Choosing burial

Burial in Melbourne

One lasting place, chosen by you.

A service then the graveside, or everything at the grave, at any cemetery in Victoria.

Call 1300 788 881 — any hour See the two shapes of the day →

5.0 · 32 Google reviews

A woven wicker coffin dressed with native flowers, resting beneath a timber shelter at a Melbourne memorial park
If someone has died

Call now. We come to you, any hour, and nothing else needs deciding tonight.

1300 788 881 →
What it costs

From $8,374 inc GST, plus your cemetery’s fees at cost.

See what’s included ↓
Planning ahead?

Record your wishes, or prepay at today’s price.

Start planning ahead →
The shape of the day

One place, two shapes of the day.

Pallbearers carrying a timber coffin dressed with red flowers past seated mourners at a coastal venue
Most families choose this

A service, then the graveside

A service at a chapel, church or venue, then a shorter committal at the grave with those closest. Suits a larger gathering.

See the three experiences ↓
A celebrant speaking beside a white coffin at a graveside, with mourners seated on chairs on the lawn
One gathering, one place

Everything at the graveside

The whole farewell held at the grave, with words, music and the burial in one gathering. Suits a close circle.

See the three experiences ↓

Either shape fits within any of the three experiences, at that experience’s price. A graveside-only farewell can also be arranged on its own, from $5,824 inc GST.

The three experiences

How a burial takes shape.

Each price is our complete package. Your coffin, flowers, celebrant and the cemetery’s fees are added.

The Simple experience — a memorial park chapel

Simple

A chapel service at a memorial park, with the burial in the same grounds.

Burial from $8,374 inc GST

Explore Simple →
The Celebrated experience — your chosen venue

Celebrated

The service at a venue they loved, then the cortege to the cemetery you choose.

Burial from $10,864 inc GST

Explore Celebrated →
The Concierge experience

Concierge

Any venue and any cemetery, led by one senior hand.

Burial from $19,144 inc GST

Explore Concierge →

Compare all three side by side →

Where it happens

Where the service is held, and where they’ll rest.

Where they’ll rest.

Enter your postcode to see the closest options, with distances from home.

Where each experience could take shape

SimpleA chapel at one of the cemeteries belowService and burial in the same groundsExplore Simple →
CelebratedA venue across MelbourneThen the cortege to the cemetery you chooseExplore Celebrated →
ConciergeAnywhere you can imagineThen any cemetery in VictoriaExplore Concierge →
Near youEnter your postcode aboveto see the closest of each.

Where they’ll rest

We arrange burials at any cemetery in Victoria. These are the grounds we know best.

Native gardens and wetlands at Bunurong Memorial Park, Dandenong South

Bunurong Memorial Park

Dandenong South · south-east

Contemporary chapels amid wetlands and native gardens, on Bunurong Country.

Explore Bunurong Memorial Park →
Heritage chapel and gardens at Springvale Botanical Cemetery

Springvale Botanical Cemetery

Springvale · south-east

Melbourne’s botanical cemetery, with heritage chapels and renowned gardens.

Explore Springvale Botanical Cemetery →
Established trees lining an avenue at Fawkner Memorial Park

Fawkner Memorial Park

Fawkner · north

A century of Melbourne stories, held among established trees.

Explore Fawkner Memorial Park →
Open lawns under wide sky at Altona Memorial Park

Altona Memorial Park

Altona North · west

Open lawns and big western skies, minutes from the bay.

Explore Altona Memorial Park →
Bushland setting at Lilydale Memorial Park in Melbourne's east

Lilydale Memorial Park

Lilydale · east

Bushland calm at the edge of the Yarra Valley.

Explore Lilydale Memorial Park →
Heritage monuments and mature trees at Preston Cemetery

Preston Cemetery

Preston · north

A heritage cemetery in Melbourne’s inner north, holding its community’s stories for more than a century.

Explore Preston Cemetery →

Anywhere else in Victoria

A country cemetery, a churchyard or a family plot. We arrange burials across Victoria.

