Barrett. To Adrian I extend an enormous thank you!

Adrian’s dedication and commitment has never waivered and he certainly has been at the forefront of many projects and initiatives – steering the ship smoothly while working in a very inclusive, collaborative and innovative way.

To summarise just some of the incredible work he has been instrumental in includes:

• The purchase of the AFDA office – a huge achievement for our Association

• The development of AFDA’s 2022-2025 Strategic Plan

• An increase in the number of funerals conducted by members from 91,650 to 99,275

• The production of three Funeral Trends Reports, partnering with McCrindle Research

• Representing AFDA at the NFDA Australia conference, the AIE conference, the ACCA conference and participating on the panel at Redesigning Deathcare Conference in Melbourne

• Participating in countless meetings regarding the various State Price Transparency Legislation, the IPART report, the ACCC report and the ATO GST refunds issue, which is still ongoing, but something Adrian has spent an enormous amount of time on

• Participating in and chairing National Council Meetings and National Executive Meetings as well as AIE Meetings and Convention Planning Meetings (and the many, many zoom and phone calls with the CEO!)

• The face of AFDA for countless media requests on TV, radio and in print media (which is a challenge at times!)

Adrian has done all this and more, spending time away from his own family and business to dedicate his expertise and experience for our members. I would like to extend a huge thank you to Taryn, Oliver, Spencer, Connor and to

Errol and Margaret Barrett and all the team at William Barrett & Sons in WA for supporting Adrian in doing such an incredible job! Thanks for your patience and understanding!

Adrian’s ability to concisely, yet gently, share our messages meant our stories were more visible and he was able to educate the public about best practice. The importance and value of the funeral was front of mind in everything he did and he led by example in bringing transparency to the narrative but also showing the human side behind the role. On behalf of members, I congratulate Adrian on his wonderful leadership and commitment to AFDA and indeed to the funeral profession as a whole.

You never come into a role like this without an understanding of what and most importantly who has come before, and I start my tenure on an incredible foundation with the titans of our industry behind me.

Having worked with my Dad, John Scott, for over 30 years I can honestly say my early memories of what AFDA meant was time away from our business. It wasn’t until many years later I understood and appreciated his commitment to give back and, more importantly, be part of a community that understands and supports you, in this most demanding of professions. I am so grateful for this legacy because he introduced me to such a strong and supportive community that has embraced and nurtured my passion, and has now given me the opportunity to do the same for others.

My belief is that as each person passes through this role we have an obligation to offer the best of ourselves – to work to our strengths and share the passion that drives

My passion is community and connection

Why Foresters Financial?

us forward. My passion is community and connection. I wouldn’t be in this role without the encouragement and support of so many in our Association and that is the community and connection I want every member to be a part of and benefit from.

The AFDA has many challenges ahead and thanks to our Funeral Data Hub we have an incredible source of information to focus on the needs of our members and our stakeholders. My forthcoming two years will be focussed on responding to these needs, particularly through education and training which was an overwhelming request coming from this data. Developing education and training opportunities can strengthen our membership on multiple levels.

Attracting good people to work in funeral care and retaining these key staff is an enormous challenge – offering Association branded and recognised professional development to every member of our teams reinforces the importance of what we do and how we need to do it. Career satisfaction comes when people feel valued and are invited on the journey. Education and training is key to this.

Seen through the media and public lens this investment in our people can also set us apart. And what better way to enhance our community and connection but to offer a membership-wide invitation to learn and grow together!

The pandemic emphasised the importance of the funeral and how coming together as we do is essential for our human ability to navigate grief. The role of the funeral director in facilitating this has been highlighted, with

a greater understanding of the importance of our work.

AFDA has been building our membership (and it is still growing with the goal of having one National Association), we self-regulate in the absence of government regulation and we have actively participated in government inquiries encouraging transparency in the industry. We have done so much behind the scenes so that we are the Association of Choice when it comes to responding to media and working with government departments.

This is years and years of hard work and advocacy coming to fruition and we are now in a position to harness these strengths so that the general public can easily identify an AFDA Member and what that difference means. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to making the AFDA community what it is today. It is this community that I am very proud to represent over the next two years.

I would like to acknowledge the Executive who will be working with me for the next two years. Asha Dooley as Senior Vice President, Deanne McLeod as the new Junior Vice President and James MacLeod as our National Treasurer. Thank you in advance to the National Council, our State Divisional Councils and the National Office team. I look forward to working with you all over the next two years.

And finally, I couldn’t take on this commitment without the full support of my family. As a fourth generation funeral director I am very proud to follow in the footsteps of

my great-grandfather, my grandparents Jack and Carrie and my Dad, John Scott, himself a Past National President, Life Member and Life Councillor – such big shoes to fill!

So firstly to my Dad, whose encouragement and support means everything and I certainly wouldn’t be standing here without it! A huge thank you to all of my family – my husband Andrew and our children Sebastian and Isobel and my brother Daniel, with whom I work, and who will be leading our wonderful team at T J Scott & Son in my absence. Their support means taking on a role such as this is possible and I am very grateful for their encouragement to do so.

And to all our members – my promise to you is that I will give it my all and advocate the value of choosing an AFDA Member. I want our nation to know that AFDA Members are the best – experienced, educated and passionate professionals and that families are in safe and understanding hands when they choose us!

Let’s harness the great community we already have, build on the connection that makes us the strong force that we are collectively, and connect positively and powerfully with the public so that when it comes time to choose a funeral director their first question is "Are they a member of the AFDA?"

Warm Regards,

Kelly Scott

I want our nation to know that AFDA Members are the best

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Immediate Past President’s Message

The past two years have certainly been an interesting time to be President, culminating in the surreal experience of our first AFDA Convention in three years, just a few short weeks ago in Canberra.

It was an honour to have the opportunity to wear the chains of office for just the second and final time since receiving them in Perth via a zoom changeover ceremony with attendees in various stages of lockdown in capital cities across the country.

In some ways the last two years seem to have flown by, and in other ways they seem like the longest two years of my life. Looking back at photos from when I first came to office compared to today it appears the years haven’t necessarily been kind, although my wife Taryn would tell me that shaving off my beard would help me in that regard.

I’ve had lots of comments from people over the last few weeks noting what a strange and unique presidency I’ve had navigating through COVID-19, but it must be remembered that I split the pandemic with our Past President Andrew Pinder.

A lot of this outgoing message will be about thanking those that have had a positive impact on my term, and Andrew is the

first person I’d like to acknowledge. During that first year of COVID-19, immediately after the 2020 joint Conference with FDANZ in Auckland, Andrew quickly introduced a number of measures to guide the industry through that first year of uncertainty, scheduling weekly conference calls with state Presidents and industry stakeholders, and managing AFDA’s initial response and communications at an industry leading level.

As we are all well aware, our industry and country has faced an unprecedented time. Over the last two years we’ve had restrictions on funerals, restrictions on travel, lockdowns, PPE shortages and vaccine shortages, followed by RAT shortages and isolation of staff and families. Through this all, AFDA has had to raise its voice to be heard as an industry, often being an after-thought by decision makers.

Apart from COVID-19, the past two years has also seen many other challenges to our industry from various fronts. The ACCC inquiry, the ATO draft determination on GST and Burial Rights, three states introducing pricing transparency legislation, negative media stories, difficulties with staff retention and recruitment, and operating in a climate of rising inflation.

But the lesson to be learnt from this time is that together we are stronger.

Even in trying times, over the last two years we have had many successes and remained progressive as an association, implementing many measures to help our members, which brings me to the second person I need to thank, Dale Gilson, our CEO.

For the first few years of his time with us, we kept telling Dale, ‘Don’t worry, it isn’t always this crazy!’ but I think he stopped believing us after about year three having faced the Banking Royal Commission, the $10,000 Cash Bill, the IPART and ACCC inquiries, five sets of state based funeral legislation and a global pandemic.

Somehow Dale has managed to remain calm and navigate a path through all of those obstacles, as well as reducing fees by $77,000 to members, introducing the Funeral Industry Data Hub, purchasing an office and refunding sponsors through COVID-19, as well as bringing real progressive change to many aspects of the Association. Dale has been a pleasure to work with and most of the credit I get as President should really go to him.

Of course, Dale leads an excellent and capable team at the National Office. Nothing is ever too much for any of the AFDA staff. They get things done promptly, efficiently and without fuss. Deanne, Sherida, Kate, Lucinda and Theresa truly all go over and above for our members, and for our industry.

And finally, the best part about being President is the close working relationships which are developed among colleagues from across the country, all working towards a common cause. This goes for all our members but also our sponsors and supporters. But most closely of course to the tirelessly committed National Council and Executive team of Kelly Scott, Asha Dooley and James MacLeod, with a special mention to Travis Tann.

And so it is with unwavering optimism that I hand over the duties of AFDA President to Kelly Scott, in whom I have every confidence will represent the industry and Association impeccably over her term.

Thank you all, it’s been an honour.

Warm Regards,

Adrian Barrett

Membership News

Welcome to New Member

ROBERT NELSON FUNERALS, VIC

As a fifth-generation funeral director, most people simply assume you will follow in the footsteps of your family. Despite from time to time taking a different route, I have consistently returned to what I know best. Being a funeral director is not only my profession but also my passion. My forays outside of the industry have provided greater insight into ways that have forged where and what our business represents today.

