The Burial Process

Castlebrook Memorial Park is a permanent place of remembrance. We provide a tranquil and calm space for family and friends to come together to celebrate and honour their loved ones.

Burial is a time-honoured method of committing a loved one’s remains. Today, burials must comply with relevant state, federal and local regulations to ensure they are performed in the interests of public health and to community expectations.

We always:

• Abide by Government regulations, including those of the State Government Health Department
• Adhere to the Disposal of the Deceased - NSW Health and the Public Health Regulation 2012 (Extract ss49-93)
• Follow our own strict policies, procedures and code of behaviour, and
• Bury remains in a dignified manner within our grounds.

Please note – It is common practice for a burial plot to have been arranged in advance. As your loved one may have arranged a burial site, it can be a good idea to check with family members to see if they know if this has been done. More information of prearranging memorials is available.

If a burial site needs to be identified, your funeral director will recommend a location that meets your family’s needs. The funeral director will usually make an appointment for the family to visit the memorial park, and to go on a tour to the grounds. This will assist you to select an appropriate site, to view and discuss your options, and to have your questions answered.

The next step in arranging a burial is to complete a Burial Confirmation Form; and usually your funeral director will complete this form for you, or will assist you to complete it. The form contains the identification information needed to organise the burial service.

It is important that we receive this form before the burial is to take place as we cannot proceed without it. Important information contained in the form includes the deceased’s height and weight, and the coffin’s specifications which are needed in order to prepare the grave site for use.

The form will also provide us with specific directions about the burial process so that we can meet cultural or religious requirements that are important to your family.

The main task to be performed before the burial is the preparation of the grave site.

The selected site, whether prearranged or just chosen, is marked out and checked by staff to ensure accuracy.

After the grave has been dug, its dimensions are checked against the information provided in the Burial Confirmation Form to ensure it is correct, and that any cultural or religious requirements you requested have been provided for.

At the time of burial, a verification of the deceased is performed upon arrival at the cemetery. This is done by checking the funeral directors’ records that travel with the deceased.

The coffin will then be placed on a lowering device next to the graveside. Some families will hold a service at the graveside, while others do not.

Flowers can be placed on the coffin if requested, and single flowers can be dropped into the open grave. The coffin is then lowered into the grave using the lowering device.

After family and friends have departed, the burial staff will collect the lowering device and other equipment. The site is then ready for filling.

Once filled in, the burial staff compacts the soil and prepares the site for returfing. The turf will be placed on top of the grave site as soon as the ground has settled.

Headstone or plaques will be added to the grave when they have been completed, and we will let you and your family know when the memorialisation is completed.