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Fellow Seabreezers,
Looking to hear from anyone who has scattered ashes in a public place and their experiences of such. My sister and I are looking to scatter our parents ashes at the location stipulated in their wills and wishes.
It does involve scattering the combined ashes in a public place (the local rockpool/beach where we grew up) and the following are excerpts from NSW Health.

"Scattered on private land, beach, river, public parks and sea or at a place that was significant to the deceased and families. It also depends on the personal wishes of the deceased.

<div>It is important to get permission from the owners of private land or the Trust of Parks and reserves, or from local council for parks, beaches and playing fields as scattering of ashes may contravene the provisions of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 in terms of air or water pollution. Councils and other Government Authorities will set a time and place when these activities can be undertaken and can impose other conditions.

<div>

<div>Disposal of ashes without consent from appropriate authorities may result in legal proceedings to be initiated against the person disposing the ashes"

I have spoken to a friend who is a policeman and his advice was to be discreet and that most people would be respectful (we are now planning to do it at sunset and as privately as we can) But we all know what todays society can be like sadly.
I know what will happen if we go through the local council way, might get permission by 2020 for something that will take no more than a couple of minutes.
So curious to hear peoples advice and experiences.
Many thanks in advance.

Hi Grant

Not sure whether you remember, but Brad Andersen's ashes were scattered at the top of Long Reef headland just over 9 years ago.

I scattered my father and mother's ashes together recently just around the corner from Akuna Bay - hired a runabout for and hour moved to an isolated spot about 1km away.

It's a memory I'll never forget - peaceful and tranquil.

Regards

Its sad how someone who is such a huge part of your life is reduced to a such a small container of ash. Condolences to you and yours.

Did my grandmothers back in 2001, off her jetty in Mandurah.
Only a few of us there (some family weren't interested).
No idea if we got permission to do it.
Pretty solemn event. Not something that you'd be doing outlandishly and drawing attention to yourselves anyway.






I'd work on the "easier to beg forgiveness, than to ask for permission" principle.

Just beware the wind

I do remember Albers, I was there for Brads ceremony. Thankyou for your kind words and sorry for your loss as well, we just want to do the right thing but also respect our parents wishes, it was very important to them. In todays society there are too many PC people and possibly some "locals" that would have issues with this.
We grew up at South Curl Curl and to them it is important to be "back" in the community that they were a part of for so many years. Im glad you got to do your bit for your folks.
Rod, I was absolutely shocked when I picked up their ashes, as you say such a small container containing so many years of family. I think we will just do it and bugger the consequences. If someone is around at that time of night and has an issue the I will deal with it.
Cheers,
Larko.

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rod_bunny said..



I'd work on the "easier to beg forgiveness, than to ask for permission" principle.

Just beware the wind

+1.

Your funeral director will (probobly) indicate that permission from council is required, He/she/they will only get more $$$ for their efforts.
I am involved intimately with pet cremation so hear a lot of information that is usually worth sweet f*** all of nothing.

If you as a family go to the beach as a group and gather around to yakk how can the council prove what your doing.
The council may say it but they cannot police or control their own regulations.

Go in peace and joy that you are celebrating mum & dads wishes and the council cannot control your actions

My dad and i scattered my mum's at a favourite beach in broad daylight. No one seemed bothered. It was a place she loved where many a happy day was spent. I'd just do it.

I sailed my dad's ashes out past the break at Flinders, Vic., sat on my board and scattered them slowly by hand. Wave sailed back in.

Beautiful spot.

Permission? Errrr, yeah right! What the...?! Never even occurred to me. Nonsense.

Same as above
scattered my dads ashes last year on the gippsland lakes.
hired an old Lakes fishing boat and returned him back to the waters that he loved.
didnt ask permission and would have done it anyway - even if the powers that be tried to stop it....there's some things you've just gotta do...

I took my Dad's ashes back to Ireland for burial beside my mother. Passing thru Dubai the customs dept demanded the urn be emptied out so they could paw thru it while making maximum fuss.
I had all the right paperwork but that meant nothing to them.

My advice is as the rest. Go and do it calmly and quietly. Hopefully no overzealous rangers are around to wreck your day.

Joe

Ka 43 this is a really good experience as I have been fortunate to have great relationships with my family members. I have scattered my grandfathers ashes at manly beach on the harbour side as he used to take me there as a kid. My two great aunties ashes I sprinkled over bondi and the surrounds where they use to live and again it was a really positive experience. Its only Carbon at the end of the day. After the event I would even consider buying a seat as a momento as there is a friend of the family who has one up the coast and he used to sit up there for hours each day, gives me a great feeling of remembering his spirit when I sit there and check the surf. Much more sensible than going to a cemetery. One thing I would recommend is just take the ashes in a box not an urn as its way less conspicuous and lets face it the family member is not going to mind.

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myusernam said..

rod_bunny said..



I'd work on the "easier to beg forgiveness, than to ask for permission" principle.

Just beware the wind

+1.

+100
Don't advertise it, just do it, where ever you want. I've never heard of anyone getting in trouble for doing that, legal or not.

One of my dad's best friends, who was a golfing partner of his, died and it was my dad's choice as to what to do with his ashes, his widow wanted him to handle it knowing what ever he decided, it would be great.
Joe, my dad's partner, always had a problem for getting out of this one particular sand trap on their favorite course. So my dad, and some of Joe's other partners, decided to play a round of golf on Joe's behalf, they had his ashes with them.
You can probably guess the rest, when they reached that one particular sand trap, they dumped his ashes into it, and raked them in, stuck in that sand trap for eternity.
Perfect! His widow couldn't have been more happy, she cried with joy.

