What should I do with my loved one's ashes?

Once you have made the decision to have your loved one cremated, there are some important considerations you need to make around selecting their final resting place.

In this article we aim to answer some common questions around what you can and can’t do with your loved one’s ashes.

What to do with loved one’s ashes

Once your loved one has been cremated, there are a few things you can do with their remains. Firstly, it’s worth noting you don’t need to do anything with their ashes if you’d prefer to keep them. You can choose not to scatter them and keep them at yours or a loved one’s home.

For an alternative option, some families choose to keep remains at a permanent memorial, providing friends and family a physical place to pay their respects. This fixed location ultimately serves as a destination to visit, commemorate and celebrate your loved one’s life.

Your loved one’s ashes don’t have to stay together either. Families can choose to split the ashes of the deceased among the wider family, where the individual families can choose what they want to do with them. This can assist with the grieving processes by offering everyone in the family a chance to remember the life of the departed the way they wish.

Where can you spread ashes?

Some families choose to scatter their loved one’s remains in locations that reminds them of that special person. There are restrictions around where you can and can’t scatter your loved one’s ashes depending on who owns the land, so always look into receiving permission first from the owner or person in charge.

Guardian Funerals can help with sourcing a permanent memorial for you loved one’s final resting place, or with managing the logistics around obtaining permission to scatter their ashes.

Frequently asked questions

Despite cremation typically being more popular that burials in Australia, there are still many questions around what’s involved and what happens after. Below are some of the most frequently asked questions we get asked at Guardian Funerals:

• Can human ashes be mailed? Technically yes, but many shipping and postal services don’t always allow it. It’s best to check with your chosen service to see if they allow this.
• Where can I scatter ashes? You can either keep the ashes in a decorative, sealed urn, bury them in a small plot or memorial site, or scatter them at a special location chosen by you or your loved one. However, you will need to ask for permission if your chosen location is on public or private property.
• Can I scatter ashes anywhere? You can scatter your loved one’s ashes in public, but in most cases, you will need to obtain permission from the local council. If it’s on private land, then you’ll need to obtain permission from the owner. If you own the land yourself, then the decision is entirely yours.
• Can you scatter ashes in the ocean? Yes, ashes can be scattered at both private and public beaches and oceans. However, you will need to obtain permission from the local council or governing body before you do this.
• Can you take ashes on a plane? Most domestic and international flights will allow you to take ashes on flights. Get in touch with one of our experienced funeral directors for advice on what you will need to do. Otherwise, reach out to the airline you’re travelling with to ask them about their policies.
• Can you turn ashes into diamonds? Memorial diamonds are diamonds created from ashes. A number of businesses offer this service and can be found online.

Knowing what to do with your loved one’s ashes can be an emotional time for you and your family. Guardian Funerals is here to help with practical, compassionate and affordable guidance every step of the way, so feel free to reach out to one of our funeral directors with any questions you may have.