Some may have known me through our family business and as a Past President of the AFDA Victorian Division, and my Grandpa was a Past National President, as was my father.

For some time, I have believed that significant changes are needed to meet the family requirements of today, and therefore five years ago I created Robert Nelson Funerals to try and meet these needs.

With society’s values and customs changing, it became evident that it was time to change the

way we do things. In building my new business we looked at every aspect of funeral service with fresh and open eyes, removing long-held biases and believing we have established something unique moving forward. As well as providing retail funerals to clients under Robert Nelson Funerals, and Direct Cremation under ABC Cremations, we provide professional trade services to others within the industry in mortuary preparations, transfers and other funeral-related services as required. Training and education is a key factor within our business model. In our first five years, we have started five new student embalmers on their path to achieving embalmer qualifications. All mortuary workers are either students or qualified embalmers, no unqualified personnel are permitted to work within our mortuaries.

I am excited to be re-joining the AFDA and look forward to playing a valuable role in its future.

Membership Applications

FULL MEMBERSHIP

Mornington Peninsula Funerals

Andrew Ternes

3/5 Trewhitt Ct

Dromana VIC 3936

AFFILIATE MEMBERSHIP

Windsong Chimes

Chris Moses

1/27 Lysaght St

Coolum Beach QLD 4573

Lodge Bros Stonemason

Belinda Murray

2396 Plenty Road

Whittlesea VIC 3757

Keepsakes by Nicoleta

Nicoleta Stephens

Level 5, 4 Columbia Court

Baulkham Hills NSW 2153

Mortuary & Funeral Educators

Priscilla Nelson Feaver

214 Lorimer St

Port Melbourne VIC 3207

StardustMe Limited

Stu Potter

38 Moana Rd

Okitu, Gisborne NZ 4010

Membership Applications Approved

FULL MEMBERSHIP

Robert Nelson Funerals

Robert Nelson

4/1-5 Cochranes Road

Moorabbin VIC 3189

PROBATIONARY MEMBERSHIP

Taylor'd Funerals

Karen Taylor

14 Churcher Street

Catherine Field NSW 2557

AFFILIATE MEMBERSHIP

Jan Field Training & Consulting Services

Jan Field

16 Akala Ave

Forster NSW 2428

Zeus Products Pty Ltd

Damien Simmons

37-43 Macbeth Street

Braeside VIC 3195

Membership Movements

NEW NOMINATED REPRESENTATIVE

Bethel Funerals

James Clarke

NEW ADDITIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

Handley Funeral Services

Garry Drinken

Frank J Siebert Funeral Directors

Peter Caporaso

Ivan Butler Family Funeral Directors

Michael Butler

Millingtons Funeral Services

Monique Gregory

William Farmer Funerals

Jesse Cattell

Applications are accepted subject to advertising. Members have 21 days in which to make comment to national office

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From the CEO

It was wonderful to see so many AFDA Members and corporate partners come together from all over Australia for the first time in three years at the AFDA National Convention at Hotel Realm in Canberra.

The Convention was a great success and enjoyed by all in attendance. The education sessions and social events were terrific, and our Keynote Speaker Dr Susan Alberti AC was inspirational, informative and had a message for all of us as to how we choose to live our lives. Thank you to the AFDA staff who worked tirelessly leading up to and during the Convention, and to the National Executive of Adrian Barrett, Kelly Scott, Asha Dooley and James MacLeod for taking on the MC roles as required.

It was also a time when the National Presidency changed over, and the heartfelt speeches alone were worthy of attending Convention. Well done and thank you to Adrian Barrett, William Barrett & Sons who it has been a pleasure to work so closely with during the past two years. We achieved a great deal together; Adrian was a wonderful representative for AFDA in the media, and it was never too much trouble for Adrian to offer the support and guidance the

AFDA management and staff required during this time.

We welcome Kelly Scott, T J Scott & Son to the National Presidency and already we have inundated Kelly with numerous projects and industry issues to address during her time leading the AFDA. No doubt Kelly will handle these, and the many challenges to come, very admirably.

There were two areas of particular focus during several presentations at the 2023 AFDA Convention. Education and training, as well as attracting and retaining staff. This has been the message we have been hearing from members for some time now via our member surveys and research conducted by McCrindle Research.

Allyson Fletcher from Key Business Advisors presented on attracting and retaining staff and the importance of good culture within an organisation. Mark McCrindle from McCrindle Research discussed the findings from the three Funeral Trends reports as well as presenting ‘A snapshot of Australia towards 2030’ at the 2023 AFDA Convention.

Mark also presented on the ongoing care AFDA Members provide to the families whose loved ones they care for, which is the focus of the third Funeral Industry Trends Report – The community impact of funeral organisations. These are important findings to promote to the media and government to help them better understand that the funeral industry is not nine to five, and the ongoing care provided by the funeral industry for those grieving a loved one goes on well beyond the day of the funeral.

The third report was released in late December via our eNews and a printed version will also be provided to members. The third report follows on from the second – The valuable contribution of the Australian funeral industry and its staff – which focussed

on the challenges faced by funeral staff and families during COVID-19, and the first report – How we farewell the ones we love – which focussed on trends within the funeral industry.

As part of the education and training focus, Roddy McKinnon presented on the Funeral Learning Hub. This online education portal is already in operation in New Zealand and the United Kingdom and the AFDA National Council supports the introduction of the Funeral Learning Hub to AFDA Members also. The implementation of the Funeral Learning Hub will come as an additional cost to members, but when spread across the entire AFDA membership, the fee is nominal, and all going to plan, it will lift the standards of our members staff and businesses and assist in attracting and retaining staff.

From an operational perspective, a new staff member will join AFDA in the coming weeks and be based in NSW/ACT or Queensland to better support our members in those Divisions. Statutory Declarations are moving to online through the member portal on the AFDA website and are expected to go live soon. Thank you to members who continue to complete their Premises, Equipment and Vehicle information online. The review of this information will commence shortly.

It has been an exciting start to 2023 and I look forward to seeing many more members at the state based events in the coming months.

Dale Gilson

It is only through the longstanding loyal support of Funeral Directors’ Associations and their members that we have been able to negotiate products that would simply not be available on an individual basis. By working together, Funeral Directors are now able to command levels of protection and premium c ompetitiveness that they could not hop e to achieve on their own.

To find out more about your industry insurance scheme, please contact Colleen Whyte.

In the News HR Changes for Businesses

Sexual harassment in the workplace

The Federal Government has introduced changes to provide greater clarity of what an employer’s role and responsibility is towards the safety of its employees as a result of the Australian Human Rights Commissions report Respect@Work. The main reform is the introduction of ‘positive duty’ in the Sex Discrimination Act 1984. Employers need to be proactive in the prevention of sexual harassment, rather than reactive.

Employers can be held responsible, along with the person who sexually harasses someone at work. To minimise the risks and to allow your business to be one of best practice and a preferred employer, businesses need to take all reasonable steps to prevent such harassment from occurring in the first instance. One way to do this is to implement a policy specifically outlining sexual harassment and to train staff on what to look out for and what each individual’s role is to mitigate sexual harassment.

The Victorian Government has also prohibited employers from using Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA’s) in the workplace. It is expected that other states and territories will follow.

Pay secrecy

New legislation passed in December 2022 to the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Act 2022 outlines that employees now have the choice of whether they choose to disclose information relating to the remuneration of other employees, both existing or future. Employees will also be able to ask other employees about their own remuneration and/or any other terms and conditions that can help determine any remuneration outcome(s). This now becomes a workplace right and is a protected attribute in terms of an employee’s employment.

Effective from 7 December 2022 employers will no longer be able to include any pay secrecy clauses and/or any other terms and conditions that relate to or identify remuneration outcomes in any new employee’s individual employment contracts or any other instruments that they rely on as part of the employment terms and conditions of their employees.

Employers do not have to replace any existing contracts, however, any privacy clauses relating to pay will no longer be enforceable

and become null and void and it is in your best interests to update all existing contracts to take effect of these legislative changes. Employers found to be in breach of any of these changes can face fines and court proceedings.

Paid family and domestic violence leave

The Federal Government has made changes to the existing Family and Violence Leave. From 1 February 2023 employees of businesses with 15 or more employees (including parttime and casual employees) are entitled to 10 days of paid leave in a 12 month period. This leave will not accrue as other types of leave do and the full 10 days will be available to all employees up front. The leave will renew every 12 months on an employee's work anniversary.

For businesses with less than 15 employees this new leave entitlement is effective from 1 August 2023. Until then employees in these businesses can continue to take unpaid family and domestic violence leave. More information on this new leave type is available on the Fair Work website.

If your business needs any help in understanding any of these changes or if you need help with any other HR matter, then please contact AFDA Affiliate Member Key Business Advisors on 1300 ADVICE or email info@keyba.com.au.

Now more than ever it is important for your business to be aware of what is going on in the HR landscape, in particular sexual harassment in the workplace, pay secrecy and family and domestic violence paid leave.

Vale Graham Murray James

On 4 January 2023, the funeral industry lost one of its greats –Graham Murray James.

Graham James provided 60 years of service to Alfred James & Sons, to the funeral community, and to the people of South Australia. Graham was a man of unwavering morality, generous spirit, and cheeky wit who passed away leaving a legacy of compassion, expertise, and fond memories.

