Cremation

We facilitate cremations at the Geelong Memorial Park and Crematorium.

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Cremations Geelong

In Australia, cremation represents about 60% of personal choice and is now widely accepted by most faiths and religions.

Geelong Memorial Park and Crematorium is a public Cemetery and Crematorium administered by Geelong Cemeteries Trust and is a member of the Cemeteries and Crematorium Association of Victoria.

Services can be held in the Chapel at the crematorium or at another chosen venue and your loved one taken to the crematorium at the conclusion of the service.

The cremation takes place on the day of the service and we arrange to have your loved one’s ashes returned to our Geelong funeral home or you may choose to have the ashes held by the Cemetery Trust until you are ready to arrange memorialisation.

Geelong Memorial Park and Crematorium

Please see www.gct.net.au for more information on the Cemeteries administered by the Geelong Cemeteries Trust.

Cemetery and crematorium facilities have a selection of memorial options which we can guide you with.

Download their brochure.

Cremation FAQ

What is cremation?

Cremation is one of two legal ways we can dispose of a deceased person in Australia. The other is burial. It involves burning a deceased person at around 900 degrees Celsius until only a small amount of ash remains.

How is a body prepared for cremation?

There are very few differences in preparing somebody for cremation to burial. We prepare everybody with dignity and respect. Making sure that, whether anybody wishes to see them again or not, they are presented in the best way they can be. One difference is that we are required to remove any battery-operated medical implants. These cause damage to the cremator if not removed. The EPA and Cemeteries Trusts also have a list of items that aren’t allowed to be placed in the coffin. These included glass and batteries but also reduced rubber, plastic and books that were placed in the coffin.

How much does a cremation cost?

Cremation costs on average, between $4000 and $7,500. The $7,500 would include a basic coffin, cremation fee, celebrants fee, flowers, certificates and the funeral director fee. What the funeral director fee includes varies between funeral directors. Items that our service fee includes but some funeral directors may charge extra for are; a viewing of the deceased, a photographic DVD to be played at the service, video recording of all services at any location and online streaming of any service at any location. Items that would be extra are; catering for refreshments, printing of service booklets, newspaper notices, a musician or a chauffeur. The $4,000 would include a basic coffin, cremation fee, certificates and funeral director fee. Even if it is the deceased or the family’s wish that no service takes place, Jonathan Hepner Funerals believes in treating everybody with the same dignity and respect. For this reason, we still like to meet our families in person to go through the details required. We also still prepare your loved one by washing and dressing them in the same way we would for everyone that we care for.

How long does cremation take?

The time that a person is in the cremator varies mainly on the size of the person. On average it is around an hour and a half.

What happens to the coffin in a cremator?

The person remains in their coffin and it is all placed into the cremator together. The way cremators are designed, a person needs to be in some sort of solid vessel in order for the mechanism that places them in the cremator to function correctly.

What to do with ashes after cremation?

There are three main options that people can choose when deciding what to do with their loved ones’ ashes. Memorialising the ashes at a cemetery, scattering the ashes at a meaningful location to the deceased or placing the ashes in an ornamental urn to keep at home. Jonathan Hepner Funerals or the Cemeteries Trust are more than happy to look after your loved ones’ ashes for as long as needed if you aren’t ready to make this decision. If you aren’t able to do any of this option you can choose for the cemetery to scatter the ashes in a communal area.