Welcome to Life Rites Funerals
A warm, holistic funeral home offering complete end-of-life care, on-site preparation, and gentle support for every step of the journey.
A More Human Way to Care for Death, Dying, and Each Other
In moments of loss, people often say time stands still — yet decisions still need to be made. At Life Rites Funerals, based in Hurstville, we offer a different kind of support. One that slows the pace, brings clarity when everything feels unclear, and walks beside you with genuine care from first contact through to grief support.
Our approach is grounded in continuity of care. The same gentle team who answer your call are the people who hold your loved one, guide your choices, and support your family in the days and months that follow. Here, nothing is rushed, nothing is outsourced, and nothing is treated as “standard.” Every person is unique, and every farewell deserves to reflect that.
Whether you’re navigating a sudden loss, planning ahead, supporting someone living with a life-limiting illness, or exploring options for a natural, family-led, or culturally specific funeral, Life Rites offers a holistic space where compassion leads and dignity is upheld at every moment.
From First Contact to Aftercare, We Offer True Continuity of Support
Life Rites was created in response to what so many families have shared: the need for a place where grief is met with warmth, not sales scripts; where ceremony is crafted, not templated; and where every emotion — shock, sadness, confusion, love — is welcomed and honoured.
From our boutique funeral home in Hurstville, we offer care that is intimate, respectful, and deeply personal. All transfers, care, preparation, and ceremonies occur on-site, so your person remains in our hands only.
Our work draws on more than a decade of experience in holistic funeral direction, end-of-life guidance, community ritual, and grief support. Our team includes trained celebrants, end-of-life doulas, counsellors and ceremony makers who understand the emotional, cultural, spiritual, and practical dimensions of loss.
Families often tell us they feel “held” when they walk through our doors. That feeling isn’t accidental. It’s at the heart of everything we do.
Truly Holistic Continuity of Care
More than a shopfront, our brick-and-mortar funeral home guarantees your person is safely in our hands only, and you can take all the time you need for every critical choice.
More than a business, with over 20 years of experience, our highly sought-after team of end-of-life professionals is the voice you will speak with right from first contact.
From pre-planning or diagnosis, through end of life and bereavement, we are with you all the way.
Helping you get your life rites, right.
Celebrate and farewell your loved ones in a space that is sensitive to your needs whether it’s at our Boutique Funeral Home or somewhere special to you.
Life Rites Funerals is located in Hurstville, South Sydney in our Boutique Funeral Home.
We offer a complete range of services in a warm and welcoming space meaning all care is conducted on-site.
Funeral Direction & Ceremonial Care
We craft ceremonies that reflect the person’s identity — secular, spiritual, religious, inter-faith, nature-based, family-led, traditional, or something entirely unique. All ceremonies are created in partnership with you, not imposed upon you.
Guidance, Counselling & Grief Circles
Loss does not end on the day of the funeral. Our team offers gentle counselling, guidance in practical matters, and monthly Grief Circles at our Hurstville premises.
Natural & Green Funerals
For families seeking environmentally conscious options, we offer shrouded cremation, natural burial grounds, eco-friendly coffins, and ceremonies that honour the cycles of nature.
Home Vigils & Cool Plates
For many, continuing care at home feels natural and deeply comforting. We guide families in washing, dressing, and tending to their loved one, whether for several hours or several days. Cool plates support gentle preservation.
Workshops, Community Events & Death Education
Life Rites runs regular workshops on death and dying, open days, film nights, grief circles, and community events that bring conversation, ritual, and connection back into the community.
What We Offer: Holistic Care From Diagnosis Through Bereavement
At Life Rites, support doesn’t begin at death. We meet individuals and families wherever they are on the journey — diagnosis, ageing, end of life, the moment of passing, the funeral, and the ongoing grief process.
Below is an overview, with more detail available through each dedicated service page.
Why Families Choose Life Rites
All care performed on-site — no outsourcing, no unknown facilities
• One team, one point of contact from first call to final farewell
• Specialists in holistic care: doula support, home vigils, and personalised ceremonies
• A boutique funeral home designed for comfort, calm and privacy
• 20+ years of experience serving families across Sydney
• Flexible, culturally sensitive services for diverse community needs
These experiences show what becomes possible when families are empowered to choose.
1. Continuity of Care, From First Call to Final Farewell
The same people who answer your call are the ones who hold your loved one, prepare them with care, guide you through ceremony creation, and remain available afterwards.
No hand-offs. No strangers walking in at the last minute. Just one compassionate team.
4. Deep Cultural Awareness & Inclusivity
Life Rites honours all identities, family structures, cultures, and belief systems. Families from Chinese, Greek, Macedonian, Indian, Aboriginal, LGBTQIA+, and multi-faith communities have entrusted us with their ceremonies.
2. A Boutique Funeral Home With Everything On-Site
Our funeral home in Hurstville includes:
On-site mortuary and care facilities
A warm, intimate chapel and gathering space
A place for washing, dressing, and family-led rituals
Space for vigils and viewing without time pressure
Your loved one stays with us — always.
5. Genuine Listening & Emotional Presence
A recurring theme in testimonials is the way families feel heard. We take the time — days, sometimes weeks — to understand who a person was, so their ceremony feels like them, not a template.
7. Community Education & Empowerment
From monthly Grief Circles to workshops on home vigils and natural burial, we help communities reclaim knowledge that has been lost or hidden within the mainstream funeral industry.
3. Holistic, Human-Centred Funeral Direction
Our ceremonies draw from ritual, storytelling, spirituality, community, and nature. Whether simple or elaborate, each funeral is designed with care, meaning, and respect.