Graham James was National President of the Australian Funeral Directors Association (AFDA) from 1978 to 1980, a Life Member/Life Councillor and recipient of an AFDA Distinguished Service Award (2016).

Graham was nothing if not grammatically correct in his writing and speech. You soon learned just how much you didn’t know about the English language when Graham was present – and look out if you pronounced “h” incorrectly (“aitch” not "haitch")!

Graham also didn’t suffer fools lightly. He could be a hard taskmaster, particularly when it came to his expectation of his team when looking after bereaved

families. Yet, his generosity to those who worked for him was limitless.

No one was surprised when Graham continued to pay a sick staff member for six months after their leave ran out, or when he put his hand into his own pocket to pay for the funeral of another employee’s loved one. There was no logic or reason for his generosity, but it was a generosity that changed many lives.

Graham was an incredibly knowledgeable man. His knowledge and, perhaps more importantly, his understanding was unbound. Never truer was the saying “When an old man dies, a library burns to the ground” – the library of Graham James was vast, its shelves brimming with rare books, an expansive archive beyond compare.

Alfred James & Sons was established by Graham’s grandfather in 1922. Alfred James

& Sons today is the embodiment of Graham James’ personality – his high morals, his beliefs, his dedication to the principle that the pursuit of profit must never override the care of the families Alfred James & Sons serves.

Although Graham had no choice but to step back in later years, thanks to the pandemic and ill health, he still checked in on the business every single day – in fact, twice a day. He never lost interest in knowing how the business was travelling, but just as importantly to see if he knew any of the families. And every time Graham rang, when asked how he was, his reply was always the same “Well, I’m awake and vertical, so that’s something”.

In the words of Philip Murray from Alfred James & Sons “Awake and vertical. How I wish he still was.”

Our thoughts are with Judy, the James family and the Alfred James & Sons team at this time.

Thank you to Philip Murray, Alfred James & Sons for his assistance in writing this article.

his generosity to those who worked for him was limitless

THE FUNERAL BOND/PREPAID OFFERING INVESTMENT CHOICE

Since 2017 we have been offering two growth investment options – Conservative and Moderate – alongside our regular Capital Guaranteed investment option.

As funeral costs continue to rise, it is important to generate a level of growth in policy value that covers the anticipated cost of a funeral when a service is needed.

Tied to the performance of financial markets these growth orientated investment options are designed to provide returns greater than inflation and an option for investors not requiring a capital guarantee.

To review the latest Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and the changes to the Travel Protection Insurance please visit www.fpmanagement.com.au/

David Clarke Business Development Manager Funeral Plan Management

Life Membership Award Bernardine Brierty

Bernardine Brierty of Bowra & O’Dea Funeral Directors in WA was awarded the greatest honour of life membership of the Australian Funeral Directors Association (AFDA) at the 2023 AFDA National Convention on Saturday 25 February.

To be honoured and recognised in this way is a true reflection of the enormous contribution Bernardine has made to the funeral industry at a state, national and international level.

Life membership is the highest award presented by the AFDA in recognition of an individual

who makes an outstanding and exceptional contribution to the service and work of AFDA at a national level and to the common good of the profession. Bernardine is a worthy recipient of this award serving AFDA both divisionally and nationally continuously for over 20 years.

National President Adrian Barrett had great pleasure in presenting Bernardine with her Life Membership Award which was witnessed by nearly 200 industry colleagues from across Australia and New Zealand at the National Convention in Canberra. Adrian praised Bernardine’s thoughtful decision-making and contributions as a National Councillor, State Councillor and on State and National Executives, from the day-to-day running of meetings, through to major contributions which have changed the Association for the better.

Bernardine’s involvement in AFDA, both at a national and state level is extraordinary, as President of the Western Australian Division (2003-2005) and current WA Divisional Councillor, as a National Councillor (2003-

2021), National Executive member and serving as National President of the AFDA from 2011-2013. In all these roles Bernardine has been an exceptional leader and a trailblazer for the funeral industry.

Bernardine has not only put herself forward to serve the Association but has also given her time generously to organisations such as NEAMI National to co-design and pilot a training package to support staff awareness and communication around working with funerals due to suicide. This collaboration has resulted in a unique, industry led training product which is now ready to be shared with all funeral companies and providers.

There are many firsts that Bernardine has accomplished over her many years of service – becoming the first female President, the first non-owner/family member President, conducting the first Asian conference with the Asia Funeral Expo in China, forging international industry relations with FIAT-IFTA and other Associations, representing AFDA at the Inaugural Women’s World Summit for Funeral Professionals International Conference in Wuhan, being integral to the introduction of Continuing Professional Development (CPD), the Code of Professional Conduct and the Your Goodbye campaign, just to name a few.

Reflecting on her time as a National Councillor Bernardine said she has felt privileged to sit with her fellow Councillors, enjoying their company and mentorship, and to have been a part of so many changes for the benefit of AFDA and the families we serve.

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A great ally of funeral vehicles – it has multiple features such as four swivel wheels (lockable and with brake on the rear) extendable handles, trolley with wheels for vertical transport, and a removable stainless steel tray.

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With similar features to the HA+ Stretcher, this device allows effortless loading and height adjustment. It features a two-part system with a rechargeable electric stretcher and support device fitted to the transfer vehicle.

This device offers electric tracks which allow ease of movement over the rise and fall of stairs. It is equipped with four wheels, two telescopic handles, two rear handles and a safety belt. Manoeuvrability is also enhanced via the fast folding system.

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Life Membership Award Allan Piddington

Allan Piddington, Managing Director of Piddington's Funerals in Armidale, NSW, is a name that resonates with excellence and dedication in the funeral profession.

Allan’s contribution to the Australian Funeral Directors Association (AFDA) has been invaluable, making him an ideal candidate for life membership.

Life membership is the highest award presented by the AFDA and is only afforded to a person who has rendered service to the Association that displays their outstanding knowledge, loyalty and dedication in pursuits connected with the profession of funeral director and who in the opinion of the National Council is a proper person to hold the distinction of Life Member.

With 50 years of experience as a funeral director and managing director, Allan has been a member of the AFDA for over 28 years continuously, serving in every executive position and leading the NSW/ACT Division as President. Furthermore, he has been a National Councillor for 19 years and served as the National President from 2017-2019, demonstrating his commitment to the industry.

Piddingtons Funerals have been serving the Armidale community for five generations. Succeeding George William Piddington who founded the firm in 1899 came his two sons Bill and Allan. Bill’s sons Lloyd and Max entered the business in the 1940s and Lloyd’s three sons, Allan, Graham and Ron also joined the firm.

After 1991, Lloyd, Allan, Ron and Ron’s wife, Helen have continued to run the business, with Lloyd retiring in 1996 his grandson Sam, (Ron & Helen’s child), has continued on carrying the family legacy in the business from 2008.

Allan's exceptional service to the AFDA is evident from his involvement in critical discussions with the NSW Health Department regarding the Disposal of Bodies Regulation 2002 legislation. He was also an AFDA representative for the updating of the Funeral

Industries State Award 2005 and worked closely with the NSW Department of Fair Trading to create a "Basic Funeral Service" as per Funeral Inquiry recommendation.

In addition, Allan served as the AFDA representative on the NSW government Funeral Industry Council and was the previous chairperson of the National Membership Committee. He also contributed his expertise to the National Sub-committee, drafting and implementing AFDA PEV Requirements and AFDA-ACCA document Bookings to Backfill.

His efforts in representing the AFDA on the NSW government taskforce regarding the implementation of the state deceased persons transfer and persons without means contract on multiple occasions were also remarkable.

Allan's commitment to the community is reflected in his executive membership of Ulysses Club and Australian Goldwing Association. He is also a Master Funeral Director and has been recognised for his dedication to his local government member.

Allan's decades-long service to the AFDA is a testament to his unwavering commitment to the industry and its members. He has always been a voice for the membership he serves, going beyond the call of duty to ensure that their concerns are addressed. As such, he is a truly deserving recipient of life membership of the AFDA.

Through all of this, his wife Maureen has been a close support and a trusted friend to many in the industry and she has been a staple at conventions and events. Allan is a proud father, grandfather and a friend to many.

The contribution of Allan Piddington to the AFDA is significant and invaluable. His selfless service to the industry and the community has set a standard that should inspire others to give their best. We celebrate his life membership and wish him continued success in his endeavours.

The contribution of Allan Piddington to the AFDA is significant

2023 AFDA Convention

And that’s a wrap! After several postponements, the first AFDA National Convention since 2020 was held at Hotel Realm in Canberra on 24-26 February 2023.

The Convention kicked off with drinks, canapes and food stations at the National Portrait Gallery on the Friday night. It was fabulous to see members, sponsors and industry colleagues reconnecting and sharing their experience of the pandemic and their plans for the future.

The Convention officially opened on the Saturday with a moving ceremony, with the entry of the Official Party, the Welcome to Country by Allodial Elder of the Ngambri People Uncle Mingku Shane Mortimer, then the Official Opening by the Hon Stephen Parry followed by industry reports from AFDA, ACCA and FDANZ.

Delegates took time to remember 26 members who have died since the 2020 Convention, led by Past

President, Life Member/Life Councillor John Scott. We were delighted to see Life Membership awards presented to Bernardine Brierty of Bowra & O’Dea, WA and Allan Piddington of Piddingtons, NSW, both of whom were very much taken by surprise before giving heartwarming acceptance speeches.

