What To Do With Ashes In Perth Australia?
What to do with the ashes of your loved ones in Perth Australia? Perth has a few options for handling cremated remains, from traditional burial at cemeteries like Karrakatta and Fremantle to eco-friendly alternatives like the Wellington Dam Living Legacy Forest, where ashes can be transformed into living memorial trees. Other options include scattering at sea with specially chartered boats, creating memorial jewellery, or making artistic tributes. Whatever you choose, we hope you’ll be able to honour your loved one in a way that reflects their values and wishes.
Of all these options, turning ashes into a memorial Living Legacy Tree at Wellington Dam Living Legacy Forest is undoubtedly one of the most impactful choices you can make. This environmentally friendly option not only honors your loved one, but also provides lasting environmental benefits and a tangible, growing connection for families.
This article explores these various methods of what to do with ashes in Perth Australia?, with a particular focus on the process and benefits of creating Living Legacy Tree Memorials from cremated remains.
Key Insights Of This Article
- Traditional urn storage at home may give challenges when it change hands, as the average length of home ownership in Australia is only about 10 years
- Untreated ashes have a pH level of 12/14 (similar to bleach) and can harm soil and plant life if scattered without proper treatment
- Living Legacy Trees provide both emotional comfort and substantial environmental benefits
- Wellington Dam Living Legacy Forest located in South West Western Australia is a place where you can turn ashes into Living Legacy Trees, helping create a thriving forest to protect endangered species like the Quokka and Cockatoos.
What Is Cremation Ashes In Perth Australia?
Cremated remains, often referred to as ashes or cremains, do not look like ordinary ashes. They consist mainly of bone fragments that have been processed into a fine, sand-like consistency. Despite being called “ashes”, the remains have a coarse, granular texture and range in colour from pasty white to dark grey, depending on the bone structure of the deceased.
The weight of these remains typically ranges from four to seven pounds (about 1.8 to 3.5 kg) for adults.
The chemical composition of cremated remains is primarily calcium phosphates, specifically hydroxyapatite (Ca5(PO4)3(OH)), which makes up about 50-70% of the bone. They also contain smaller amounts of other elements such as sodium, potassium and magnesium. The exact composition can vary depending on an individual’s weight, diet, age and genetic make-up.
It’s important to note that untreated cremation ash has a high pH of around 12, similar to bleach, which is significantly alkaline and almost a million times too high for most plants. They also contain high levels of salt, with about one cup of salt per average set of cremated remains. This composition makes untreated ash potentially harmful to soil and plant life.
Did you know Perth has the list expensive funeral costs in Australia? Cemetery operators are charging 2-3 times the price for a cremation in Perth as they are in Melbourne or Adelaide.
Also in Perth memorials are limited tenures and are only for 30 years where’s the rest of Australia an interment is forever.
What Are The Things To Do With Cremated Ashes In Perth Australia?
There are various things to do with cremated ashes in Perth Australia, let’s go through the options:
Option 1: Traditional Memorial In Perth
The first option is to do a traditional memorial in Perth. There are historic dedicated places for remembrance like Karrakatta Cemetery, Fremantle Cemetery and Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park.
At Karrakatta Cemetery you can memorialize your loved one in a tranquil and unique setting, services and products provided includes Standard Grevilllea with spectacular Australian flower natives, Tree of Life where names are carved bronze in the finest granite, there are also Memorial Walls where ashes are placed in a garden and includes a double or single memorial plaque.
At Fremantle Cemetery, established in 1898, there is Garden Of Remembrance which is located throughout the cemetery and offers tranquil and creatively landscaped memorial locations. There is also The Gazebo Gardens, where there are numerous eucalyptus trees throughout the landscaped garden. Also there is Mausoleum Niches, each display niche comprises a single compartment in which families can inter ashes and/or display memorabilia.
Then there is Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park. This place has been developed and maintained as a natural bushland where only natural tree species are being planted. There are no monuments permitted and each grave is marked by a flat bronze plaque, this makes a more eco-friendly memorial option. Also, the natural environment of this park provides haven for many native animals including kangaroos.
Option 2: Living Legacy Trees: The Most Eco Friendly Option In Perth
In the protected forest of Wellington Dam National Park, you can specially treat the ashes of your loved one and use it to give nutrients and plant the tree of your choice, living on for generations to come. By transforming cremated ashes into Living Legacy Trees, you create a lasting meaningful tribute that foster connection, healing, and personal growth, this allows you or your family to leave a legacy that continues to thrive in the earth for generations to come.
At Wellington Dam, you can:
- Choose from around 3 native trees.
- Plant advanced trees (trees between 1 and 2 metres tall).
- Create a safe haven for endangered native species like Quokkas and Cockatoos.
- Infuse more than one person’s ashes into the same tree, and you can create a family tree
- Have a healthy tree that will thrive for it’s natural lifetime, in the perfect location that becomes part of creating a beautiful place for future generations to enjoy.
- Includes plaque and ceremony
In perpetuity your tree live in this Living Legacy Forest and your memory lives on.