6. Experienced Celebrants & Funeral Directors
Our team includes trained celebrants, grief counsellors, and holistic funeral directors with decades of combined experience.
Real Farewells, Crafted With Care
Here are a few glimpses of how we walk beside different communities.
A Natural Burial Aligned With Nature
A man with a lifelong love of the outdoors was laid to rest in a Wollongong natural burial ground, wrapped in a natural shroud and surrounded by tall grasses. His ceremony echoed his values — quiet, sincere and gentle on the earth.
A Home Vigil Filled With Memory
When a woman died at home, her family cared for her in the living room she loved. They washed, dressed, and surrounded her with garden flowers, allowing their grief to unfold naturally over two days.
A Community Farewell in a Library Pavilion
An Inner West local was farewelled in a community space filled with light, music and stories — an open, communal gathering held in a place he cherished.
1. First Contact
You speak with a member of our core team — not a call centre, not a third party.
4. Ceremony Creation & Planning
We craft the ceremony collaboratively, drawing on stories, photos, music, and ritual.
2. Transfer Into Our Care
We attend personally, with respect and calm, and bring your loved one to our Hurstville funeral home.
5. The Funeral, Memorial or Wake
Held at our chapel or a location meaningful to your family.
3. Time, Space & Conversation
We sit together and explore what feels right — traditional, creative, religious, natural or family-led.
6. Aftercare & Grief Support
This includes counselling, guidance, and our monthly Grief Circles at no cost to our funeral families.
Our Process: What Happens Step-By-Step
Our process may include:
Ready for Support?
Book a Free, Gentle Consultation With Our Funeral Director
About Life Rites
Life Rites is led by Victoria Spence — celebrant, counsellor, mortality doula and long-time advocate for holistic, human-centred death care.
Her work has influenced death literacy and community-led death practices across NSW, with Life Rites recognised in networks such as:
Australian Funeral Directors Association (AFDA)
Natural Death Advocacy Network (NDAN)
Local palliative care and holistic death care communities
Our mission is simple: to help people get their life rites, right — with dignity, creativity and compassion.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Funeral costs vary depending on the choices you make — such as a simple cremation, a traditional chapel service, a home vigil, a natural burial, or a ceremony in a community space. We outline all fees clearly and talk you through each option so you may choose what feels right, without pressure or surprise costs. If you’d like, we may prepare a personalised estimate after a conversation about your needs.
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Our services include bringing your person into our care, on-site preparation, access to our Hurstville chapel and care facilities, support with washing and dressing, ceremony planning, celebrant services, coordination with crematoria or cemeteries, guidance with paperwork, and after-care such as grief support. Because all care is provided by our own team, nothing is outsourced and continuity is maintained from first call to farewell.
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Yes. Many families choose to continue caring for their loved one at home. We support you with guidance, cool plates, and practical steps so you can wash, dress, or spend time with them in familiar surroundings. Whether for a few hours or several days, we help create a safe, peaceful environment during this time.
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We respond immediately and may begin arranging the next steps straight away. Some families need to act quickly; others prefer to slow the pace and take time before making decisions. We follow your lead and gently guide you through what’s needed without rushing or overwhelming you.
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Yes. Pre-planning allows you to record your wishes, ease the emotional load on family members, and create a farewell that truly reflects your values. We also offer prepaid funeral options for those who prefer to organise financial details in advance. These conversations may happen at any point — long before illness, near end of life, or simply to plan with clarity.
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An end-of-life doula offers non-medical support for people living with a life-limiting illness and their families. This may include emotional support, legacy work, bedside presence, preparing for death, assisting with vigils, helping families understand their choices, and creating a calm environment during the dying process. Doulas support before death, at the time of death, and afterwards.
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A home vigil allows your loved one to remain in their own space after death. Families may wash and dress the body, decorate the room with flowers or personal items, invite visitors, share stories, or simply sit in quiet companionship. Our team guides you gently, provides cool plates, and helps you create a safe, comforting environment while respecting your cultural or spiritual preferences.
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With the right support and cooling equipment, a person may remain at home for up to several days. Every situation is different, and we guide you through what is practical, lawful, and emotionally supportive for your family. You’re never left to manage it alone — we remain available throughout the vigil.
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A natural or holistic funeral focuses on simplicity, sustainability, and meaningful ritual. This may include natural burial grounds, shrouded cremation, eco-friendly coffins, family participation in care, outdoor ceremonies, or spiritual elements that honour the cycles of life and nature. The emphasis is on authenticity, personal choice, and practices that feel grounded and gentle.
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A boutique funeral home offers personalised, continuous care rather than a large, standardised process. At Life Rites, your loved one stays on-site with us, your family works directly with the same small team throughout, and every ceremony is individually crafted — not templated. It’s an experience rooted in time, presence, creativity, and genuine relationship, rather than volume or speed.
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End-of-Life Doula Services
At Life Rites our Doula Team offer practical and emotional support to people living with a life-changing or terminal illness.
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Funeral Direction
We work with a wide-range of people and offer a wide-range of services to help you make the best and most appropriate choices for you and for all involved.
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Home Vigils and Cool Plates
Want to continue the care of your loved one at home? We can help you.
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Guidance & Counselling
We offer support services that provide sensitive guidance every step of the way.
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Training and Workshops
Life Rites offers a series of one and two days workshops and training on death, dying and funeral rites. Sign up to our newsletter to stay updated.
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Public Programs and Community Events
Life Rites hosts and takes part in many events each year such as monthly Grief Circles for our funeral clients, film nights, open days, memorial picnics and artistic offerings. Click below to find out more…
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