At our July monthly meeting our theme of death engendered some lively discussions that were serious and sometimes tinged with humour.
The Discussion Group was directed by our member Jan who, prior to the meeting, had provided a useful set of discussion points. That members were generous and felt comfortable in sharing personal reflections and stories resulted in a most successful session. We heard stories of people going out under the cover of darkness to scatter a loved ones ashes, tales of trying to locate death records and the disappointment of visiting a cemetery to find a bare unmarked lot as an ancestor's final resting place. Several members discussed the usefulness of FindaGrave as a resource. One member even brought along as a prop an empty ashes urn from a crematorium. At the end of the allocated hour those present agreed to extend the session and continue the conversation.
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| There are over 30,000 entries related to Lake Macquarie on FindaGrave |
Our Guest Speaker was our own member Jill who further explored death with a focus on end of life celebrations and final resting places in a presentation "Six Feet Under Downunder". Contributions from members throughout this session added further depth to the talk.
It was rewarding to note that those in attendance felt that our Group provided a comfortable environment to relate personal stories on a sometimes taboo subject.
Following (in order of presentation) are links to the websites mentioned in Six Feet Under Downunder.
Death: the last taboo https://australian.museum/about/history/exhibitions/death-the-last-taboo/
Aboriginal Burials Fact Sheet https://www.firstpeoplesrelations.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-04/Aboriginal-burials-fact-sheet_0.pdf
Guidelines for Aboriginal cultural and
spiritual requirements for burial and
cremation in NSW
https://www.cemeteries.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-12/guidelines-for-aboriginal-cultural-and-spiritual-requirements-for-burial-and-cremation-in-nsw.pdf
https://www.cemeteries.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-12/guidelines-for-aboriginal-cultural-and-spiritual-requirements-for-burial-and-cremation-in-nsw.pdf
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Deaths https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/deaths-australia/latest-release
Green Burials https://jamesmurray.com.au/eco-friendly-funeral-options-a-guide-to-sustainable-farewells/
Cremation Jewellery https://keepsakejewellery.com.au/collections/cremation-jewellery
Memorial Forest Pipers Ridge https://www.pipersridge.com.au/
Southern Cryonics https://www.sandbox.southerncryonics.com/
Aquamation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_cremation
Terramation https://returnhome.com/return-home-process/
Salvos Funerals https://salvosfunerals.com.au/
Civil Registration NSW https://www.nsw.gov.au/family-and-relationships/family-history-search
Probate and Estate Files at Museums of History NSW https://mhnsw.au/archive/subjects/?filter=guides
NSW Online Probate Notices (2013-) https://onlineregistry.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/content/search-probate-notices
ARK Kit https://mhnsw.au/guides/archives-resources-kit/
Sydney, Australia, Anglican Parish Registers, 1814-2011 (need Ancestry Sub)
Newcastle Herald Tributes and Funerals https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/tributes-funerals/
Sydney Morning Herald Death Notices https://tributes.smh.com.au/au/obituaries/smh-au/browse
Ryerson Index Search https://ryersonindex.org/search.php
Australian Family Histories: a Bibliography & Index https://familyhistory.asn.au/
Obituaries Australia https://oa.anu.edu.au/
Deaths and Funeral Notices Australia https://deathsandfunerals.com.au/
Familysearch Australia, Cemetery Inscriptions, 1800-1960
https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/collection/1534449
https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/collection/1534449
Metropolitan Memorial Parks Find a Loved One https://www.metropolitanmemorialparks.com.au/find-a-loved-one
Bathurst Cemetery Index https://library.bathurst.nsw.gov.au/Research-History/Bathurst-Cemetery-Index
Waverley Cemeteries Finding Loved Ones
https://www.waverley.nsw.gov.au/cemeteries/finding_loved_ones
https://www.waverley.nsw.gov.au/cemeteries/finding_loved_ones
LMFHG Librarything Catalogue https://www.librarything.com/profile/LMFHG
Australian Cemeteries Index https://www.austcemindex.com/
CWGC Find War Dead https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/
Billion Graves https://billiongraves.com/
FindaGrave https://www.findagrave.com/
James Murray Funerals Newcastle Search https://jamesmurray.com.au/live-streaming/
Barbara King Funerals Search https://www.barbarakingfunerals.com.au/obituaries
