What to do with ashes after cremation

After cremation, deciding what to do with your loved one's ashes is a deeply personal choice. Whether you're currently considering cremation, or you’ve already received your loved one's ashes, we're here to help you understand your options so you can decide what works for you and your family.

What to do with ashes: your options

There are a variety of meaningful ways to honour your loved one's memory after cremation. Here are some thoughtful options to consider:

Creating a home memorial

You can keep your loved one's ashes in a sealed urn at home, surrounded by familiar spaces and loving memories. Many families find comfort in keeping their loved one close in this way. We offer a range of beautiful urns suitable for home memorials.

Sharing among family

After cremation, what to do with the ashes is sometimes a family decision. Some families choose to divide the ashes among family members, allowing each person to memorialise their loved one in their own special way. We can provide smaller keepsake urns specifically designed for this purpose.

Creating a permanent memorial

Many families choose to place their loved one's ashes in a memorial park or garden. This creates a peaceful, permanent place where friends and family can visit to remember and reflect. Options include wall niches and beautiful garden settings.

Scattering in a meaningful place

What to do with ashes after cremation in Australia often includes scattering them in a special location. Before choosing this option, there are some important factors to consider:

  • For private land: You'll need the landowner's permission unless you own the property
  • For public places or oceans: Local council permission is usually required.

We can provide special scatter urns to help with this process.

Transporting ashes

We often receive questions about transporting ashes. While most airlines allow ashes on flights (although it's important to check specific airline policies), postal services have varying policies about mailing ashes. We can guide you through any transportation requirements to ensure everything is handled appropriately.

There's no rush to make a decision on what to do with ashes after a cremation. You can take time to consider what feels right for you and your family. Whatever you decide to do with your loved one's ashes, we're here to help make it happen.

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 Simplicity 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.

There’s comfort in simplicity

Our experienced team understand that keeping things simple is the best approach — especially during difficult times. If you need to plan a funeral, we can help.

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