Sessions presented by Mark McCrindle, McCrindle Research and Allyson Fletcher, Key Business Advisors highlighted that preparation is key to success in the future, with Mark emphasising that understanding trends such as population change, the threat of a recession, intergenerational transfer, virtuous consumerism and a redefined workplace will help funeral directors navigate them, and Allyson drilling down on the challenges of recruiting and retaining staff post-pandemic and providing creative solutions for reducing turnover and increasing staff engagement.

Without doubt the presentation that captured the imagination of the audience was presented by Simon Berry, Charles Berry & Son. Simon oversaw the Return of the Unknown Soldier in 1993 and he gave a fascinating recount of the process. Simon’s presentation was the perfect segway into a tour of the Australian War Memorial at which members witnessed the Last Post Ceremony and visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier before enjoying dinner in the Aircraft Hall surrounded by military planes.

The surprise presentation of the weekend was undoubtedly Dr Richard Denniss, Chief Economist. Richard provided insights into the economy all combined with a dry and quick sense of humour. Roddy McKinnon’s presentation on the Funeral Learning Hub provided delegates with the opportunity to get some insight and ask questions about AFDA’s next initiative, the development of an online funeral learning hub to meet the challenges of the future head on via training and upskilling. This was followed by keynote luncheon speaker, Dr Susan Alberti AC who touched the hearts of many as she recounted a challenging life and the resilience to turn tragedy into something positive.

After a fascinating tour of Parliament House in the afternoon, delegates met back at Hotel Realm, to congratulate outgoing National President Adrian Barrett, and welcome incoming National President Kelly Scott. Partners didn’t miss out at Convention and enjoyed a tour of the National Arboretum, a mosaic of living forests and gardens followed by lunch at the Ginger Restaurant as part of the Partner’s Program.

The 2023 AFDA National Convention was longawaited by members, sponsors and affiliates and it’s fair to say it was an outstanding success. Thank you to the sponsors who supported the event, the members who gave their valuable time to attend and AFDA staff who worked so hard to pull it off.

Unity and the way forward became common themes during the Convention

2023 AFDA Convention

Canberra

2023 AFDA Convention

Canberra

2023 AFDA Convention

Canberra

2023 AFDA Convention

Canberra

2023 AFDA Convention

Canberra

Past National Presidents and Life Members Luncheon

After years of discussion, planning/ postponing and more planning, the inaugural AFDA Past National Presidents and Life Members Luncheon took place in the stunning High Courtyard space at Hotel Realm the day before the start of the 2023 AFDA National Convention.

The purpose of this event was to bring together past and current members who have had a significant impact on the Association in the last 25 years based on their careers over the past 50 plus years.

Titles of the guests included Past President, Life Member, Life Councillor, Master Funeral Director and National Executive. The guests of honour being Michael Tobin, The Hon Stephen Parry, Tony O’Dea, Simon Berry, Errol Barrett, John Scott, Bernardine Brierty, Darren Eddy, John Fowler, Allan Piddington, Andrew Pinder and current National President at the time, Adrian Barrett. Along with the Executive, wives and representatives from

AFDA National Corporate Partners joined in the luncheon. Guests enjoyed a two course lunch and time to catch up, reminisce, reflect and share their experiences of their time as the head of the Association. After Adrian Barrett gave his welcome speech, an impromptu trend started with a number of Past Presidents getting up and sharing their highs and lows and other memorable times of their presidential term.

This luncheon will be the first of many to follow. A new tradition has begun and here’s hoping that some of the Past Presidents that were unable to join us can make it in the future. Following the success of the luncheon AFDA will continue to find ways to honour these great men and women who have dedicated their time to the AFDA all while managing their businesses and personal lives.

The AFDA is continually striving to be better, moving forward with technologies, and helping members help their client families, however we wouldn’t be where we are today if it weren’t for our Past Presidents and Life Members who have continually guided the Association to where it is today. We look forward to the vision and leadership of our future National Presidents.

This luncheon will be the first of many to follow

Le Pine Funerals Stepping Out to End Social Violence

senseless violence and raise money,” says Andy. Late last year, the Le Pine team physically stepped out in support of the organisation with more than 20 employees taking part in the Foundation’s Be Wise Walk.

For the Le Pine Funerals’ team in Eltham, Victoria, this is why they support the Pat Cronin Foundation.

“The Foundation is close to our hearts, with the team playing an integral role in the arranging of Pat’s funeral service in 2016,” says Andy Brown, Le Pine Regional Manager. The Foundation was established in memory of Pat Cronin, who at 19 years old lost his life after he was punched in the head from behind while trying to help a mate.

“We’ve backed this Foundation since Pat’s father established it, to help increase awareness, improve education to end

Employees from Le Pine Funeral’s parent company, InvoCare, also stepped out for the cause, with the Australian Funerals Leadership team walking on the Gold Coast, and Ash Crow, Regional Manager of Victoria, stepping up in Kunanyi (Mount Wellington) in Hobart.

“We are proud to support the Pat Cronin Foundation and the Be Wise Walk, which brings the community together and raises awareness of Pat’s story to end violence like the coward punch.

“The message of the walk is to ‘Be Wise’, to think carefully and act kindly when out and about, so we can end senseless violence that has a devastating effect on families and communities. My team and I are heartbroken when we see lives cut short due to violence. We see the grief of their families, friends and loved ones firsthand, and I can tell you it never gets easier.”

Andy and his team participated in the official 8.4km Be Wise Walk on 20 November, raising awareness about social violence and nearly $3,000 for the foundation.

Supporters, who have collectively raised more than $100,000 for the Pat Cronin Foundation, were encouraged to register their walks and raise funds to go towards the Foundation’s education programs.

The foundation’s vision is to have a world free from the coward punch and is working towards this by providing an optimistic voice and empowering approach to awareness, education and research. They work with schools, clubs, community groups and young people to end the coward punch. The Pat Cronin Foundation is grateful for the support from Le Pine Funerals.

“They are a valued partner financially, as well as helping raise awareness by taking part in our events, and with in-kind support from local branches who provide meeting rooms occasionally for our staff,” Pat Cronin Foundation Director Matt Cronin said.

“The care of the Le Pine team for our family at our darkest hour and since will never be forgotten. We look forward to continuing to work together with Le Pine into the future to end the coward punch.”

The Le Pine team is extremely proud to support the Pat Cronin Foundation and is already looking forward to this year’s Be Wise Walk. For more information about the event and the Pat Cronin Foundation, visit https://patcroninfoundation.org.au/

In the funeral industry, one of the toughest tasks is arranging a funeral for someone who lost their life because of something that could have been prevented.

AMONG THE INVOCARE EMPLOYEES SUPPORTING THE 2022 BE WISE WALK WERE LYNNE GALLUCCI, MARK ARMITAGE, CHANIA RODWELL, KERRY SIEPER AND BRADLEY DEBBA

ANDY BROWN, LE PINE FUNERALS, STEPHEN LAYT AND MATT CRONIN, PAT CRONIN FOUNDATION

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ACC Higgins Funeral Industry Leadership Forum

The ACC Higgins Australian Funeral Expo and the 7th ACC Higgins Funeral Industry Leadership Forum was held in Queensland in November 2022 for the first time in 5 years.

The Funeral Industry Leadership Forum was well attended by industry participants from around the country. The Leadership Forum kicked off with a panel hosted by Simon Welsh the Director of RedBridge Group Australia, featuring ACC Higgins' Canadian partner Alain Dumont, President of Victoriaville & Co, John Finlay, Vice President of Legacy Tribute and Tim Higgins, Executive General Manager of InvoCare. The panel discussed key insights into future international business trends in the funeral industry and the emerging trends of implementing personalisation within a funeral service.

The panel discussion emphasised the importance of incorporating the increasingly digital world in the planning and attendance of funerals. Attracting and retaining the youngest generations within the workplace was agreed to be achieved through clear and open communication about the companies’ goals and how each team member is part of achieving these goals. Interestingly most new staff have no funeral experience.

Ashley Fell, Director of Advisory at the internationally recognised McCrindle presented her insights into workplace wellbeing. Ashley captivated the room with her humor and insightful presentation which delivered research-based analysis of global megatrends and key demographic transformations from generational change to the impact of technology.

Keynote speaker, Dylan Alcott AO, was undoubtably one of the main highlights for the day. Recognised as one of the country’s most successful paralympic gold medalists and most recently the 2022 Australian of the Year, Dylan’s achievements in the sporting world, the disability community and wider community are inspirational.

Marc Foi, founder and CEO of Firehawk, presented his knowledge of navigating the cyberworld, in particular cyber security. Mark presented key information on some of the issues funeral industry businesses face from cyber terrorists and how we can avoid them.

The Leadership Forum was concluded by a succession panel discussion, both Asha Dooley (Grace Funerals - NSW) and Kelly Scott (T J Scott & Son Funeral Directors - VIC) provided their experiences of family-owned funeral businesses and knowledge of the funeral industry that has been passed down the generations.

Simon Welsh went on to host a panel with discussion and a Q&A session with representatives from Group AHM, Walker Funeral Group, Propel Funeral Partners, InvoCare and Tobin Brothers Funerals who gave their brief pitch on each of their companies and values.