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Mastbender said..

myusernam said..

rod_bunny said..



I'd work on the "easier to beg forgiveness, than to ask for permission" principle.

Just beware the wind

+1.

+100
Don't advertise it, just do it, where ever you want. I've never heard of anyone getting in trouble for doing that, legal or not.

One of my dad's best friends, who was a golfing partner of his, died and it was my dad's choice as to what to do with his ashes, his widow wanted him to handle it knowing what ever he decided, it would be great.
Joe, my dad's partner, always had a problem for getting out of this one particular sand trap on their favorite course. So my dad, and some of Joe's other partners, decided to play a round of golf on Joe's behalf, they had his ashes with them.
You can probably guess the rest, when they reached that one particular sand trap, they dumped his ashes into it, and raked them in, stuck in that sand trap for eternity.
Perfect! His widow couldn't have been more happy, she cried with joy.

love the story and yes it is easier to ask for forgiveness.


In saying that im sure i will be seeing people in the future with 50 replica urns to make sure they get that perfect facebook clip and hit gold with the likes....in the middle of the day...

i just scared and saddened myself

Hay mate we scattered mums a few months ago in kings park. only a few family maybe 10 max and we just found a nice quite bush block of a paved track and all just took a turn at releasing some. )yeah we probably should of sort permission) but TBH it wasn't until the day before until we considered that and with family flown in from overseas and interstate ( including myself and family) it kinda wasn't an option. its not an easy time it took us a year to do it and it was only Dads passing that pushed us to move on! so much better knowing shes out and free rather than in a pot on my sisters wall unit!

as for Dad we repatriated his Ash's to Fiji and scattered them in the water off the Royal Suva Yacht Club where he was a life member. that was a bit more work with Fijian immigration but no to hard as he was a Fijian national.

PS: STAND UP WIND! THAT STUFF STICKS

Many thanks to all for the advice and experiences.
To be honest I was going to do it regardless and anybody that had a problem I wouldve explained the situation. It was my sister that was concerned of the legal stuff. I said stuff them, as has been stated its only carbon and we will be discreet. My wife buried her mums ashes in the sand dunes at Palm Beach, no worries.
We really just want them to be united again (instead of in what looks like a mini esky) and in a spot of their choosing. Its a beautiful location and will always be considered their spot.
Cheers,
Larko.

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pumpjockey02 said...
One thing I would recommend is just take the ashes in a box not an urn as its way less conspicuous and lets face it the family member is not going to mind.

That reminds me... When we went to pick up the ashes from the crematorium we were taken into a private room to view all the urns we could buy. I just said "Gimme the plastic box they're currently in 'cos they're going in the ocean tomorrow." That killed his sales commission that day.

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JoeMc said..
I took my Dad's ashes back to Ireland for burial beside my mother. Passing thru Dubai the customs dept demanded the urn be emptied out so they could paw thru it while making maximum fuss.
I had all the right paperwork but that meant nothing to them.

My advice is as the rest. Go and do it calmly and quietly. Hopefully no overzealous rangers are around to wreck your day.

Joe

Sorry to hear Joe!
I hate Dubai, populated by the most arrogant wankers in the world special acknowledgement for the custom officers there. You want racists do not go to South Africa go to Dubai.
Going to Europe I go by Mauritius Island! I would go by the south pole to avoid fkucking Dubai.

^^^^^^ yep we transferred to a plastic Tupperware container lol just looked less uss and the first place we found already had ash's on the ground lol

Ka43, condolences for the loss of your mum and Dad.
We scattered my dads ashes off Bruny Island in Tassie, friends gave us rose petals that mixed with the ashes as we spread them across the bay. It was a beautiful glassy day on the water and it was so moving that with all the fishing and recreational boats moving around the bay nobody crossed through our wake, the petals and ashes stayed for a long time on the surface. It was a really emotional day, but the kindness shown by others made it even more moving.
Deliver your folks to where they wanted to be, argue the point later if someone complains

My brother died from a cerebral aneurysm surfing at Cloudy Bay on Bruny Island 9 years ago. We scattered his ashes at Cloudy Bay, we had the all clear from the local authorities. He also has a memorial seat/plaque at the surfing observation platform at Cloudy Bay and the only consideration is if you take flowers around to the seat they must be native as it's a National Park.

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myusernam said..

rod_bunny said..



I'd work on the "easier to beg forgiveness, than to ask for permission" principle.

Just beware the wind

+1.

Yep. This.

As a, er,,, as someone who knows someone who's a lawyer, just do it. Discretion is the key. It ain't worth the bullsh to get permission first.

Wife just took my father-in-law's ashes to Italy to be interred this week.

scatterered a mates ashes on a salt lake last year. there was a layer of water on the salt so each dust grain formed the nucleus of a salt crystal that then floated away on the wind. you could see the dusting drifting across the water . ahhhhhhhhhh,happy thoughts. we built a bit of a plinth and a wind indicator on the spot and mixed him into the concrete too. the thought of there being a person somewhere that would have to be asked and give some kind of written consent never occured to me. till now
his container was a sturdy plastic affair that I now use to store shackles and pulleys, very appropriate. and it still has the label on it.he'd get a kack out of that.
Years ago i was asked by a friend to put his ashes in the deck grip paint of particular sailing ship when it had its refit. i asked the supervisor for the ok when the time came,and was a bit suprised at the rfusal. later when the supervisor left the ship ,the bosun,watch leaders and all the crew got out the paint tin and help repaint the coach house roof and all his friends sprinkled a bit on then I painted a layer on to seal him in. graet days work