Eco-friendly, aquamation, traditional, upright? How we might want to be buried

In our community, Ballarat Cemeteries is the keeper of all these unique stories.

Our two historic cemeteries serve our communities in several important ways.

They are peaceful, picturesque locations where loved ones are (or have been) buried or placed after they have passed away.

They are places where people gather to attend chapel services or visit memorials to remember those who are no longer physically with them.

They are also beautiful spaces for passive recreation - for walking dogs, exercising, appreciating the gardens, engaging in creative activities such as art or photography, and for absorbing the history, symbolism, and architecture associated with heritage cemetery spaces.

Ballarat Cemeteries' mission is to remember the past, care for the present, and plan for the future.

History is important to our story, as both of our cemeteries evolved alongside - and have continued to support - the greater story of Ballarat since its earliest days as a township.

Ballarat Old Cemetery became the final resting place for many of the town's earliest pioneers, including those who lost their lives on the goldfields, and those who stayed on; those who built businesses, and contributed to the economic, cultural and social development of the region.

A walk through Ballarat Old Cemetery is like visiting a public archive documenting triumphs and tragedies alike.

Large, grand monuments recognise prominent citizens and their families - and also mark the final resting places of those involved in pivotal events such as the Eureka Stockade rebellion.

Many family graves mention the names of those who lost their lives answering their country's call during different wars overseas - and many do not contain the remains of their lost loved ones, just a short note dedicated to their service and their memory.

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Smaller monuments offer glimpses into private pain - many babies and children are remembered, having passed away due to pandemics, house fires, and the harsh conditions associated with early life on the goldfields.

Some memorials are in Chinese, while others are in other languages.

Names from different parts of the world have been etched into stone, while some citizens have returned to earth in unmarked graves, seemingly lost to time.

Recognising the vital place of cemeteries in the cycle of life, the Ballarat General Cemeteries Trust of the 1850s showed great foresight by gazetting a second allotment of land for a new cemetery a few years after establishing the first.

This expansive 48-hectare piece of land became known as Ballarat New Cemetery, and was officially declared open on June 10, 1867.

This new space continued the story of the community and offered a variety of new options as they emerged.

In 1935 the Returned and Services League section was introduced to pay tribute to those with military service, and to provide a focal site of remembrance for important community memorial events including ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day.

In 1958 regional Victoria's first Crematorium was opened onsite, meeting growing demand for a new way of memorialising the dead.

In 1959 lawn graves were introduced to offer more options to families or those who did not want large memorials.

More innovations followed, from a pavilion housing illuminated manuscripts inscribed with the names of loved ones, to the establishment of beautiful garden spaces featuring trees, native plants, flowers, and water features to accommodate memorials and ash placements.

Personal preferences and faiths always influence the decision around what is done at the time of death. It's still a very personal choice, and people are holding their loved ones close to them in different ways.

For some, it's through a sense of place, by establishing a peaceful, picturesque location to visit.

In Victoria, burial is forever - or "in perpetuity" - and up to three individuals can be placed in each grave, so location is important.

For others, cremation offers more flexible options, from permanent placement - in a cemetery, or sometimes in the family home - to the scattering of ashes at locations of significance.

Environmentally-friendly burial and cremation options are paving the way toward a more sustainable future, with new innovations now being considered by many Australian cemeteries.

Two methods gaining popularity are alkaline hydrolysis (also known as water cremation or aquamation) and "human composting" (not a great name for it, but a beautiful process centered around returning to the earth).

Alkaline hydrolysis involves placing the body in a pressure vessel that is filled with a mixture of water and potassium hydroxide and heated until the body is broken down into its chemical components.

This method has been praised for using less energy and producing less carbon dioxide and pollutants, although there are still legal and ethical issues to be considered around the disposal of the liquid remaining at the end of the process.

Natural organic reduction, "human composting", or terramation is the practice of placing a body in a reusable vessel filled with biodegradable, carbon-rich materials such as wood chips, and then gently nurturing its transformation into nutrient-dense soil.

