Most people are unsure of what to do when someone passes away in their family. It is important to contact us as soon as possible. This will allow us to assist you during this time. The majority of deaths are from natural causes and can occur in hospitals, aged care homes or at the family home. In most of these situations a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death will be issued by the treating doctor.

If a death occurs in a hospital, the family are required to make the initial contact with us. However in an aged care home, the staff will make contact with us once the family have been notified.

If someone passes away at home, the initial contact should be with their doctor, who may agree to write a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. Once the doctor has been advised, you would then contact us to transfer the person into our care.

In the case of a sudden and unexpected death and the doctor is not prepared to write a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death; you then need to contact the police who will attend the place of death. The police will then report the death to the Coroner. They will also arrange for the person to be transferred to the Coroners Court in Melbourne. Please contact us if this occurs as we will work closely with you and the Coroner to ensure your loved one is brought into our care as soon as possible.

During our time together many decisions will need to be made. To help make this time easier for you, here is a list of topics and items that you may wish to consider prior to meeting with us. Please allow at least 1 hour for the funeral arrangement meeting. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require any support, we are here to help.

Births Deaths and Marriages Details we cover:
• Deceased’s full name and date of birth
• Last residential address
• Date and place of birth. If born overseas, year of arrival to Australia
• Occupation during working life
• Spouse or partner’s full name (including maiden name if applicable)
• Date and place of marriage (Church and Town)
• Other (if any) marriage details
• Deceased’s children, full names and dates of birth
• Deceased’s father’s full name, date of birth and occupation
• Deceased’s mother’s full name, maiden name, date of birth and occupation

Department of Human Services details we require:
• Centrelink CRN number
• Medicare number
• Child support number (if applicable)

You may give some thought to:
• Burial or cremation preference
• Venue for the ceremony – Chapel, Church or other possibilities
• Venue for refreshments following the ceremony
• The wording of a death notice including closing phrases
• An organisation you may wish donations to be made to in memory of your loved one
• Music selections for the ceremony and photographic tribute
• Pallbearers (if applicable)

Please bring the following items with you:
• Clothing you wish your loved one to be dressed in
• Photographs for the preparation of printed items

- Church or Chapel service followed by a burial
- Church or Chapel service followed by a cremation
- Private burial or cremation followed by a public memorial service
- A Graveside service
- A Service held in the crematorium chapel
- A service held at the family home
- An informal gathering held in our reception room

These are only a few options, but often the most asked for.

Appleby Funerals associate firm William Farmer is located in Bendigo and Eaglehawk and our venues are designed to be of the highest standard and to cater for every need. We offer plenty of onsite parking at both facilities, well-appointed chapels and reception rooms and state of the art equipment.

Our attention to detail can be seen at each of our venues and continues in areas often unseen by the public. We welcome the opportunity to provide a tour through our facilities should you wish

One of the first topics discussed is the preference of a burial or cremation. This is a very personal choice and one that should be well considered. Some families choose based on preference and wishes, some on cost, and some on memorial options. If unsure, we highly recommend visiting your local cemetery and viewing the different options available for burials, or maybe the memorialisation options for cremated remains.

You can create a funeral that reflects the unique and special qualities of your loved one. The secret is to add personal touches.

Here are some considerations:
Choosing a Celebrant or Clergy member, selecting life symbols to be displayed, lighting a candle, providing guests with a printed item to take home, having a photo presentation during the funeral service, selecting music and special readings/poems, including humour during the funeral, or inviting other associations such as the RSL to be part of the service.

When a loved one is brought into our care, they are looked after in our mortuary care centre. This is where we care for those that have passed away by bathing and dressing them. Our team of experienced mortuary technicians will carefully and respectfully carry out any family wishes whilst maintaining the highest level of dignity at all times. Sometimes families wish to assist in the care process and we highly encourage this.

After mortuary care, a family’s loved one will safely rest in the chosen coffin until the day of the ceremony.

Choice is so important in life, and when planning a funeral this is no different. We offer an extensive range of both coffins and caskets, together with urns and jewellery.

When organising a funeral many decisions need to be made, these include if you would like printed items such as orders of services, bookmarks, post cards etc., a photo presentation and the style and type of music.

These decisions often reflect the life being honoured and can be as individual and personalised as you wish. Our Funeral Directors will provide options and suggestions to assist if required, however our graphic designer and media team will always try to produce the family's first choice for both printed items and photo presentations.

Flowers are a beautiful tribute at a funeral service. You may select flowers that were meaningful to the person who has died, or maybe as a tribute of your love.

Sometimes flowers are not quite appropriate, and maybe something else should displayed on the coffin or casket. The choice is yours.

We work with a wide range of florists in Bendigo, however you may prefer to use the florist you have always gone to, this is ok to. We will organise and handle all the floral tributes on the day of the service with tremendous care and respect at all times.