Option 3: Scatter The Ashes In Perth
The most popular option of what to do with ashes in Perth Australia? which most people are doing is to scatter the ashes of your loved ones. You can scatter the ashes of your loved ones in various places in Perth such as beaches, rivers, parks and even charter boats to scatter at sea. Also some companies offer cruises to Penguin Island and Shoalwater Islands for scattering ashes.
But you should notice that scattering ashes can have negative environmental impacts on Australia. Cremated remains contain high pH levels and sodium content, which can harm plant life and water sources when scattered in large quantities.
Untreated Cremated human ash is actually harmful to the earth
Human ashes after cremation are actually very different to wood ash. In fact untreated human ash has the same pH levels as bleach or oven cleaner which is 12/14 and almost 1 million times too high for plant health.
Scattering untreated ashes in nature is proven to cause harm to plants. One independent study showed a 90% death rate to seedlings planting in untreated ashes within 21 days. Another study showed cigarette butts decreased plant growth by just 30%. So if you wouldnt scatter 3kg of untreated ashes in nature because you wouldn’t want to do harm then you wouldn’t want to scatter ashes in the same way.
While ashes are rich in phosphates, calcium, potassium, and sodium, the levels are not in the balance required by plants for healthy growth. In fact, cremation ashes contain very high levels of sodium, from 200-2000 times higher than plants can tolerate. This potentially causes detrimental effects on the environment.
The pH imbalance of human ash is a major problem for the earth’s soil and plants. The high levels of calcium will affect the plants ability to control water and for photosynthesis which results in browning, scorching and spotting of plant leaves.
Option Four: Memorial Jewelry And Keepsakes In Perth
The next option for what to do with ashes in Perth Australia is keeping the cremated ashes of your loved one inside a memorial jewellery or a unique keepsake. Several companies offer this and sales their product online such as Keepsake Jewellery Australia where they create Ashlocks® and memorial pendants, Eternal Jewellery where they offer various styles and their products are built to stand the test of time by using quality 925 sterling silver and solid stainless steel. Also there is Rainbow Crystal, a unique keepsake that creates beautiful rainbow light when exposed to sunlight.
Options 5: Artistic Memorial Options In Perth Australia
If you seek more creative memorials, there are glass artists that can incorporate ashes into beautiful decorative pieces, also artists that create custom ceramics that blend ashes into glazes or clay bodies, and even memorial paintings that incorporate small amounts of ashes into pigments.
Environmental Considerations For What To Do With Ashes In Perth
It’s important to understand the environmental impact of different methods of handling the ashes of your loved ones.
- Scattering Untreated Ashes: Scattering untreated ashes can be harmful to the environment. The high alkalinity (pH around 12) and high salt content can damage soil, harm plant life, and disrupt local ecosystems. One study in Melbourne showed that untreated ashes killed 90% of seedlings within 21 days.
- Traditional Burial vs. Cremation: While cremation does produce carbon dioxide emissions (about 534.6 pounds or 242.5 kg per cremation), its overall environmental impact is lower than traditional burial. A study found that a casket burial releases about 833 kg of CO2, compared to 233 kg for cremation. Planting a single tree offsets the impact of cremation.
- Tree Memorials: By treating the ashes and using them to nourish a tree (Living Legacy Trees), this method turns a potential environmental negative into a positive. The tree not only offsets the carbon footprint of the cremation but continues to benefit the environment for years to come.
Creating A Living Legacy Tree At Wellington Dam Living Legacy Forest
You and your loved ones can stand tall with the giant trees of Wellington Dam, helping to create a safe haven for endangered species and continue the circle of life. This is one of the best options of what to do with ashes in Perth Australia?.
Cremated ashes are treated to become tree and soil nutrients such as potassium and nitrogen. You and your family literally become a tree and become a peaceful sanctuary for families and nature to connect.
Here you can pre-pan for yourself or someone else, choose to be part of your own tree-planting day now, or consider a memorial tree for the ashes of loved ones – the perfect opportunity to rest your loved ones ashes.
The Process Of Living Legacy Trees at Wellington Dam Living Legacy Forest
Step 1: Select The Perfect Tree
The native tree species for Living Legacy Forest at Wellington Dam include the Jarrah, Blackbut, Marri and Eucalyptus & Bullich tree species which can live 300 -500 plus years, grow 30-75 metres tall.
Step 2: Watch Your Living Legacy Tree Grow
You, your friends and family are welcome to visit the gardens at any time of the year during opening hours. Our wish is to become a place where new traditions and memories are made. Whether you would like to picnic by your tree, or simply walk around the forest.
Step 3: Create The Ideal Experience
You get to choose the experience that is right for you and your family. Whether you prefer a small gathering or a larger group, our team will lovingly tailor your ceremony to your needs. Your family will become a part of this unique experience that will honour both the life you lived and the thriving ecosystem you contributed to. We hope this article that explains you what to do with ashes in Perth Australia? helps you.
You can book a tour of the forest and learn firsthand the entire process while enjoying the lovely forest.
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