The ACC Higgins Funeral Industry Leadership Forum received overwhelming positive feedback centred around the great energy in the room with engaging discussion and industry purpose.

As proud naming rights sponsor, Managing

Director Peter MacLeod officially opened the 2022 ACC Higgins Australian Funeral Expo, Australia’s largest funeral industry expo.

The Expo welcomed over 1,100 industry participants to the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. The exhibition space included many stands with products, services, and innovative ideas igniting education, networking, and sales opportunities to help funeral industry professionals serve families better.

The ACC Higgins stand presented sales aids and merchandising offerings and techniques, information on the structural integrity program and the re-launch of the latest ZoomIn Focus tool in partnership with McCrindle. On display were ACC Higgins national products including the Tasmanian Blackwood casket, Sapele Davidson, and they celebrated 14 years of Themes of Life coffins with the launch of the ‘Crystal Clear’ acrylic handles.

ACC Higgins were excited to be joined by their Canadian partners Alain and Charles Dumont of Victoriaville & Co. and John Finlay of Legacy Tribute who hosted the Legacy Tribute stand, showcasing the highest-quality North American solid timber and metal caskets exclusively distributed by ACC Higgins in Australia.

Thank you to all those who were involved and participated in the 2022 ACC Higgins Australian Funeral Expo and the 7th ACC Higgins Funeral Industry Leadership Forum.

Association News

Tasmanian Division

EVENTS AND TRAINING

A joint training day with the Victorian Division will be held in Melbourne on 23-24 June 2023. A networking function will be held on the Friday night followed by Arranger Training on the Saturday facilitated by Don Burstow and Martin Tobin. The Divisional Annual General Meeting Weekend will be held on 1-3 September 2023 at Barnbougle.

DIVISIONAL COUNCIL

Krysta Brocklehurst from Millingtons Funeral Services has resigned from Council after leaving the industry. Monique Gregory from Millingtons Funeral Services has been accepted by the Divisional Council to fill the vacancy.

NSW/ACT Division

EVENTS AND TRAINING

Arranger Training in NSW with Don Burstow and Martin Tobin will be held on 11 November.

PRESCRIBED BUSINESS REGISTER

The Division has drafted a letter to the Department of Premier and Cabinet recommending the Director of Local Government inspect the premises of businesses on the Prescribed Business Register, in particular new businesses to ensure requirements under the Act are being upheld and to protect the reputation of the Tasmanian funeral industry.

Jan Field will conduct Mortuary Training for the Division in Fyshwick, ACT on 27 May and Lidcombe, NSW on 22 July.

Planning is underway for the next General Meeting to be held on 28-30 April 2023 in Albury. The AGM Weekend will be held on 20-22 October 2023 in Wollongong.

PETER FUGLSANG SCHOLARSHIP

Applications for the 2023 Peter Fuglsang Memorial Scholarship will open on 27 May 2023. The scholarship provides an opportunity for the successful applicant to receive complementary registration and accommodation to attend the 2023 Tasmanian AGM at Barnbougle. Applicants are asked to write a short essay on the benefits of attending the AGM.

NSW HEALTH REGULATIONS

The recent changes to the NSW Health Regulations are being addressed by the NSW/ACT Divisional Council working party comprising of Asha Dooley, Nick Maurer, Fiona Pollard, Steve Kellaway and Scott Bance. The NSW/ACT Council will meet to confirm the contents of a letter to be sent to NSW Health.

DIVISIONAL COUNCIL

With the change to the Bylaw allowing members who conduct less than 500 funerals to have two representatives on the Divisional Council, Judy Cole from William Cole Funerals has joined the NSW/ACT Divisional Council.

Western Australian Division

DIVISIONAL COUNCIL

WA Divisional Councillor Craig Renshaw from InvoCare Australia has accepted the position of Junior Vice President on the WA Divisional Council.

EVENTS AND TRAINING

The WA Division will hold a training day at Fraser Suites, Perth on Saturday 8 July 2023. Planning is well underway for the WA Annual General Meeting weekend which will be held on 6-8 October 2023 in Mandurah. A Christmas function will be held on 24 November 2023 to end the year.

Victorian Division

EVENTS AND TRAINING

The first Zone Meeting for 2023 was received with great success in February with nearly 60 guests present. The event featured a Funeral Industry Members Discussion Panel represented by four members and was moderated by past Victorian Divisional President Cathy Tobin. The remaining Zone Meetings for the year will be held on 29 March at Café Evviva

Several members attended a Graveside Training session in late November, and the Division would like to thank MCB for facilitating this training. Driver training was held in Perth on 8 February and 22 February with both sessions well attended.

ADVOCACY

The Divisional Council continues to advocate with a number of Government departments and industry organisations on

behalf of members. This focus has helped the Division form strong relationships with key stakeholders like the MCB and the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS), who oversaw the Pricing Code of Conduct recently introduced in WA.

Divisional Councillors reach out to members prior to each Council meeting and bring any matters raised to Council meetings to be discussed and action taken as required.

in Traralgon and 10 May at De Bortoli Estate in Rutherglen.

Positive feedback was received for the Mortuary Training facilitated by Funeral Industry Development Australia on 4-6 February in Melbourne. Spots are sold out for an additional session taking place 5-6 August.

Planning is well underway for the Victorian AGM weekend which will be taking place at Peppers Mineral Springs Hotel Hepburn in Daylesford on 21-23 July.

CORONERS COURT OF VICTORIA (CCOV)

A formal response was received from CCOV regarding the Division’s complaint around

wait time fees not being approved by CCOV for members waiting over 30 minutes at CCOV. The response advised that an investigation concluded several members wait time charges were erroneously rejected by CCOV which would be rectified directly with the impacted members.

CEMETERIES SECTOR

The Division wrote to Remembrance Parks Central Victoria (RPCV) in December 2022 regarding concerns that members would be unable to place bookings for up to five days over the Christmas period. RPCV were quick to respond and resolve the matter.

The Division met with SMCT in February for a stakeholder meeting and relayed further feedback on the possibility of more comprehensive grave checks occurring prior to burials. Discussions are continuing around the use of mechanical lowering devices, and the lead time for collecting cremated remains. The Division also raised member questions and concerns around grave markers, ledger removals and the condition of monumental graves after burials.

The Division wrote to the Cemeteries & Crematoria Association of Victoria (CCAV) in February regarding safety standards across cemeteries in Victoria. A meeting in April with CCAV has been scheduled to discuss improving the standards so families and funeral staff are less at risk of injury.

Queensland Division

EVENTS AND TRAINING

Planning for the next General Meeting on 26-28 May in Brisbane is well underway. The Queensland AGM weekend is planned for 11-13 August with Hamilton Island being considered. The final quarterly meeting for 2023 is planned for 17-19 November on the Sunshine Coast.

Funeral Arranger Training by Don Burstow and Martin Tobin has been scheduled for 17 June in Townsville and 28 October in Brisbane.

Alistair Shaw is available to conduct Mortuary Training in the second half of the year which is likely to be in Brisbane and North Queensland.

South Australian / Northern Territory Division

VALE

The SA/NT Division extends its condolences on the death of AFDA Past National President and Life Member/Life Councillor Graham James from Alfred James

DIVISIONAL COUNCIL

Cate Howard from Holy Cross Funerals has resigned from the Divisional Council after leaving her place of employment. This leaves a vacancy in the Senior and Junior Vice President roles. With the change to the Bylaw allowing members who conduct less than 500 funerals to have two on the Council, Courtenay Nichols from Ross Funerals and Luke Gregson from Gregson & Weight have joined the Queensland Divisional Council.

EVENTS AND TRAINING

The SA/NT Divisional Regional Meeting will be held at the Victor Harbor Convention Centre on 5-7 May. The SA/NT Annual General Meeting weekend will be held from 25-27 August 2023 in Adelaide.

Arranger Training was conducted by Martin Tobin and Don Burstow at the Marion Hotel on Saturday 25 March 2023. This was the first time this training has been held in South Australia and it is pleasing to note that it was

BIRTHS, DEATHS AND MARRIAGES

The new Queensland Disposal System (QDS) is up and running and Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM) strongly encourages everyone to transition from eDisposals to the new QDS. The new system provides a more streamlined experience when lodging death registrations and disposal notices. The eDeaths and eDisposals will be decommissioned within the next 12 months.

sold out. Social media training and mortuary training will also be offered to members in the first half of the year.

The Journalism Seminar for third year journalism students from the University of South Australia will be held on 4 September 2023. The end of year Christmas function will be held on Friday 10 November 2023 to wrap up training and events for the year.

DIVISIONAL COUNCIL

With the change to the Bylaw allowing members who conduct less than 500 funerals to have two representatives on the Divisional Council, Peter Caporaso from Frank J Siebert Funeral Directors and Thomas and Michael Butler from Ivan Butler Family Funerals have joined the SA/NT Divisional Council.

& Sons to Judy James, Graham’s family and the Alfred James & Sons team.

AIE Report Industry News

The AIE Board of Directors would like to thank AFDA members for their continued support of the AIE and would like to introduce the current Board of Directors to members.

The Australian Institute of Embalming has been established for over 20 years. The presence of the AIE has produced a culture in Australia where embalming is an accepted part of the funeral process.

AIE's vision is to continue to be the peak representative and authoritative national institute providing embalming services within the funeral industry.

