compassionate communities

DEAD AIR #165 by The Departure

Are You Dying to Know? Scared to view your loved one - YouTube

BOOK: Creative and Aesthetic Ways of Grief: All Things Reimagined, a new publication as part of the series in Death, Dying, and Bereavement. Pre-order HERE

BOOK: Compassionate Communities in Action: Global Stories of Care, Loss and Connection brings together practical examples of compassionate cities and communities from around the world. Purchase hard copy HERE, Open Access version also available.

ONLINE: Supporting LGBTIQA+ people bereaved by suicide. Webinar facilitated by Switchboard's Bereavement Group Facilitators Grace Lee and Jon B, Wed 8 April, 12-1pm AEST, Register HERE

The Castlemaine Cemetery Trust has engaged Know Your Place to manage the Castlemaine Cemetery Burial Recovery Project. Community info session: Sat 2 May, 10am–12pm, Old Castlemaine Gaol. Please RSVP HERE

Entries open soon for the 2026 Australian Hearse Nationals in Maldon, part of the Goldfields Gothic Festival of Dark Ideas, $45 per entry. Check the Facebook group for updates.

Central Victorian Meet Up – Australian Psychedelic Society, 12pm The Albion Castlemaine. Please RSVP by either marking yourself as 'Going' on the Facebook event, or email stu.h@psychedelicsociety.org.au

Showing Up For Each Other: Community Death Care Workshop - funded by the Wicking Trust. Supported by the Australian Home Funeral Alliance, in conjunction with Social Health Australia and the Death Literacy Institute. Led by myself, Jenny Blake & Nici Wright. Saturday 11 – Sunday 12 April, Castlemaine. EOIs have closed, but you can join the waiting list HERE

TRACKS: songs from Julian Williams new album - A TADPOLE POOL OF STARS

DEAD AIR #134 by The Departure

‘Death is not a mystery’: what happens to your body when you’re dying?The Guardian

Was the deceased Sarco euthanasia assistant Willet wrongfully held in custody in Schaffhausen?- NZZ article

This Facility Cremates Bodies With Water (Not Fire) - SBS The Feed - Alluvium Water Cremations in Tasmania.

The Death Dialogues for Pet Loss. Honour your pet’s memory in a warm virtual space for open, thoughtful conversation about loss, love, and connection. Sun, 22 Jun, 9:30-11am AEST. $7 Book HERE

CDAS online conference 2025 Death and Transitions 11 - 13 June. (full $166 half $83). Full program HERE.

NDAN Presents - A Rotten Business: Human Decomposition with Cat Irving, Human Remains Conservator, Surgeons’ Hall London. Fri 13 June 7-9pm AEST. $5 NDAN members/$20 everyone else. Book HERE

The Grieve Project 2025 is a national storytelling project about grief and loss. It is a storytelling competition, anthology, live event, workshops and more. Submissions close 30 June. Info HERE

Fourth International End-of-Life Doula Online Symposium. Sept 5-6, registration opens soon The Good Death Impact Network 

Compassionate Communities Australia National Forum. Tue 9 Sep, 8:30am-5pm AEST, Brisbane. Book HERE

TRACKS: Hit or Miss – Odetta / Drop Out Boogie – Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band / To Hell With Good Intentions - McLusky

DEAD AIR #113 by The Departure

TALK DEATH - Anti-Claus Traditions and Christmas Witches and Christmas Death Traditions

MOVIE: NOSFERATU (director Robert Eggers of The Lighthouse) at the Theatre Royal Castlemaine. Thu 16 Jan - 8pm, Fri 17 Jan - 5pm, Sat 18 Jan - 8pm, more session times soon…

CONFERENCE: 2025 National Compassionate Communities forum in Brisbane. Save the date - 9 September. More information to follow. We are inviting Compassionate Communities from across Australia to come together to network and learn from each other - while also facilitating a discussion with the broader palliative care sector who will be meeting for the Oceanic Palliative Care Conference 10-12 September in Brisbane.

ONLINE: AHFA presents - ‘The Bioscope as a cartographic tool to facilitate conversations about death.’ Speaker Chetan Shastri. Wed 22-January 2025 from 7-8.30pm AEDT. Book HERE  

ONLINE: NDAN Presents - ‘The churchyard itself is a great-nuisance. The lively burial grounds of the eighteenth century.’ Speaker Dr Dan O’Brien. Book HERE - Fri 7 Feb, 7-9pm AEDT.

IN PERSON: End of Life Practitioner Knowledge and Skills Workshops, Sat 22 & Sun 23 March 2025, 10am-4pm. Life Rites Funerals, Hurstville NSW. Submit EOI HERE by 24th Jan 2025

ONLINE: Denise Love Death Doula Course commences Feb 5, Zooms at 7pm over 10 consecutive Wednesdays. Email: gazzalove@gmail.com

HOLIDAY SEASON GRIEF: Refuge in Grief https://www.instagram.com/refugeingrief ‘How do you to help a grieving friend during the holidays?’. Grief Australia - https://www.grief.org.au

Castlemaine Community House free celebration will include lunch and dessert, music, activities, presents and a visit from Santa! Wedn 25 Dec, 12.30pm, Castlemaine Town Hall. Book online at cch.org.au or call 5472 4842.

TRACKS: Lungs on Fire - Witchsnake / Immortality Roars - Rudra / Troubled - Outright