What is the process of cremation? How much does it cost? Find answers to the commonly asked questions about Cremation, the process, your options and our cremation certificate.
Victorian Cremations is here to take the mystery out of cremation. If you are wondering whether you can ask us a specific question, the answer is always YES! Please feel free to contact us on 1300 776 073 to talk to us about what is on your mind.
A Cremation Certificate (sometimes known as a Cremation Deed) is an important document that sets out clearly your wishes to your next of kin and family in respect to cremation and in particular states your wish to be cremated in Victoria.
A Victorian Cremations certificate means you will be cremated with the Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust - a public entity reporting to the Minister for Health, working in cremations since 1905.
When the certificate is ready to be honoured, it is simply presented to the Funeral Director who must observe the obligations of the certificate.
Making an early decision about cremation gives you peace of mind and eases the decision-making when the time comes. It is also financially smart. A cremation certificate guarantees you a quality process at the most affordable price in Melbourne.
Our cremation certificate will cost you a single payment of $940. This is the lowest price for a Melbourne-based cremation. Your funds are securely invested through SMCT, a public entity that reports to the Victorian Government.
Cremation is a process where the deceased body is burned, ending with the body transformed into ashes, able to fit into a small urn. Cremations are environmentally friendly and offer more freedom than being buried, which is obviously restricted to where a grave can be purchased. The ashes can be interred at one of our cemeteries, with a memorial plaque if required, or they can be retained by the family of the deceased for the family to keep or scatter as they see fit.
There are three main benefits to pre-purchasing your cremation certificate. Firstly, by paying at today’s prices, the fee is locked in. Once you’re paid, you’re paid, so any increase in costs between now and when the certificate is actually required will not affect you. Secondly, locking in a cremation certificate means it’s one major chunk of planning your family will not have to concern themselves with while grieving. You’re locked in to be treated respectfully and with care on-site by our staff, and your family doesn’t have to make decisions about the process, while in the worst frame of mind to make such major decisions. Thirdly, pre-purchasing in a calmer, less stressful time, gives you a chance to talk to your family about your choices and your wishes for the funeral and your memorial, if you choose to have one.
Victorian Cremations is the first company in Australia to offer a service allowing you to purchase your cremation online, saving you time and money. We are confident that booking through us, online, is the cheapest way to secure a cremation certificate in Melbourne, and with the added assurance of the cremation happening, on site, at our Springvale Botanical Cemetery or Bunurong Memorial Park facility, never leaving our property, and overseen by our expert and caring staff. Booking online is also fast: you can secure a cremation certificate for yourself or a family member in a matter of minutes.
A record of the cremation certificate is retained by us, for your family to access, or for you to access if you’re buying for a family member. Plus you’ll receive a kit in the mail which will include your cremation certificate and Lifebook. We recommend that people fill out the Lifebook and keep it, along with your certificate, somewhere safe. Make sure somebody in your family knows about the kit, so they can retrieve it and follow your instructions.
Victorian Cremations is part of the Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (SMCT) which administers the magnificent Springvale Botanical Cemetery and Bunurong Memorial Park, both of which both have several options. Just ask us if you’d like to find out more.
There are two answers to that question. If your family chooses to retain your ashes, and scatter them somewhere of their choosing, we would retain a record that the cremation happened, and the date. Your family can look up these details at our touchscreens located within our grounds, or on our website. However, we probably won’t have any awareness of what eventually happened to the ashes.
If the family chooses to have the ashes interred or scattered at one of our locations, we will retain a record of this for all time. You may also arrange a permanent place of remembrance within our grounds, providing your family and future generations a point of reflection. From our experience, such forms of remembrance are an important part of the grieving process for those left behind.
Please feel free to ask us about any or all of these options.
Your family, or closest friends. Buying the certificate is a great time to start a conversation about how you see your funeral and memorial.
It’s a good idea to include the fact you’ve bought a cremation certificate in your Will, so that it is officially recorded.
And, as mentioned, let your loved ones know about your ‘kit’, including Lifebook. Remember, Victorian Cremations is all about you having choices about how you’re celebrated and remembered, so it’s important that your family is aware of your kit and can follow your instructions. It makes a stressful time easier for them.
Talk about it! Open communication, away from when everybody is grieving and potentially not in the right space to make clear decisions, is a huge part of our model. If somebody close to you has died and you’re not sure if they purchased a cremation certificate, just call us and we can check.
Yes, we hold all the records of nearly everybody ever cremated or interred at any of our SMCT locations, which is well in excess of 1,000,000 records. These records are vital for future generations interested in tracking family links. Our Trust is 160 years old, so there are thousands and thousands of family strands within our records.
There is nothing to worry about. If you misplace your cremation certificate simply contact us and we will send you confirmation in writing that the cremation arrangements are in place. All of our records are held in perpetuity (for all time) and date back to over 160 years. You can be assured that your records are safe with us.
