Coffins and Caskets
Coffins and Caskets Chosen With Respect, Meaning and Care
Choosing a coffin or casket is one of the most personal decisions made during funeral planning. For many families across Hurstville, St George, the Inner West and the Sutherland Shire, this choice reflects identity, culture, tradition and the values of the person they are honouring.
Life Rites offers a considered selection of coffins and caskets to support a wide range of funerals — from natural burials and home vigils to traditional services and community-held ceremonies. Each option is chosen with care, offering families clarity, respect and space to choose what feels right.
What Coffins and Caskets Represent
A coffin or casket is not only a practical requirement. It may hold symbolic meaning, cultural significance or emotional comfort.
Families may choose based on:
Tradition and heritage
Environmental values
Material preferences
Religious or cultural customs
Home vigil or natural burial requirements
What feels fitting to the person being honoured
Life Rites approaches this decision gently, recognising its emotional weight and helping families move through the process with dignity and support.
Types of Coffins and Caskets Available
Our range includes options for cremation, burial, natural burial and home funerals. Each option is selected for quality, compassion and suitability for different needs.
Options may include:
Simple and dignified timber coffins
Caskets with detailed or traditional finishes
Handcrafted coffins made by local artisans
Veneer or solid timber options
Coffins suitable for natural burial grounds in NSW
Eco-friendly coffins made from natural materials
Natural fibre alternatives for environmentally conscious families
Every option is explained clearly, with no pressure — only steady, compassionate guidance.
Daisybox® is the people's casket. It's commonly chosen as the most affordable, earth-friendly, decorative-ready cremation casket and was specifically created for those who said, ‘please bury me in cardboard box’. A true leveller.
Sustainable Coffins - our eco friendly range of coffins
Outside The Box Caskets are designed in New Zealand and made in Australia. Made from 100% recycled cardboard with hessian handles, they offer a modern design with the environment in mind.
Life Art Honeycomb cardboard coffins were the first sustainably produced coffins on the market. They represent ‘truth to materials’, solid design and are well priced. Available with rope or with ‘silver’ gum handles and are cotton lined.
A Life Art decorate-it-yourself coffin brings a personal touch, families and friends together. Available with rope or silver gum handles, in standard and oversize as well as for little ones and babies.
Life Art Nature range, perfect for a backyard funeral or to bring the outside into a chapel or church setting.
Life Art Timber range is a great choice for people who want a traditional looking coffin made from a sustainable material.
A digitally designed customised cardboard coffin by Life Art in house designers. You can send original artwork, photos, freehand drawings -- limited only by your imagination.
Solid plantation pine coffin with wooden handles, unbleached calico lining and a raw finish. Beautiful dovetail joins and dowel keys.
A solid plantation pine coffin with a natural linseed oil finish. Turned timber handles. Interior calico drapers. Member of the Memorial Tree program.
The long side bar gives this in this alder wood natural satin finish casket an elegant mid century aesthetic. Calico lined. Half couch lid for viewings. Dowel keys.
An iconic and award winning design. A one piece arched lid removes completely to reveal a low sided curved coffin or bearer for closer proximity and ease of family led coffining and/or viewing. Sustainably produce ply. Dovetail joins. Moulded handles. Woollen fleece inlay. A beautiful coffin.
The picnic basket coffin. Made from handwoven wicker with rounded ends and rope handles. Cotton calico lining.
Beautiful green and stone skilfully hand woven in Indonesia by WFTO approved artisan craftsmen. A light and structurally sound coffin with rounded edges, made from the Pandanus leaf. Calico lined.
A Natural Legacy woollen coffin with a pure new wool outer layer. Strong internal frame, cotton lined with woollen mattress. Rounded ends. A tactile, soft and sturdy coffin with a difference.
Another handwoven coffin by Indonesian artisans as part of the Green Nature range. A light and structurally sound coffin with rounded edges, made from the wicker and painted white. Calico lined.
Kubu is the Indonesian equivalent of English Willow. Part of the Green Nature range crafted by WFTO artisans and a beautiful richly textured coffin. Calico lined.
This alder wood satin finish casket with dark trimmings is a sleek modern mid century aesthetic. Calico lined. Half couch lid for viewings with two dowel keys.
Traditional Coffins
MDF coffins with traditional varnish finishes are the right choice for dignity and affordability for many people. Our entry level Silverton, single raised lid coffin is available in Teak, Cedar and Rosewood and White finishes and is satin lined with silver handles and keys.
A single raised lid MDF coffin with a two tone finish. An extra wide mould to the sides and the lid. Lined in satin or cotton. A traditional and dignified coffin.
A tripe raised lid MDF coffin that comes in white, cedar, teak and rosewood finished. Satin lined with silver handles and keys.
A light satin finish gives this radiant solid pine coffin a very earthy and elegant appearance. Satin or calico lined. This is one of the people choices for all round elegant simplicity.
