DEAD AIR #179 / August 10, 2026 by The Departure

REMINDER: Weaving a Coffin/Shroud Carrier - a weekend immersion into shrouding Castlemaine. Join us in Castlemaine for a weekend immersion into the art of shrouding and weaving. Led by Zimmi Forest, d’Vine Creations and facilitated by Hayley West of The Departure. All materials and morning teas are provided; bring your own lunch, your questions, and your personal experiences. Sat 10 Oct, 9:30am–4pm & Sun 11 Oct, 10am-3.30pm. Venue tbc, Castlemaine. $380/ $730 if booking for 2 people. Book HERE

When I am dying by Gabrielle Elise Jimenez – The Hospice Heart

What to say when someone is dying, according to hospice workers – TIME

BOOK: Curious Coffins and Riveting Rituals, Death Practices Around the World - Booktopia

Why We Don't Feed Our Dead to Vultures – Taboo Education

A Words in Winter event - The Last Good Conversation: Death, Ritual and What Comes Next. E A Gleeson and Hannah Gould with Amy Pagett. Sun 30 Aug 11:30am - 12:30pm, Daylesford Town Hall. Book HERE

Today, Mon 10 Aug is the 40th day after the death of the much loved artist Petrus Spronk. The Convent Gallery in Daylesford invites you to visit their Chapel to light a candle for Petrus, open from 10am-4pm. In Eastern European traditions, the 40th day after death is a vital milestone when the soul's earthly journey concludes.

Adam Rutinya (Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) Care Navigator for central Victoria) will be at the Dying To Ask event hosted by Amanda Collins tomorrow Tues 11 Aug 10.30am-12pm, morning tea provided. Call Heathcote Community House ph.5433 2820. Now moved to a bigger space!

Great Stupa Death Festival A day to come together as a community to reflect, connect and celebrate life. Sat 19 Sept, 11am-3pm, Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Myers Flat, FREE.

The Final Course - a guided online workshop in end of life and death care planning, Thurs 27 August 7-9pm AEST– Nyx Funerals

TRACKS: Into The Ground – Acid King / Sparrow - Windhand

DEAD AIR #178 / August 3, 2026 by The Departure

TRACKS: Elizabeth / I Catch You – Julian Williams EP ‘A Tadpole of Stars’ Parallel Islands 94.9MAINfm, Sundays 5-7pm

August is Dying To Know month! This Dying to Know Day, the campaign is ‘Share Your Final Song, Start a Conversation’ Dying to Know is a national campaign that has been bringing Australians together since 2013 to start conversations about death, dying and grief. This year, add a final song to the official Dying to Know playlist on Spotify. Details HERE

Rare acquisition brings infamous witch-hunting handbook to the University of Melbourne – Uni of Melbourne News Room

The tome that ignited a witch hunt hysteria – ABC Listen

Witches of Scotland & Mad Fucking Witches

Voluntary assisted dying care navigators help Victoria’s end-of-life patients chart a course for choice – The Guardian

Adam Rutinya is the Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) Care Navigator for central Victoria. Voluntary Assisted Dying Navigator service – Loddon Mallee Regional Palliative Care Consortium

On Tuesday 11 August, Adam will be at the Dying To Ask event hosted by Amanda Collins. Space is limited so please call and book a spot, 10.30am-12pm, morning tea provided. Call Heathcote Community House ph.5433 2820.

The Final Course - a guided online workshop in end of life and death care planning, Thurs 27 August 7-9pm AEST– Nyx Funerals

THIS WEEK: I've been invited to speak at Woodend & Bendigo Library. Reimagining Death: A thought-provoking talk exploring meaningful alternatives to end-of-life rituals. Discover how we, as a community, can reshape our relationship with death. Book HERE - Bendigo Library: Thu, 6 Aug, 5:30pm WAITING LIST + Woodend Library: Fri, 7 Aug, 2pm LAST TICKETS.

