When a person has died, the two most common options for what happens to their body are burial and cremation. The first of these is more traditional, and involves digging a grave and burying the person’s body inside a coffin. The process is treated with respect, and here in Perth, a funeral director may be involved to help with the proceedings and planning. A burial plot must be purchased, which the deceased may have organised beforehand, and this is where they will be laid to rest. The grave will then be set with a stone with their name, dates of life and sometimes other messages.

Cremation is quite different, and it involves the body being burned to ashes. This type of funeral is more common elsewhere in the world, depending on the belief system and local customs, but has become very common in Western society. Even then, the process varies; sometimes the deceased is cremated in their own coffin, the one used during the funeral ceremony. Other countries may provide a coffin for this specific purpose. In any case, the contained must be combustible. After this, the body and coffin are reduced to ashes. In a typical Perth cremation, the temperatures reach around 1000 degrees celsius. The ashes are then collected in a capsule, urn or other container and given to the family.

Once again, the deceased may have wished to have their ashes scattered in a particular location. Otherwise, the family may keep the urn in remembrance, often placing it in a prominent location or another one of their choosing. There are many other possibilities for what to do with the ashes, depending on the deceased’s wishes or those of the family.