AIE's mission is promotion and maintenance through continuing education and training of the highest professional standards of embalming in the funeral industry that reflects quality, individuality and integrity.

The AIE Board of Directors consists of six full practising members which includes a Chairman and Vice Chairman. The primary role of the AIE Board of Directors is to provide strategic guidance, direction and advice for the association and to provide fiduciary oversight to protect the business property of the association. The current AIE Board of Directors and their background in embalming are listed to the right.

Andrew Mitchell –Chairman

Andrew has been in the funeral industry since 1988 and was employed by Hansen & Cole Funerals. He qualified as an embalmer in 1996 and was made a fellow of the AIE in 2010. As a practising embalmer and mortuary team member Andrew works for InvoCare in their Illawarra Support Centre in their mortuary operations centre south of Wollongong in Albion Park Rail. He is also a member of the Kenyon International disaster services and has been involved in deployments to Bali, Thailand, Jogjakarta and Christmas Island.

Danielle Calvaresi –Vice Chairman

Danielle has been working for Alfred James & Sons since 2017 in the mortuary and also as an arranger/ conductor. After working as a beauty therapist for 10 years Danielle decided to pursue her dream career as an embalmer and become a qualified embalmer in 2019. Danielle believes ongoing education and support are imperative to a successful career in the funeral industry and hopes to be part of implementing ongoing training and workshops that all embalmers can benefit from.

John Tidman

As the immediate past Chairman John has promoted the embalming profession in WA by fulfilling the roles of Examiner, State Coordinator and Board member for a number of years. John qualified in embalming and funeral directing in 1982/1984 respectively and has served the industry for over 35 years. While semi-retired, John is still active in his funeral consultancy alongside Bowra & O’Dea in Perth and serves as Manager of Australasia/ Pacific for Blake Emergency Services.

Ian Warren

Ian has worked in the funeral industry for over 40 years in various capacities and for several leading companies. Ian became a member of the British Institute of Embalmers (BIE) in 1982 and a member of AIE in 1984.

Ian has served as the Vice Chair of the Australasian Division of BIE and as Chairman. Ian is employed by Nelson Bros Funeral Services, one of Australia’s oldest funeral companies with over 150 years of service.

Ian has a keen interest in education and since 2017 has also held the role of educator for Mortuary and Funeral Educators (MFE).

Alistair Shaw

Alistair is an embalmer/ arranger/conductor for Gregson & Weight Funeral Directors. Starting as an apprentice to the industry with Gee and Hickton in the Hutt Valley, New Zealand, he qualified as an embalmer in the early 80’s going on to complete his NZCFS and BIE qualifications in the years to follow. Crossing the ditch in 1998 he now calls Australia home. Alistair has spent his life working in the funeral industry including as manager for Metropolitan Funerals and an embalmer for Hyqual, and he believes in training and education for all.

Kim Browne

Kim has been working in the funeral industry for over 10 years. In 2011

Kim became a qualified embalmer gaining her Certificate IV. Becoming a qualified embalmer is something Kim has always been very keen and passionate about. Prior to working in the funeral industry Kim was a dental nurse. Kim lives in Adelaide and is the AIE State Coordinator for South Australia.

Supplier News

With an archive of over 2 million notices dating back over 30 years, My Tributes is the trusted destination for families to safely and respectfully keep their memories alive online.

Whether people need to inform the community of a recent loss through a death notice, or wish to commemorate and celebrate the life of a loved one through a tribute notice, eulogy or journalist-written obituary, My Tributes are here to provide support and comfort during difficult times. Our services give families the freedom to celebrate their loved one in a way that feels meaningful and personal to them.

At My Tributes, we believe the passing of a loved one may end a life, but it does not end a connection and through the power of storytelling and nostalgia, we can create lasting legacies.

Grief is a powerful and personal experience that changes us and it’s important to remind ourselves it’s not a hurdle one can simply jump over. Rather, healing and growth should be observed more like a moving train, a continuous journey forward whereby one jumps on and off at their own pace.

Human beings are neurologically

The Healing Power of Nostalgia

wired to connect with others and in a world where everything is temporary, it’s easy to understand why grief is such an isolating, often debilitating process for people to navigate.

However, it’s been recognised in various academic studies that nostalgia, a wistful affection for the past, can actually be therapeutic in healing grief.

Storytelling and nostalgia both serve to pay tribute to the deceased, bringing people from the past and present together and helping us to connect with others who are sharing common grief.

At My Tributes, we like to think of stories like shining beacons of hope during even the darkest of times. And taking intentional steps towards remembering a loved one is not only a powerful act of love, it’s essential in our healing.

Reflecting on fond memories is also great for boosting feelings of engagement and selfesteem which in turn, can foster optimism and inspiration. Grief has also been linked to boosts of creativity and feelings of renewed purpose.

While grief is a natural and individual human experience, it’s important to embrace any

available support and not suffer alone. Which brings us to another positive, the power of nostalgia can provide comfort and happiness, especially to the bereaved. It can help alleviate loneliness and build a positive path towards healing.

Whether reminiscing about a childhood friend, partner, favourite aunty or uncle, there are many ways to preserve a memory and nurture creativity, such as making a tribute book filled with photos, writing stories and poems, preserving copies of old letters or handwritten recipes and sharing your loved one’s story in the paper or online. Even a collaborative creation of art can be a wonderful way to honour someone special.

The best medicine for healing after the loss of a loved one is to remember.

At My Tributes we are here to support the sharing of experiences and emotions through storytelling. Not only do we believe this can foster empathy and a sense of community, it helps keep those we have loved and lost, forever in our hearts.

Find peace in remembrance: Share a loved one’s story for free today at My Tributes.

Storytelling and nostalgia both serve to pay tribute to the deceased

Corporate Affiliate Members

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PETER MACLEOD 03 9689 3299 peterm@acchiggins.com.au www.acchiggins.com.au

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BURIALS/CEMETERIES & CREMATORIA

ADELAIDE CEMETERIES AUTHORITY

www.aca.sa.gov.au

Michael Robertson 08 8139 7400 Michael.Robertson@aca.sa.gov.au

BALLARAT GENERAL CEMETERIES TRUST

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Annie De Jong 03 5332 1496 annie@ballaratcemeteries.com.au

CATHOLIC CEMETERIES BOARD

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Peter O’Meara 02 8713 5777 peter@catholiccemeteries.org.au

CENTENNIAL PARK CEMETERY AUTHORITY

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Janet Miller 08 8275 2214 janetm@centpark.org.au

GEELONG CEMETERIES TRUST

www.gct.net.au

Dean Matthews 03 5249 3939 dm@gct.net.au

MACQUARIE PARK CEMETERY & CREMATORIUM

www.maccem.com.au

David Ham 02 9805 0499 d.ham@nmclm.com.au

METROPOLITAN CEMETERIES BOARD

www.mcb.wa.gov.au

Kathlene Oliver 1300 793 109 kathlene.oliver@mcb.wa.gov.au

SOUTHERN METROPOLITAN CEMETERIES TRUST

www.smct.org.au

Laz Cotsios 03 8558 8278 laz.cotsios@smct.org.au

ONE CROWN CEMETERIES

Tammy Templeman 02 9961 5655 tammy.templeman@onecrown. com.au

THE GREATER METROPOLITAN CEMETERIES TRUST

www.gmct.com.au

Robert Luscombe 1300 022 298 luscombe@gmct.com.au

COFFINS & CASKETS

ACC HIGGINS

www.acchiggins.com.au

Peter MacLeod 03 9689 3299 peterm@acchiggins.com.au

Paul Higgins 08 9209 1833 paulh@acchiggins.com.au

ASHTON MANUFACTURING PTY LTD

www.ashtonmanufacturing.com.au

Rohan Kerr 1300 263 346 rohan@ashtonmanufacturing.com.au

BATESVILLE CASKET CO. INC. www.batesville.com.au

Shirly Sareyka 0437 114 333 shirly.sareyka@batesville.com

CONSULTING & TRAINING SERVICES

FUNERAL DIRECTION www.funeraldirection.com.au Martin Tobin 0419 306 271 martin@outlore.com.au