Name the place →

See every venue and chapel we serve

On the day

What happens, and when.

  1. 1

    The cortege

    After the service, family, friends or our team carry the coffin to the hearse, and we lead everyone to the cemetery.

    Gathering at the grave

    Everyone gathers at a graveside that is ready, with the coffin in place or carried in by pallbearers.

  2. 2

    The committal

    Final words are spoken and the coffin is lowered. You can stay for the lowering or step back first, and place a flower or a handful of earth.

  3. 3

    Closing the grave

    The cemetery’s team fills the grave once the family has stepped away. Where the cemetery allows, family can take part.

  4. 4

    In the weeks after

    The death certificate arrives from Births, Deaths & Marriages. When you’re ready, we can introduce you to a monumental mason for the headstone.

Upfront, always

What a burial costs.

Two parts: our complete package, from $8,374 inc GST, and your cemetery’s fees for the grave, passed on at cost and set out in writing before you decide.

Included in every package

  • Transfer into our care, day or night
  • Mortuary care until the day
  • The hearse and cortege
  • Registration and the death certificate
  • The graveside made ready
  • An online tribute page

Chosen at arrangement

Coffin or casket from $1,171 · view the range
Flowers from $550 · browse designs
Celebrant or clergy from $880

5.0 · 32 Google reviews

“Very transparent, respectful and honest — the service was exactly how he would have wanted it.”

Jennie S. · Google review

The grave, explained

A right of interment, not land. You buy the right to be buried in that place and to decide who else may be. It’s usually perpetual; some cemeteries offer 25 years for less.
Two cemetery fees. The right of interment, priced by cemetery, section and position, and the interment fee to open and close the grave.
Most of the range is the grave. Across Melbourne the two fees commonly run from around $4,000–$6,000 for a lawn grave at an outer park to $30,000 and beyond for premium positions at the heritage cemeteries. We’ll show you real figures for any cemetery.

See the complete pricing picture →Pricing & regulatory information →

Common questions

Burial, answered plainly.

How much does a burial cost in Melbourne?

Our complete packages run from $8,374 (Simple) to $10,864 (Celebrated) and $19,144 (Concierge), inc GST. Your coffin, flowers and celebrant are added, and your cemetery’s fees for the grave are passed on at cost, in writing before anything is confirmed.

Can we choose any cemetery?

Yes. We arrange burials at any cemetery in Victoria, from metropolitan memorial parks to country cemeteries and churchyards. If distance adds a cost, we’ll tell you before you decide.

Can they be buried in an existing family grave?

Often, yes. It depends on consent from the right of interment holder, the depth left in the grave and the cemetery’s rules. Bring the paperwork, or just the cemetery’s name, and we’ll confirm it with the cemetery.

How soon after death is a burial held?

Commonly within about a week, depending on the cemetery’s availability and family travel. If your faith asks for a burial within days, tell us on the first call.

Is embalming required for a burial?

Not for a standard burial in Victoria. A few situations require it, such as some crypt and mausoleum interments, and we’ll tell you if yours is one.

When can the headstone go in?

Usually some months after the burial, once the ground has settled. The cemetery sets the timing and issues a permit, which your monumental mason usually arranges.

Can we have a natural burial?

A few Melbourne cemeteries have natural burial areas, with no embalming, a biodegradable coffin or shroud, and native planting instead of a monument. We’ll tell you which grounds offer it and what each allows.

Can we have a Catholic or religious burial?

Yes. For Catholic families that usually means a vigil, the funeral Mass, then the Rite of Committal at the grave. We work with your parish, temple or community, whatever your faith.

Is burial or cremation the more sustainable choice?

Both have a footprint: burial’s is mostly land and materials, cremation’s mostly energy. Whichever you choose, we measure the whole farewell’s emissions and offset them at 150%, and a tree is planted in their name.

When you’re ready

We’re here, whenever you need us.

Call any hour, any day, or send us a question.

Call 1300 788 881 Ask a question

Also exploring: Cremation · Sea burial · Unattended cremation

Call Candour any time — 1300 788 881
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