Funeral, cremation and burial services in Newcastle

Providing genuine care and thoughtful personal touches for Novocastrian families

Before founding Marc and Friends, we had the privilege of caring for Novocastrian families at various times since 2016. While Marc’s work has primarily taken him elsewhere, he has supported families in or near Adamstown, Beresfield, Charlestown, Hamilton, Jesmond, Mayfield, Merewether, New Lambton Heights, Sandgate, Waratah, and Wallsend.

Service Options with Personal Touches and Care

Whatever arrangements you choose — whether a cremation-only service, a funeral and cremation, or a funeral and burial — we offer thoughtful touches of care.

How We Care for Every Family

Each cremation includes a choice of urns, suitable for keeping or for scattering with dignity if desired.
Every burial includes a basket of rose petals for family and friends to sprinkle on the coffin or casket.
Families arranging a funeral can also choose from coffins and caskets offered at cost, including a distinctive option locally handcrafted from recycled timber.

From the welcome table on the day of the service, we offer quiet care from the very first moment.

Whether or not you choose to have a funeral service, our support continues gently in the weeks that follow, through thoughtful aftercare.

Thanks to families who pay the usual fee, we’re also able to extend the same level of care to those in financial need.

See Local Quote and Options

Cremation-Only with Personal Touches and Care

Some families seek a simple, efficient cremation. Others also value having time to share stories and memories with us along the way.

Whatever your needs, we are here to care for your family with quiet gestures of care and support — not just arrangements.

Most families choose for the cremation to take place in South-Western Sydney, as it is our most affordable option. Cremation is also available at a local crematorium, for an additional fee.

Your loved one’s ashes will be returned to you, or to a cemetery or memorial garden if you wish, with care, in the way that suits your family best — with no additional cost for collection, delivery, or postage.

Learn more about Cremation-Only

Total (including GST): $2,699

Expenses — costs paid to those we work with
Transfer into our care, anytime day or night | 340
Cremation-only coffin | 200
Death certificate | 75
Cremation Permit by Medical Referee Doctor | 110
Cremation Advice by GP, charges typically range from 0 to 200*| 0
Cremation-only (in Sydney) | 565
Cremation levy | 45
Our Fees — including our margin
Professional services for Cremation-Only, with choice of dignified urn and contribution to Subsidised Funeral Support^ | 1,364
Total (inc GST) $2,699
*We only pass on these fees if they are charged to us.
^ We believe a funeral is a service before it’s a business — so we set aside part of what we receive to help families in need.
If applicable, the pre-paid administration fee is $350.

Funeral Options with Personal Touches and Care

What’s Included in Every Funeral Arrangement

Each funeral quote includes everything needed for a meaningful service:

Transfer into our care — Day or night, with no extra fee
Flowers — Small premium casket cover of fresh seasonal flowers *
Richmond coffin — MDF with a choice of veneer; upgrades include a locally crafted recycled timber design entered in the Australian Good Design Awards
Celebrant / Minister / Priest — Someone you know, or we can arrange one for you *
Funeral staff — Experienced team; additional staff added if needed ^
Carriage of coffin ^^
Guest book — By either a designer or artisan, depending on availability
Music and slideshow — Customised to your wishes
Paperwork arranged for cremation or burial **
Death certificate — Usually arrives within a week

*If you prefer to arrange the service leader or the flowers yourself, that cost is simply deducted.

^Extra staff may be needed for large gatherings or difficult-to-access venues — we’ll always let you know first.

^^For a burial or church service, the coffin is taken by hearse. For crematorium chapel services, the coffin is usually transported discreetly by van and placed in the chapel before the service.

**Some cremation paperwork involves external fees. Our pricing includes the most common fee. If anything else is needed, we’ll guide you clearly.

Still deciding between burial and cremation?

If you’re unsure, learn more about Funeral followed by Cremation or Funeral followed by Burial.

The most common options

Service at Newcastle Memorial Park followed by cremation or burial
Service at a Church — followed by unattended cremation
Service at a church, chapel, or only at the graveside — followed by burial

Newcastle Memorial Park, Beresfield

Chapel Options

Newcastle Memorial Park has two simple yet elegant chapels filled with natural light:

North Chapel – Seats 110 guests
East Chapel – Seats 55 guests

Both chapels are fully equipped with audio-visual technology for music, photos, and videos. Live-streaming and recording services are available, allowing family and friends to be part of the service even if they cannot attend in person.

A chapel can be used before either cremation or burial. For burials, it provides a longer, weather-protected service with audio-visual support before proceeding to the graveside.

Functions

After the service, some families choose to have a function at Beresfield Bowling Club

More about funeral options

Choose from the below:

Service followed by cremation

There are different kinds of services we provide.

