FAQs

If you have just learnt that your loved one has died, you should take a moment to pause. Perhaps have a cup of tea before making any phone calls. When you are ready, contact a funeral director.

Salvos Funerals can arrange the transportation of your loved one into our care and walk you through the necessary steps from there.

• If your loved one is in the care of a hospital or the Coroner, this can happen after we've gone through some of the paperwork
• If your loved one passed away in a nursing home, we can make arrangements with them
• If the death was in a home, you should call an ambulance first

If you wish to view your loved one, you may be able to do so at the nursing home or hospital before they are transported, at another location by arrangement, or on the day of the funeral. Your funeral director can help you with this.

Once the immediate family is aware of the death and funeral, make a list of people to inform and ask a close contact to notify others. 

While there can be a lot of arrangements to make, try not to feel daunted. We have plenty of experience and are there to work with you. There is no need to feel rushed. The planning can take as long as you need but normally from a week to ten days. (There may be additional charges for extending the time).

• Do not feel pressured to rush if you don’t have to
• Take the time you need to gather your thoughts
• Reach out to us any time if you want to talk things through

The presence of a coffin can help with the grieving process as people come to terms with the reality of the death. You can choose to have the coffin present or not. This is what is known as a funeral.

A memorial service takes place without the coffin. It may be with the ashes if a cremation has taken place.

Generally, you don’t need special permission to scatter ashes in public places – this includes parks, rivers, forests, the sea, etc. However, you should get written permission if you wish to scatter ashes on private property that isn’t your own.

No, Salvos Funerals do not operate out of fixed locations. This allows us the flexibility to meet with you at a convenient location and arrange a funeral at the venue of your choice. It also means that because we don’t have to cover the costs of maintaining a building, we can pass on the savings to our customers.

Not at all! Salvos Funerals is an inclusive funeral service. We cater to families from different cultural, religious and non-religious backgrounds. We will arrange a service that best suits your needs – whether that is at a church, in a park, or at a local sports club.

Owned and operated by The Salvation Army, we are experienced in providing care for people during their time of need. Salvos Funerals is the ethical face of the funeral industry as all our profits go directly back to the community work of the Salvos. We are also able to offer ongoing support by linking you in with additional Salvos services.

We can make arrangements in person or by phone and via email. If you would like to meet face to face, there are different options. We can meet with you in your home, or in a Salvation Army office or cafe.

Our services range from simple funerals, to alternative/creative, direct cremations, repatriation, and more. They can be held at a church, crematorium, cemetery chapel, graveside or a venue of your choice.

You have a choice of minister/celebrant, burial or cremation, coffins or urns, flower arrangements, music, visual tributes, catering, and other personal touches.

We ask for payment within a week of the invoice. Payment can be made by credit card, BPay, electronic funds transfer or cash at a bank or post office.

No, you are not able to pay directly from their superannuation account.

Pre-planning/ pre-paying for your funeral ensures your wishes are fulfilled. It provides peace of mind to you and your family and secures the service at today’s rates.

Yes, you can prepay your funeral in installments or upfront.

Yes, Foresters Friendly Society independently manages funds on our behalf.

Because your funds are managed by an independent trustee, they are secure even if we were to go out of business.