For single gravesites, roughly 4 feet deep is closer to the norm. An exception is double- or even triple-depth plots. In these plots, caskets are "stacked" vertically in the same gravesite. A single grave in one of these plots might be 7 to 12 feet deep.
(1) A person must not inter, or cause, suffer or permit the interment of, bodily remains in a cemetery or natural burial ground so that any of the remains are at a depth of less than 1 metre from the surface of the ground. Maximum penalty: $5 000.
Memorandum on the Sanitary Requirements of Burial Grounds
It should be free from water or hard rock to a depth of not less than 4 feet 3 inches if only one interment is to be made in each grave. This would allow 1 foot 3 inches for depth of coffin and 3 feet for cover of earth above the coffin.
An ancient practice of burying dead people six feet underground may have helped mask the odor of decay from predators. Similarly, random disturbances, such as plowing, would be unable to reach a person buried six feet underneath. Preventing the Spread of Disease was another major reason.
Once a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death has been issued, a body can be buried. There are three choices of burial site: a public cemetery, a private cemetery, or private land. To bury a body on private land, the land must be greater than five hectares in area and the approval of the Local Council must be obtained.
Local Council approval is required for a burial on private land. The burial must not contaminate a drinking water supply and other conditions may apply to the approval. Applicants are advised to contact the council where the burial is to take place to confirm local council rules, and to obtain the necessary approval.
The body must be prepared in a mortuary registered with the NSW Ministry of Health. The Cemetery Authority has agreed to carry out the burial of a body that has not been placed in a coffin, in particular the handling of bodies on cemetery grounds. A name plate is to be placed near the body in the grave.
People are buried without shoes for practical, environmental, and traditional reasons. Shoes are difficult to place on a dead body due to the effects of rigor mortis, while many materials found in shoes are harmful to the environment.
“In particular, the prone burial was linked to the belief that the soul left the body through the mouth. Burying the dead face-down was a way to prevent the impure soul threatening the living,” anthropologist Elena Dellù from Italy's Institute of Archeology told Lorenzi.
This is because most nature and sun-worshippers considered it to be appropriate to have their dead face the rising sun to greet each new day and their life after death. The concept of being buried facing east to represent meeting the new day or the next life is also evident in Christianity and Christian burials.
A double depth burial means that the cemetery buries two caskets or burial containers one on top of another in the same grave space, rather than side-by-side as usually done. A standard double depth burial is illustrated below.
Capacity of the grave
Graves can be for a maximum of three full earth burials, depending on ground conditions in the cemetery. The depth has to be determined with the first burial. In a dedicated cremation plot, designed solely for cremated remains, ten caskets can be interred.
Almost all caskets decompose eventually. Wicker and Plywood caskets will decompose within 5 years, while wooden caskets will decompose within several decades. Metal and fiberglass caskets can take hundreds or even thousands of years to fully decompose.
Burials at sea—loaded in Australia or performed from an Australian vessel or aircraft—require a permit. The permit application form must be completed and sent with a copy of the death certificate and the application fee.
Once you have purchased a grave, your right of interment is granted in perpetuity. This means forever. If a grave has not been used after 25 years and we cannot contact you after making diligent enquiries, we may need to reclaim the specific plot to meet the needs of the community.
The research found that the average cost of a basic burial in Australia is $8,048, while the average cost of a basic cremation in Australia is $3,108.
The practice of forcing eyelids closed immediately after death, sometimes using coins to lock the eyelids closed until rigor mortis intervenes, has been common in many cultures. Open eyes at death may be interpreted as an indication that the deceased is fearful of the future, presumably because of past behaviors.
Burials may be placed in a number of different positions. Bodies with the arms crossed date back to ancient cultures such as Chaldea in the 10th century BC, where the "X" symbolized their sky god.
As for the reason for the prevalence of horizontal burial, it derives from its practicality in earlier days. The point of burial is to achieve a minimum depth of coverage of the whole body.
The most common reasons to cover a person's legs in a casket are to keep focus on their face and to follow cultural, regional, or religious traditions. Half-couch caskets have split lids that shield the lower half of the body and are common choices for loved ones planning an open-casket service.
While the funeral director or mortician is charged with actually dressing the body, the clothing is selected by the family. Some families have preferences for what they want their loved ones to wear, and some individuals also include their burial clothing as part of their final wishes.
Coffins are used in some burial practices: To prevent the dead from rising (a belief in some religions and cultures) To lay the dead to rest in a peaceful and comfortable setting. To prevent animals from disturbing the body.
Can Couples Be Placed in the Same Coffin? While it may be possible if there is a big enough coffin and plot to accommodate the couple, there are many other logistical constraints that may not permit this to happen. Having a large enough casket for two may not be easily transportable.
There is a growing number of natural burial sites across Australia and New Zealand, however only some allow trees to be planted above the burial site itself. Burials without a coffin, such as shroud burials, are quite limited – but when you request special permission, it is usually granted.
Staff remove any metal parts from the coffin – for example, metal handles – and the metal name plate identifying the name of the deceased is placed outside the cremator to allow for identification of the body during the cremation process. The coffin is then inserted into the cremator.