A contemporary designed coffin made in Australia from African Mahogany Sapelle. It has a rich mid tone, stylish curved lid and moulded brass handles. A sophisticated and beautifully made coffin. Satin lined.
A traditional coffin- the Denman Cedar is the coffin of choice for many communities who bury their people. Beautiful cedar. A rich aroma. An Australian made, timeless classic. A semi domed lid with double grooved panel sides and a decorative top and bottom mould.
A solid pine casket with a Rosewood or Walnut high gloss finish. Fully lined with velvet drapery for comfort and softness. Corner pillars, full length timber handles and a domed half lid for ease of viewing. A dignified and stately choice for your person.
For those choosing above ground burial, an 18kg steel white coffin may well be the way to go. Lush interior, a solid and stylish choice for eternity.
Little Ones
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White Wicker | Scientia
Handwoven by Indonesian artisans as part of the Green Nature range. Wicker, painted white and calico lined.
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Baby Coffin White/Blue or Pink | ACC Higgins
• Australian-made
• White, pink or blue colour, gloss finish
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DIY, baby and kids range | LifeArt
LifeArt work closely with your family to create a unique, memorable and personal tribute to a beautiful life.
With a LifeArt coffin you can choose to create a bespoke design together with our designer, select a coffin from our catalogue range, or do-it-yourself
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Woollen | ACC Higgins
• Pure new wool outer layer
• Padded mattress and
beautiful soft wool blanket
• Exterior finished with simple blanket stitch detail, jute handles and wooden toggle fastenings
• 25cm (10”) matching box for ashes also available
Supporting Different Types of Funerals
The choice of coffin or casket may depend on the type of funeral being arranged. Life Rites supports a broad range of ceremonial styles across Sydney.
These include:
Traditional funerals in local chapels or churches
Natural burials in approved bushland cemeteries
Home funerals or home vigils
Faith-based or interfaith ceremonies
Family-led funerals supported by the Life Rites team
Site-specific funerals in meaningful community spaces
Our experience across these diverse settings allows us to help families select the most appropriate option with clarity and confidence.
Local Considerations Across Sydney
Different cemeteries and crematoria may have specific requirements for coffin materials, environmental practices or safety guidelines. Knowing these differences helps families make informed, practical choices.
Life Rites regularly works with:
Woronora Memorial Park
Rookwood Cemetery
Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park
Community chapels across Hurstville and the Inner West
Local crematoria throughout Sydney
We provide guidance on:
Cremation-suitable materials
Natural burial regulations
Chapel size and visual considerations
Transport and handling requirements
Cultural and Spiritual Considerations
Coffin and casket choices may hold cultural or religious significance. Life Rites supports multicultural and interfaith families throughout the St George and Inner West regions, ensuring each decision aligns with tradition and belief.
This includes support for:
Christian, Catholic and Orthodox families
Secular and spiritual communities
Buddhist and Hindu communities
Families choosing nature-based or earth-aligned ceremonies
LGBTQIA+ families with specific ceremonial preferences
Interfaith households navigating several traditions at once
We approach these conversations gently, ensuring your choices honour your loved one fully and respectfully.
Eco-Friendly and Natural Options
Many families across Sydney seek environmentally conscious choices that align with natural burial, sustainability and gentle care for the earth.
Options may include:
Biodegradable coffins made from natural materials
Unvarnished timber options suitable for bushland burial
Lightweight eco-coffins for cremation
Coffins sourced from sustainable, ethical suppliers
Natural fibre alternatives where appropriate
How Life Rites Supports Families in Choosing
Selecting a coffin or casket may feel overwhelming during grief. Life Rites offers calm, grounded guidance shaped by years of experience supporting families through emotional and practical decisions.
Support may involve:
Explaining different materials and their uses
Helping families understand cremation and burial requirements
Guidance for natural burial suitability
Suggestions aligned with cultural or spiritual beliefs
Assistance for families wanting something simple and minimal
Space to take time with the decision, without pressure
Real Family Experiences
Families often share how meaningful it felt to choose a coffin or casket that reflected their loved one’s life.
Some selected simple timber designs that felt grounded and peaceful.
Others chose beautifully crafted pieces for traditional chapel funerals at Woronora or Rookwood.
Families arranging natural burials appreciated having biodegradable options that honoured environmental values.
Frequently Asked Questions
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For burial and cremation, a coffin (or shroud with board in specific cases) is required. We can explain the options clearly.
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Yes, provided it meets NSW regulations. We can guide you through the details.
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Not all burial grounds accept all materials. We can clarify requirements for each location.
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Coffins taper at the head and foot; caskets have a rectangular shape and a hinged lid. Your choice may be guided by tradition, design preference or ceremony style.
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Families may add flowers, cloth, artwork or symbols depending on cemetery and crematorium guidelines.
Contact Life Rites
If you need support now, or would like to learn more about any of our funeral services, we are here at every hour of the day.
Call: 0421 200 250
Visit: 118 Durham St, Hurstville NSW 2220
Email: info@liferitesfunerals.com
Or fill out the form on our Contact Us page.