Honouring the departed: memorial trends reflect changing times in FNQ
Cemeteries in the region are experiencing a significant shift in memorial trends and a rise in cremations is now leading to a demand for meaningful ways to honour their loved ones. Find out more here.
Cairns
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Funeral homes are reporting a rapid rise in “unique burial alternatives”, with one woman honouring her late mother by sending her ashes off in fireworks.
A significant shift in memorial trends has been reported within cemeteries in Far North Queensland, with families increasingly turning to cremation.
The change has led to a surge in demand for alternative memorial options, including cremation walls and personalised tributes, as people discover affordable but meaningful ways to honour their loved ones.
Far North resident, Sandy Davies said she was in emotional turmoil after her mother’s sudden death made harder by mounting expenses exceeding more than five figures.
“I was in a vacuum of shock,” she said.
“My mother always said she wanted her farewell to be more about joy than sorrow, she wanted her memory to be celebrated.”
In keeping with her mother, Leona Skelton, wishes to scatter her ashes from a “great height”, Ms Davies set out to find an affordable way to commemorate her.
“Spreading ashes from a plane didn’t seem joyous enough,” she said.
“She also didn’t have a favourite mountaintop here in Far North Queensland.”
Eventually she settled on Straight Cremation Funerals in Cairns.
“They were wonderful,” she said.
After exploring a number of options, Ms Davies said she was inspired by a friend’s idea to honour her mother’s memory with a “glamorous burst of fireworks”.
“We’d always thought fireworks were something reserved for the wealthy,” she said.
Describing a fireworks display as a fitting tribute, a private oceanfront display of colour and lights was held in Palm Cove in 2017.
“They were a reflection of my mother’s life, full of joy, sparkle, and strength,” Ms Davies said.
For the grieving daughter, she said the fireworks were a representation of everything her mother had lived for.
“Unstoppable, determined, beautiful, strong, and always sharing joy with others,” Ms Davies said.
Since her mother’s death, Ms Davies said she has had numerous conversations with families who are also thinking outside of the traditional approach to cremation.
“Turns out, releasing ashes via fireworks was a poignant, meaningful farewell,” she said.
“We’re now going to go the same way.”
As other families also embrace cremation over traditional burial, businesses are evolving to meet these changing needs.
Family-owned Gori Marble & Granite, a staple in the region for nearly three generations, has seen first-hand the increasing popularity of cremation in Far North Queensland.
The business, which began work as Gori Terrazzo Tiles in 1965, shifted focus to specialise in monumental granite and marble work in the 1980s.
Velina Veivers, who runs the business with her husband Bradley, identified a growing preference for cremation.
“Burials are on the decline, and cremation has become the preferred option for many families,” she said.
In response to this shift, Ms Veivers said she introduced a new solution, a granite ash wall, to cemetery sites in the region.
This concept allows families to place ashes, small vases, scrolls, and flowers in a flexible memorial space at cemetery sites.
“Many families aren’t sure what to do with their loved ones’ ashes,” she said.
“The ash wall offers a way to commemorate their memory in a meaningful way.”
But getting approval for the wall wasn’t without challenges, Ms Veivers said.
The idea had to be presented to the Cairns Regional Council, and initially, there was resistance.
“The council didn’t want to approve it at first, so we built a small model to show them how it could work,” she said.
“Once they saw it in person, they understood. It’s been incredibly well-received, and other cemeteries have followed suit.”
The rise in cremation has opened new avenues for personalised memorials, and families and businesses are finding innovative ways to create lasting tributes that reflect the individual.
While cremation offers flexibility in how families choose to memorialise their loved ones, cost remains a significant factor.
Ms Veivers said memorial plaques can cost about $750, however, more elaborate options such as gravesites in remote locations such as Torres Strait, can be up to $20,000.
For families with strong cultural ties to burial traditions, regardless of the expense, mausoleums remains a lasting tradition.
“Italian families still want those grand mausoleums, while it’s not as frequent now, there is still a demand for high-end memorials, especially when the family has a longstanding tradition,” Ms Veivers said.
Despite this, the cremation trend is also changing cultural attitudes.
Ms Veivers said older generations, particularly those from Italian and European backgrounds, were once firmly against cremation are now more accepting.
“People no longer see cremation as taboo,” she said.
One growing trend is the scattering of ashes in meaningful places, while still placing a plaque or memorial in a cemetery the family can visit.
“We see people scatter ashes in places like farms, beaches, or parks,” she said.
“It’s a personal way of honouring someone, and then they come back to place a memorial plaque.”
Ms Veivers said staff members involved in the memorial creation process could often find themselves grappling with their own personal grief.
“It can be really tough, especially when we’re working with families who have lost children,” she said.
“You can’t help but empathise with them, it’s hard not to get emotional.”
Some families have wait year, or even decades to decide on a memorial site.
“One client came back after 40 years to put up a plaque for their child,” Ms Veivers said.
“A lady came in, she said her husband didn’t want to do anything at all when their son passed.
“Then after her husband died, she put up a plaque for her son that she never got to do.”
Looking ahead, Ms Veivers said while the need for memorials will persist, the way they are created will continue to change.
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Originally published as Honouring the departed: memorial trends reflect changing times in FNQ