It works in a similar way to garden composting in that the natural heat generated helps speed up the composting process, especially when combined with the body's naturally occurring bacteria and the addition of other bacteria, fungi, and protozoa if required.

Any bone material left can be reduced to ash and returned to loved ones for placement or scattering. The soil can be also be given to family or donated to conservation land.

This method is currently only legal in Sweden and in multiple US states, but is gaining attention globally as it does not require the use of fossil fuels and does not cause pollutants to enter the environment.

Natural burial involves being buried in a shroud made of natural fibres at a shallower depth so the body returns to the earth faster, does no damage to the earth, and doesn't stay in the earth forever.

The mushroom suit - made famous by the actor Luke Perry - was created to facilitate a speedier return to the earth, but the gravesite cannot be reused, so it is only a partially sustainable alternative.

Promession - a process which involves freeze drying the body after death and then breaking it down and processing it into an organic powder - is being trialled overseas, but still leaves 5-10 kilograms of remains behind (cremation leaves 1-3 kilos).

In Victoria at Kurweeton Road Cemetery in Derrinallum, a "Simple, Natural, Economical Burial Alternative" has been established in the form of a cemetery that only offers upright burials.

Located on an expanse of natural farmland, the burials are considered more sustainable due to the sizes of the plots, and trees are planted nearby to boost the environment.

As Ballarat Cemeteries begins to plan for the future, our responsibility for the environment has become deeply embedded into the way we conduct our business.

Being a compassionate business, it is essential for us to also care for our environment in death. At present, much of this happens behind the scenes.

We have conducted studies into efficiencies onsite, and completed a two-phase project to build infrastructure for solar equipment, and then install solar arrays onsite to power our facilities.

In the crematorium, a new energy-efficient cremator was installed in 2019 to promote cleaner emissions. The new model features technology to make it more gas efficient and refractory materials that don't need to be replaced.

We have also converted all small and medium-sized plant equipment to electric as part of a broader efficiencies plan. This has so far included chainsaws, whipper-snippers, hedge trimmers, and power pruners.

The change-over to battery operated equipment has created reductions in fuel for equipment and noise pollution for staff and visitors.

We are committed to an alternative memorial base made of up to 100 per cent recycled plastic.

This newly created product is resistant to termites, microorganisms and moisture, should not split, rot, crack, need painting, and should last decades in all climates. These new bases should be available in early 2024.

We are always willing to help facilitate people's individual choices for burial and cremation, and we can make suggestions for more sustainable options if families are seeking them.

Due to the deeply personal nature of death, however, not all methods of commemoration are created with the environment in mind.

Ash scatterings must be planned carefully, as cremation ashes have a high salt content which can damage plant life and impact nature. Also, by law, if you're planning to scatter ashes on someone else's land you must seek permission in advance from the land owner.

Contemporary ways families can keep loved ones close can also involve placing small amounts of ashes into "cuddle stones" (palm-sized vessels used as tangible keepsakes) or special memorial jewellery (featuring tiny niches for ashes).

There's also an option to have ashes turned into diamonds and set into jewellery such as necklaces and rings.

Less traditionally, some people combine ash from their loved one with paint and create art works from it - or mix ash with ink and have their skin tattooed (although hygiene and medical considerations need to be reviewed before taking the latter option in particular).

And for those who want to figuratively go out with a bang, it is also possible - outside Victoria - to have ashes placed into fireworks that are then shot into the sky.

Some of these possibilities, while personal to those undertaking them, may be confronting for others, and may also not be ideal for the environment.

Ultimately, it's all about respect for the decisions and choices of others.

Ballarat General Cemeteries Trust is inviting residents from the wider region to share their attitudes and preferences for end-of-life options, methods of caring for the deceased and the value of memorialisation in the community. Survey findings will help inform the trust's long-term priorities.

Take the survey here.

- Annie De Jong is Ballarat General Cemetery Trust chief executive officer