JAN FIELD TRAINING & CONSULTING SERVICES

Jan Field 0418 225 940 jan.field@mac.com

KEY BUSINESS ADVISORS

www.keyba.com.au

Colin Wilson 03 9325 5900 colin@keyba.com.au

THE GRIEF CENTRE www.griefcentre.com.au

Stephen Dil 1300 270 479 stephen@dils.co.nz

DIGITAL MEDIA

FIREHAWK FUNERALS

www.firehawkfunerals.com

Belinda Crossingham 0409 512 647 belinda@firehawkfunerals.com

FUNERAL STREAM

www.funeral.stream

Richard Martin 02 9064 7787 hello@funeralstream.com

NAOCA PTY LTD

www.naoca.com.au

Alex Medcalf 0448 891 060 a.medcalf@naoca.com.au

OPUSXENTA

www.opusxenta.com

Lea-Ann McNeill 1300 994 853 lea-annm@opusxenta.com

EMERGENCY SERVICES

BLAKE EMERGENCY SERVICES

www.blakeemergency.com

Jan Field 1300 306 292 (24 hours) jan.field@blakeemergency.com

FUNERAL BONDS

BENDIGO FUNERAL BOND

www.australianfriendlysociety.com.au

Trevor Birks 03 5485 7122 trevor.birks@bendigoadelaide.com.au

FORESTERS FINANCIAL

www.forestersfinancial.com.au

Tina Gacovski 03 8580 4004 tinag@forestersfinancial.com.au

FUNERAL PLAN MANAGEMENT

www.fpmanagement.com.au

David Clarke 0401 305 051 daclarke@australianunity.com.au

FUNERAL HOME VALUATIONS & SALES

TOBIN & MULQUEEN

www.tobinmulqueen.com.au

Martin Tobin 0419 306 271 martin@outlore.com.au

FUNERAL & MORTUARY SERVICE & REPAIRS

FERNO AUSTRALIA PTY LTD www.ferno.com.au

Mick Cawley 07 3881 4999 mcawley@ferno.com.au

FUNERAL & MORTUARY SUPPLIES

FINAL TOUCH AUSTRALIA

www.finaltouchaustralia.com.au

Chantelle O’Neill 07 3889 9607 chantelle@finaltouchaustralia.com.au

HCS INDUSTRIAL

www.hcsindustrial.com.au

Tim Barlow 0417 137 587 tim@hcsindustrial.com.au

HICKEY & CO PTY LTD

www.hickeyandco.com

02 9564 1888

Paul Castaldi 0418 470 111

Paul Martin 0418 676 806 paul@hickeyandco.com

HYQUAL AUSTRALIA

www.hyqual.com

Mark Hyde 1800 777 744 hyqual@bigpond.com

MAZWELL AUSTRALIA

www.themazwellgroup.com.au

Kiera Rae 02 8214 4655 info@themazwellgroup.com.au

ORTHOMETALS BV www.orthometals.com

Gerard Robbers 0419 361 348 gerard@orthometals.com

R H MINTER PTY LTD www.themintergroup.com.au

Mandee Minter 03 9568 6999 mandee@rhminter.com.au

SHOTTON PARMED www.parmed.com.au

Robert Malacarne 03 9791 6444 rob.m@parmed.com.au

TEKMED PTY LTD www.tekmed.com.au

Shane van Rooy 03 9487 9999 shane@tekmed.com.au

SOVA www.sovamotion.com.au

Scott McGillivray 08 9302 4757 scott@sovamotion.com.au

ZEUS PRODUCTS PTY LTD www.zeusproducts.com.au

Damien Simmons 0427 644 308 dsimmons@zeusproducts.com.au

HEARSES/COACH BUILDERS

AUSTRALIAN HEARSE MANUFACTURERS

www.australianhearsemanufacturers.com.au

Jacob Ferguson 07 3888 9244 info@mrf.net.au

HILLIER BROTHERS

Troy Hillier 02 6736 1277 hillierbydesign@gmail.com

SPECIALTY VEHICLES INTERNATIONAL www.pilato.com.au

James Ware 03 9793 3666 james@dream.com.au

INSURANCE

FUNERAL INDUSTRY INSURANCE BROKERS www.fiib.com.au

Colleen Whyte 07 3370 8822 colleen@steadfastnsg.com.au

ICF INSURANCE BROKERS www.icfinsurancebrokers.com.au

John Marini 08 8133 5100 johnm@icfinsurancebrokers.com.au

MEDIA/FUNERAL NOTICES

DEATHS & FUNERALS

www.deathsandfunerals.com.au

Terry Laidler 0412 363 699 admin@deathsandfunerals.com.au

NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA

www.newscorpaustralia.com

Lauren Paul 0415 700 938 lauren.paul@news.com.au

SYDNEY MORNING HERALD www.smh.com.au

Daniel Maloni 02 9282 1084 dmaloni@nine.com.au

THE AGE COMPANY LTD www.theage.com.au

Daniel Maloni 02 9282 1084 dmaloni@nine.com.au

THE WEST AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER www.thewest.com.au

Val Fernandez 08 9237 1435 valeria.fernandez@wanews.com.au

PRE-PAID FUNERALS

FUNERAL PLAN MANAGEMENT www.fpmanagement.com.au

David Clarke 0401 305 051 daclarke@australianunity.com.au

FORESTERS FINANCIAL www.forestersfinancial.com.au

Tina Gacovski 03 8580 4004 tinag@forestersfinancial.com.au

SUREPLAN FRIENDLY SOCIETY www.sureplaninsurance.com.au

John Turner 07 3833 3333 john.turner@sureplan.com.au

TRANSFER SERVICES

DIRECT MORTUARY TRANSFERS www.dmtransfers.com.au

Jake Sullivan 0428 204 408 admin@dmtransfers.com.au

PYM TRANSFER SERVICES

Caroline Pym 0477 102 662 pymandcotransfers@gmail.com

TRIBUTES & ONLINE MEMORIALISATION

ACME PRESTON www.acmepreston.com.au

Michael Heien 02 9644 5877 michael@acmepreston.com.au

ARROW BRONZE www.arrowbronze.com.au

Hymie Jechilevsky 03 9794 2922 hymie.j@arrowbronze.com.au

FUNERAL STUDIO www.funeralstudio.com.au

Kerri Ward 0413 208 031 kerri@funeralstudio.com.au

IN MEMORIUM PRODUCTIONS

Neale McQuire 08 9227 0495 neale@nltrading.com

MEMORIES

www.memories.com.au

Ben Cukier 0493 231 867 ben.cukier@memories.net

MY TRIBUTES

www.mytributes.com.au

Lauren Paul 0415 700 938 partner@mytributes.com.au

PHOENIX FOUNDRY

www.phoenixfoundry.com.au

Joe Campbell 1800 806 064 joe@phoenixfoundry.com.au

PRIME GRAFIX www.primegrafix.com.au

Frank Tevere 1300 307 713 frank@primegrafix.com.au

YOUR MEMORIES www.yourmemories.com.au

Kylie Sambrooks 0408 320 601 kylie.sambrooks@yourmemories.com.au

WILLS & ESTATE SERVICES

COOKE & HUTCHINSON PTY LTD www.cookehutchinson.com.au

Nicole Dymock 07 3284 9433 nicole@cookehutchinson.com.au

QUIRINDI 2343

New South Wales

ARMIDALE 2350

Shaun Hamilton Funerals

TAMWORTH 2340

Shaun Hamilton Funerals

Serving Tamworth, Manilla, Gunnedah and all surrounding areas

YOUNG 2594

GRIFFITH 2680

SYDNEY & SUBURBS

NOWRA 2541

Australian owned family business since 1944

SUTHERLAND

691 Old Princes Highway

PH: 02 9545 3477 Fax: 02 9545 5039

CARINGBAH ST GEORGE BANKSTOWN

Stephen Kellaway Managing Director email: service@olsens.com.au

Northern Territory

ALICE SPRINGS 0870

Centre Funeral Services

12 Kidman Street, PO Box 1943

Phone: 08 8952 2953 Fax: 08 8952 4518 Email: admin@centrefunerals.com.au

Serving Alice Springs & Central Australia since 1975.

DARWIN 0821

ORANGE 2800 email: mail@penhallfunerals.com.au

Traditional values Contemporary choices

Dale Maroney

A 249 Bronte Road, Waverley NSW 2024

P (02) 9389 3499

E dale@waltercarter.com.au

W waltercarter.com.au

ROCKHAMPTON 4700

Queensland

CAIRNS 4870

Serving Cairns, Gordonvale, Babinda, Innisfail, Tully & Atherton Tableland Areas of Far North Queensland

Locally Family Owned and Operated by Chris, Kaylene, Brett & Cher Heritage

Ph 07 4056 1627

Fax 07 4056 3389

70-76 Maher Road Gordonvale Qld 4865

E: info@heritagebradyfunerals.com.au

W: www.heritagebradyfunerals.com.au

GOLD COAST 4220

TOOWOOMBA 4350

GOLD COAST (07) 5535 8758

TWEED HEADS (07) 5599 1500

NORTHERN RIVERS NSW (02) 6674 3777 www.heritagebrothers.com.au CALL

Wes Heritage Ashley Heritage 0417 601 308 0419 676 570

INNISFAIL 4860

BLACKS FUNERALS

Innisfail ~ PH (07) 4061 6806

Tully ~ PH (07) 4068 1188

Funeral Home - Chapel - Crematorium

5 Mylne Street, Toowoomba

McGrath

Serving Toowoomba and surrounding regions

BRISBANE &

Ph: (07) 4636 9600 1020 Ruthven Street, Toowoomba South, Queensland www.burstows.com.au

Oakey Dalby Warwick Gatton

South Australia

ADELAIDE & SUBURBS

Family Owned and Operated Since 1922

SUBSCRIBE

get your own copy of The Australian Funeral Director

Annual Subscription Rates

Members: AUD$55 (4 issues, including GST)

Non Members: AUD$110 (4 issues, excluding GST)

funeraloffice@alfredjames.com.au

KADINA 5554

Proudly South Australian Owned and Operated

1 Webb Street, Port Adelaide S.A. 5015

Phone: (08) 8341 2822

Fax: (08) 8341 0550

Email: tmfs@chariot.net.au

office chapel lounge crematory www.tonymontefunerals.com.au

BERRI 5343

32 Hughes Street, BERRI

231 Twentyfirst Street, RENMARK

Phone: (08) 8582 1333

Email: office@riverlandfunerals.com.au

Serving the Riverland region of South Australia including Berri, Barmera, Renmark, Paringa, Loxton, Waikerie, and surrounding districts.

