If you're located far away from the South Burnett or - for any reason - can't
make it to our offices, you can also arrange a funeral through us by simply
completing
our online form.
Services And Wakes
Funeral services vary widely depending on the wishes of the departed and
their family. Our quick guide explains the
main types of services and different options for wakes.
Our Coffin Range
Virgo Funerals stock a range of beautiful, modern coffins to suit all tastes
and budgets. While we encourage you to visit us to make you final selection,
you can also view them online by clicking here.
Memorials & Plaques
If you'd like to erect a personal memorial or plaque to your loved one, we
have an extensive range of memorials and plaques to suit all tastes and budgets.
You can view them
by clicking here.
Making Arrangements
What's involved in making funeral arrangements? Most people have very little
experience with this and can find it confusing. But our
handy guide explains the process
clearly and simply.
How To Cope With Grief
Death can take many people by surprise and very few of us are naturally good
at dealing with it.
Our tips will help you cope
with grief (or help your family or friends to get through it).
Death is a rare occurrence in most people's lives. So
when it happens many people find themselves bewildered by it and unsure about
what to do.
We hope these checklists will help answer many of the questions that most
people have in these circumstances.
Call the deceased's doctor. Once the doctor has identified the deceased and
is satisfied as to the cause of death a Cause of Death Certificate will be
prepared. If the doctor hasn't attended the deceased in the past three months
or if the doctor's uncertain about the exact cause of death then certification
becomes a Coroner's matter.
After calling the doctor, call your family or a close friend for support
and help in this difficult period when pressure may be placed on you to make
a number of decisions.
While waiting for the doctor, you should also decide on a funeral director
and make initial contact.
When the Cause of Death Certificate is issued, the funeral director can transport
the deceased from the home to the funeral director's mortuary.
You'll then have to decide whether a burial or a cremation is required. If
you decide on cremation, a doctor will be required to issue an Attending
Practitioner's Certificate. Your funeral director will also assist you in
completing two other forms:
a Registration of Death (as required by the Registrar of Births, Deaths and
Marriages) and...
if required, an Application for Cremation.
With the support of family or a friend, you'll then need to make a number
of decisions about the funeral service itself. Your funeral director will
usually guide you through these and they commonly include:
Newspaper notices
Style of casket
Where and when the service should take place
Burial or cremation arrangements
Clergy or celebrant
Floral tributes or charity donations
Transport arrangements
After the medical staff at the hospital have satisfied the legal requirements
regarding the cause of death and identity of the deceased, a medical certificate
(a Cause of Death Certificate) will be given to you.
With the support of family or a close friend if possible, select a funeral
director and ask that the deceased be transported to funeral director's
mortuary.
You'll then have to decide whether a burial or a cremation is required. If
you decide on cremation, a doctor will be required to issue an Attending
Practitioner's Certificate. Your funeral director will also assist you in
completing two other forms:
a Registration of Death (as required by the Registrar of Births, Deaths and
Marriages) and...
if required, an Application for Cremation.
With the support of family or a friend, a number of decisions will then have
to be made about the funeral service itself. Your funeral director will usually
guide you through these and they commonly include:
Newspaper notices
Style of casket
Where and when the service should take place
Burial or cremation arrangements
Clergy or celebrant
Floral tributes or charity donations
Transport arrangements
Call the police. Normally they'll arrange a government-contracted funeral
director to take the deceased to a placed where an official examination can
take place. The police will usually refer the matter to the Coroner, who'll
prepare a report that will include a Certificate of Death and a Burial Order
or a Cremation Permit. The Coroner's report may take a few days even when
the matter is relatively straight-forward.
With support of family or a close friend you should then select a funeral
director who would be able to inform you about what's happening in your particular
circumstances. The funeral director will usually help and guide you through
other matters that will require decisions, including:
Liasing with the Coroner's office on your behalf
Transporting the deceased to the funeral director's mortuary
Newspaper notices
Style of casket
Where and when the service should take place
Burial or cremation arrangements
Clergy or celebrant
Floral tributes or charity donations
Transport arrangements
With support of family or a close friend, select a local funeral director
who should be able to advise you about the most cost-effective way to handle
the matter.
In most countries, a death must be reported to a Coroner when:
A person has died suddenly and the cause is unknown
A person has died a violent or unnatural death
A medical practitioner hasn't issued a certificate stating the cause of death
The deceased person wasn't attended by a medical practitioner within three
months immediately prior to their death
A person has died within 24 hours of - or as a result of - the administration
of an anaesthetic (but not when a local anaesthetic was used for resuscitation)
A person has died within one year and one day of any accident to which the
cause of death might be attributed
A person has died while in - or temporarily absent from - certain establishments
that have been providing them with care, treatment and assistance (such as
a hospital, a residential centre, a welfare facility or residential child
care centre) or where...
A person has died while in police custody or while they were in - or temporarily
absent from - a prison or a detention centre
An inquest must also be held where there is a death in custody or during
a police operation.
Death is a rare occurrence in most people's lives. So
when it happens many people find themselves bewildered by it and unsure about
what to do.