Newcastle Memorial Park crematorium

Total (including GST): $7,199

Expenses — costs paid to those we work with
Transfer into our care, anytime day or night | 340
Care facility accomodation | 220
Compassionate Preparation of Loved One | 215
Richmond coffin | 440
Early delivery at the crematorium with the coffin in place in the chapel | 195
Crematorium chapel hire and cremation | 1,665
Premium small floral tribute from | 370
Civil celebrant / Minister / Priest from | 450
Orders of service sheets (from 275 for 50 copies with 4 pages) | 0
Death certificate | 75
Cremation Permit by Medical Referee Doctor | 110
Cremation advice by GP, charges typically range from 0 to 200* | 0
Our Fees — including our margin
Professional services for funeral and cremation — arranging all services, two funeral staff, guest book, choice of urns, before and after care, and contribution to Funeral Cost Help^ | 3,119
Total (inc GST) | $7,199
*We only pass on these fees if they are charged to us
^ We believe a funeral is a service before it’s a business — so we set aside part of what we receive to help families in need.
If applicable, the pre-paid administration fee is $350.

Service at a Church — followed by unattended cremation

There are many beautiful historic church buildings in Newcastle.

Many require additional staff or family members to carry a coffin up and down the steps.

Total (including GST): $6,499

Expenses — costs paid to those we work with
Transfer into our care, anytime day or night | 340
Care facility accomodation | 220
Compassionate Preparation of Loved One | 215
Standard coffin (Richmond) | 440
Hearse hire and driver | 575
Unattended cremation # | 610
Premium small floral tribute | 370
Minister or Priest, suggested donation starting from | 450
Orders of service sheets (from 275 for 50 copies with 4 pages) | 0
Death certificate | 75
Cremation Permit by Medical Referee Doctor | 110
Cremation advice by GP, charges typically range from 0 to 200*| 0

Our Fees — including our margin
Professional services for funeral and cremation — arranging all services, two to three funeral staff, guest book, choice of urns, before and after care, and contribution to to Funeral Cost Help^ | 3,139
Additional staff member ($300, if required)
Total (including GST) | $6,499

# Prices vary from one crematorium to another but we generally absorb the difference if a local crematorium is chosen.
*We only pass on these fees if they are charged to us
^ We believe a funeral is a service before it’s a business — so we set aside part of what we receive to help families in need.

Funeral Followed by Burial

The total below excludes grave, interment, chapel, and other cemetery fees.

If the service is held in a church, either before or after the burial, a donation to the church may be requested, typically starting from $200.

Total (including GST): $6,099

Expenses — costs paid to those we work with
Transfer into our care, anytime day or night | 340
Care facility accommodation | 220
Compassionate Preparation of Loved One | 215
Richmond coffin | 440
Hearse hire and driver | 575
Premium small floral tribute from | 370
Civil celebrant / Minister / Priest from | 450
Orders of service sheets (from 275 for 50 copies with 4 pages) | 0
Death certificate | 75
Our Fees — including our margin
Professional services for funeral and burial — arranging all services, three funeral staff aside from hearse driver, guest book, before and after care, and contribution to Subsidised Funeral Support^ | 3,414
Total without cemetery fees (inc GST): $6,099
^ We believe a funeral is a service before it’s a business — so we set aside part of what we receive to help families in need.

Cemeteries in Newcastle

Newcastle Memorial Park

Newcastle Memorial Park offers three burial options:

Headstone Lawn – A traditional burial plot in a lawn cemetery, with a granite headstone fixed to a concrete beam. Burial sites are perpetual.
Olive Grove – A landscaped burial area featuring olive trees and shrubs. Memorial plaques are positioned in a raised granite garden bed. Burial plots are double-depth, allowing for single or double interment.
Eternal Lawn – A simple and dignified option with a bronze memorial plaque set at ground level on a granite tablet. Graves are prepared for single or double interment. Burial sites are perpetual.

Each location and grave type is paired with specific memorial options, so selections must align with the available combinations.

It is recommended that families make an appointment to meet with someone from the cemetery to choose what suits best. Below is the starting cost.

Prices are correct as at April 2025 and rounded to the nearest $50. The cost of the least expensive grave is shown below.

New grave, plaque and lawn base, and interment total (including GST): $13,200+

Grave | 3,860
Interment | 2,790
Levy | 172
Plaque and lawn base | 6,395
Total (including GST) | $13,200+

Sandgate Cemetery

Established in 1881, Sandgate Cemetery operates as a not-for-profit organisation with a history of no sales commissions.

Monumental Lawn – A well-maintained lawn with seating and shelter, featuring sculpted granite headstones.
Monumental Graves – Traditional full-monument graves designed to endure for generations, with views across the grounds.
Crypts – Accessed through an intimate outdoor chapel with a suspended domed roof, featuring freestanding pillars that balance strength and beauty.
Cultural Sections – Dedicated sections for Greek and Macedonian communities, with traditional monumental graves and thoughtfully landscaped surroundings.

As Sandgate Cemetery is near the Hunter River, occasional rises in water levels can impact burial timing.