Owned and operated by the Sweet family for almost 40 years.

Seeley Funerals

(Compassion, Dignity, Respect)

1 Draper Street, Kadina

Serving Copper Coast incl. Kadina, Wallaroo, Bute, Kulpara, Pt Broughton, Yorke Peninsula & wider areas

Phone all hours: (08) 8825 2028

Fax: (08) 8825 2189

MOONTA 5558

Skinner Family Funerals (est. 1926)

(Compassion, Dignity, Respect)

1 Frances Terrace, Moonta

PTY LTD

Serving Central Yorke Peninsula incl. Moonta, Maitland, Ardrossan, Pt Victoria & Price, Copper Coast & wider areas

Phone all hours: (08) 8825 2028

Fax: (08) 8825 2189

PORT LINCOLN 5606

Ralph, Jennifer, Linda and Sta

Paul, Chris & Laura

Serving all districts of Eyre Peninsula 20 London Street, Port Lincoln

Telephone: (08) 8683 4000

www.williamsfunerals.com.au

PORT PIRIE 5540

NORTH WEST & WEST COASTS

Tasmania

HOBART & SOUTHERN TASMANIA

Travis Tann – General Manager Head office and Chapel 163 Steele Street, Devonport. Mersey Gardens Chapel and Crematorium 20 - 24 Stoney Rise Road, Devonport. Close to Spirit of Tasmania Ferry terminal for quick repatriations when required. info@pinegrove.net.au www.pinegrovefunerals.com.au

03 6423 4000

ST HELENS 7216

25 Electra Place MORNINGTON TAS 7018 enquiries@psfunerals.com www.psfunerals.com

SUBSCRIBE

get your own copy of The Australian Funeral Director

Annual Subscription Rates

Members: AUD$55 (4 issues, including GST) Non Members: AUD$110 (4 issues, excluding GST)

Victoria

BENALLA 3672

Damien and Justin Feehan

BENDIGO 3550

LAUNCESTON 7250 Mark & Paul Graham

mark@mulqueen.com.au

Andrew & Heather Hampton 03 5441 5577 funerals@williamfarmer.com.au

BIRCHIP 3483

Phone: (03) 5492 2547

Email: mjkellyandsousag@gmail.com

HAMILTON 3300

Dianne, Troy, Cherie & Paul 43 Collins Street Hamilton admin@fgreed.com.au | fgreed.com.au

Hamilton (03) 5572 1053

KERANG 3579

info@adamsfunerals.com.au

KYNETON 3444

LEONGATHA / KORUMBURRA

MAFFRA 3860

MILDURA 3502

PHILLIP ISLAND 3922

Incorporating Coomealla Crematorium

MOE 3825

Scott & Sharon Anderso n 15 Warley Avenue, Cowes, 3922

Ph: (03) 5952 5171 Fax: (03) 5672 1747

Email: info@handafunerals.com.au

Website: handleyandandersonfunerals.com.au

SALE 3850

(Bradley & Rachel Lett)

(03) 5672 1074

www.lettsfunerals.com.au

Pinder

Overseas Repatriation Specialists Contact Andrew

Bruce & Mary Streets Preston, 3072.

Phone: (03) 9480 1477 Fax: (03) 9416 9152 preston@jensenfunerals.com.au

2 Arthur Street, St. Albans, 3021

Phone: (03) 9364 3466 Fax: (03) 9364 0988 stalbans@jensenfunerals.com.au

www.latrobevalleyfunerals.com.au

SWAN HILL 3585

LOCATIONS

ASHBURTON BALLARAT BERWICK BRIGHTON

CHELTENHAM COROWA

CRANBOURNE

DIAMOND CREEK

DONCASTER

EAST BURWOOD ECHUCA

FRANKSTON GLENROY

MALVERN

MOONEE PONDS

MOUNT MARTHA

NOBLE PARK

NTH MELBOURNE

RINGWOOD ROSEBUD

STH MORANG ST ALBANS

SUNBURY

SUNSHINE THOMASTOWN

WERRIBEE WODONGA

www.tobinbrothers.com.au

MORWELL 3840 437a Princes Drive

www.latrobevalleyfunerals.com.au

NATHALIA 3638 Phone: 1300 858 333 Fax: (03) 5862 1932

Email: admin@coxfunerals.com.au

Web: www.petercoxfunerals.com.au

NORTH-EASTERN REGION

Incorporating Bamford's Murrindindi

Alexandra, Eildon, Euroa, Mansfield, Marysville, Seymour & Yea

NUMURKAH 3636

TRARALGON 3844

www.latrobevalleyfunerals.com.au

WANGARATTA 3677

John & Christine Haddrick Wangaratta (03) 5722 2525 Myrtleford (03) 5752 1525 northeastfunerals.com.au

WARRNAMBOOL / MORTLAKE

Est. 1905

Guyetts

60 Verdon Street Warrnambool

Phone: (03) 5562 2622

Fax: (03) 5561 1133

Email: admin@guyetts.com.au

WONTHAGGI 3995

(Peter and Jenny Cox)

Tel: (03) 5862 3047

Fax: (03) 5862 1932

Email: admin@coxfunerals.com.au

Web: www.petercoxfunerals.com.au

Scott & Sharon Anderson 3085 Loch-Wonthaggi Road, 3995

Ph: (03) 5672 1074 Fax: (03) 5672 1747

Email: info@handafunerals.com.au

Website: handleyandandersonfunerals.com.au

DUNEDIN & OTAGO REGION

Western Australia

BUNBURY & BUSSELTON

New Zealand

To contact New Zealand Locally Owned or Family Owned Funeral Directors

Phone: 1800 038 958 www.locallyownedfunerals.co.nz

AUCKLAND

THE SOUTH WEST’S FUNERAL DIRECTORS. SINCE 1897.

ADRIAN BARRETT, ERROL BARRETT

TEL: (08) 9722 5311 FAX: (08) 9791 2173

9 SPENCER STREET, BUNBURY, WA 6230

EMAIL: INFO@BARRETTFUNERALS.COM.AU

WEB: BARRETFUNERALS.COM.AU

NORTHAM 6401

Five Branches Auckland Wide

PERTH & SUBURBS

Rob & Dianne Tinetti

Ph: 08 9622 1411

Phone +64 638 9026 office@davisfunerals.co.nz

Repatriation Specialists 80 for beautiful funerals

CHRISTCHURCH

davisfunerals co.nz

Stephen Dil 185 Schnapper Rock Rd Albany Auckland +64 9 415 8720 info@dils.co.nz www.dils.co.nz

INVERCARGILL & DISTRICTS

We offer a prompt and professional repatriation service

Cnr. Esk & Doon Sts. Invercargill International Phone: +64 3 218 4095 office@frasersfunerals.co.nz

WHANGAREI

Whangarei & Dargaville

Phone +64 437 5799

Head Office 08 9231 5199

68 Stirling Street Perth, WA 6000

Branch Locations

Cannington | Cottesloe | Dianella | Hilton Mandurah | Medina | Midland | Perth | Westminster

International and Interstate Repatriations Specialists

Contact Josephine Di Dio on 08 9231 5199 or email repats@bowraodea.com.au

Proudly WA family owned and operated with over 130 years of excellence.

Because the little things are everything. bowraodea.com.au | leanneodea.com.au

office@morrisandmorris co.nz

Repatriation Specialists 60

morrisandmorris co.nz

SUBSCRIBE

get your own copy of The Australian Funeral Director

Annual Subscription Rates

Members: AUD$55 (4 issues, including GST)

Non Members: AUD$110 (4 issues, excluding GST)

Servicing Augusta, Bridgetown, Capel, Donnybrook, Harvey, Manjimup, Margaret River, Waroona, & Yarloop.

2023 AFDA Scholarship Word

The

The AFDA Scholarship, proudly sponsored by Foresters Financial, is offered biannually and was created to promote the value of education and colleagueship to funeral industry employees. The prize for the winning applicant includes a trip to attend the NFDA Convention and Expo to be held in Las Vegas, USA from 10-13 September 2023, along with AUD$2,000 spending money. The winner will also be presented with a trophy and certificate.

Application process

After considering this year’s topic, applicants are required to submit a written Executive Summary of no more than 800 words, which should describe the main ideas the applicant intends to present if selected as a finalist.

Criteria

The scholarship is open to all employees of full AFDA Member firms, subject to the following requirements. Applicants must:

• be employed by an AFDA Member firm (and continue to be employed by an AFDA Member firm throughout the application and interview process and at the time the NFDA Convention and Expo takes place);

• have been employed by an AFDA Member firm for a minimum of two years;

• provide a declaration signed by the employer granting approval/support to apply for the scholarship; and authorising leave to attend an interview if selected as a finalist and leave to attend the NFDA Convention and Expo if selected as the winner;

Kit which includes an Application Form, Terms and Conditions, Employer Declaration and Cover Letter. For further information contact AFDA National Office on 03 9859 9966 or admin@afda.org.au

AFDA Scholarship sponsored by Foresters Financial is opening for applications on 6 April 2023.

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: Shirly.sareyka@batesville.com

: 0437 114 333 : www.batesville.com.au

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