Dying to Know Day event in Rochester. Meet local organisations, ask questions, explore topics through short presentations and resources on offer. Rochester Racecourse Recreation Reserve, Mon 10 Aug, 9.30am-2.30pm. Email: hello@livingandleaving.com.au WAITING LIST

Good Grief Lounge, Dying to Know Day: Jenny Blake: What is a Death Doula? & Sarah Byrne: How to Make a Will and appoint an Enduring Power of Attorney & Ceramicist Lisa McPherson: Will lead us in making a healing vessel out of clay. Entry: $10 donation at the door. Please register your attendance HERE Sat 8 Aug, 11am–2pm, Northern Arts Hotel, 359 Barker Street, Castlemaine.

Great Stupa Death Festival A day to come together as a community to reflect, connect and celebrate life. Sat 19 Sept, 11am-3pm, Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Myers Flat, FREE.

Weaving a Coffin/Shroud Carrier - a weekend immersion into shrouding Castlemaine. Weave a coffin/shroud carrier from invasive Cats Claw vine. Led by master weaver Zimmi Forest, d’Vine Creations and facilitated by Hayley West of The Departure. All materials and morning teas are provided; bring your own lunch, your questions, and your personal experiences. Sat 10 Oct, 9:30am – 4pm & Sun 11 Oct, 10am-3.30pm. Venue tbc, Castlemaine. $380/ $730 if booking for 2 people. Book HERE

The 18th Death, Dying and Disposal Conference (DDD2027) at the University of Antwerp, Belgium, September 2027. The conference theme is Death Care. Further details will be shared in due course. Join HERE

How the Worst Day of My Life Became the Best, Andrea Gibson – poets.org

DEAD AIR #177 / July 27, 2026 by The Departure

Labor endorses voluntary assisted dying telehealth access in platform shift – ABC News

Anthony Albanese personally opposed to Labor's push on telehealth voluntary assisted dying – ABC News

The women running death salons for people of color to process grief: ‘It allows for freedom’ - The Guardian US

The Death Letter Project - Keith Quayle, Writer, Advocate for Trans and Gender Diverse People in Prison.

The Collective for Radical Death Studies - CRDS serves as a source of knowledge for how death practitioners, death care professionals, students and scholars alike can all better understand death ways of people of colour and marginalised groups. The literary canon is a collection of source material.

Beholden - on sanity, grace, and the barely there space... Chloe Hope, Death & Birds

Weaving a Shroud Carrier - a weekend immersion into shrouding Castlemaine. Join us in Castlemaine for a weekend immersion into the art of shrouding, where we will collectively weave a shroud carrier from invasive Cats Claw vine. Led by master weaver Zimmi Forest, d’Vine Creations and facilitated by Hayley West of The Departure, this open and inclusive workshop explores the how, why, and when of shrouding, alongside broader conversations about death, dying, and grief, with an optional opportunity to experience being shrouded. All materials and morning teas are provided; bring your own lunch, your questions, and your personal experiences. Sat 10 Oct, 9:30am – 4pm & Sun 11 Oct, 10am-3.30pm. Venue tbc, Castlemaine. $380/ $730 if booking for 2 people. Book HERE

The Australian Hearse Nationals hearse parade is happening this Sunday 2 August for the Goldfields Gothic: Festival of Dark Ideas! Stand on the Main Street at 10.30am, and cheer us on! We'll be leaving from the Machinery Shed Museum for a couple of laps around town. The hearses will then park in the grass area just above the Machinery Shed for perusal and chats. I'll have either a shrouded body in a carrier in the back, or my hand woven coffin, I haven't decided yet... Come and vote for your favourite hearse - The Death Star! We recently starred in the LOCALS film made by Liz Geddes at Castlemaine Documentary Festival. I've entered in two categories - Best Hearse Post 1980 & Best Display

Community & Care - Death & Grief: Practical, artful ways to show up for the end of life. Starts this Sunday - 4 online sessions held on Sundays from 6-8pm (Aug 2, Aug 23, Sep 13, Oct 4). COST: $240 early bird / $270. A special $30 community discount using the code CARE has been created.

TRACKS: Doorway – Kathryn Mohr / I Don’t Know Why – Yoko Ono