Life Rites Funerals

Life Rites Funerals Life Rites is a team of holistic funeral directors, doulas, celebrants, and counsellors. Victoria Spence and team are holistic funeral directors.

We offer doula-led end of life support, after death care, funeral and ceremonial services. We give you the big picture as well as supporting you with all the details. Ours is a capacity-building practice that gives you the literacy and skills you need to meet your experiences of living and dying. We can be contacted at any point from the onset of serious illness or diagnosis, as well as for sudden, traumatic, or expected death. At Life Rites, we are with you all the way.

Big news for NSW šŸŒ± Sydney MP Alex Greenwich is introducing a bill to parliament today to make natural organic reduction ...
25/06/2026

Big news for NSW šŸŒ± Sydney MP Alex Greenwich is introducing a bill to parliament today to make natural organic reduction (aka human composting or terramation) a legal end-of-life option here. Could be available as early as 2027 if passed!

The body is gently broken down into nutrient-rich soil over a couple of months. A choice thatā€™s already happening in the US and Germany.

A huge shoutout to NDAN - Natural Death Advocacy Network, Tui Davidson from Earthly Remains, Jude Warren and all the other folk who have been awesome in their advocacy for human composting in NSW šŸŒæ

Premier Chris Minns says he ā€œfelt a bit weird about itā€ and will ā€œkick the tyresā€ on the proposed legislation. So what are your feelings and questions?

šŸ“· Recompose, the Seattle facility leading the charge on human composting in the US and an inspiration for whatā€™s possible here šŸ’š

19/06/2026

For Menā€™s Health Week we asked if there were any questions you would like answered when it comes to men, and grief, and mortality. Here Ben answers two of your questions:

ā†’ Why do some men seem to shut down or become quiet after someone dies?

ā†’ Is it normal to feel numb after someone dies?

Grief isnā€™t gendered but the ways we are taught to grieve often are.

See the link in our bio for Benā€™s blog post: ā€˜The Masculine Response to Death and Grief: Moving Beyond Silenceā€™, including resources.

If you have any reflections or resources to share, drop them below ā¬‡ļø

Benjamin James End Of Life Support

Grief Moves is an invitation to dance, breathe, and be with grief, together - with DJ Gemma and Life Rites: https://even...
15/06/2026

Grief Moves is an invitation to dance, breathe, and be with grief, together - with DJ Gemma and Life Rites: https://events.humanitix.com/grief-moves

Grief Moves is a collective space, whether you are actively grieving, or simply willing to lend your body to the metabolising of it. This is not a workshop or a support group. This is a dance floor, a portal, a space to unfurl.

You can bring personal, collective, communal, environmental, ancestral, disenfranchised, unnamed grief. All the grief. All are welcome here.

Saturday 18 July
4:30pm to 8:30pm
Life Rites Funerals, 118 Durham Street, Hurstville

Expect music, movement, and space to be with whatever arises. DJ Gemma will hold us as we work collectively, so the room shapes what unfolds.

For tickets, more info, and accessibility info: https://events.humanitix.com/grief-moves

Get in touch with any questions šŸ§”

A brilliant, absolutely packed and moving tribute to James Valentine at Sydney Town Hall. Kudos to the ABC radio for cre...
30/05/2026

A brilliant, absolutely packed and moving tribute to James Valentine at Sydney Town Hall. Kudos to the ABC radio for creating this memorial, and honouring one of their own so well.

James knew all about being present ā€” holding things lightly, listening deeply and surfing the moments. As an accomplished Jazz musician, James brought that playbook to everything he did and for 25 years, to Sydney listeners on ABC 702 Afternoons.

What Jamesā€™s life offered to our city was absolutely on show. Joyous, funny and oh so real. What was also evident in the eulogies, tributes and songs was just how much meeting his cancer diagnosis, his illness, his dying and death has, and will continue to, shape our city, our culture and our people.

From leaning in to his mortality, working with a doula, having a Living Wake (on Valentineā€™s Day of course), to his choice to access Voluntary Assisted Dying, James was always at the leading, innovative and powerful edges of what we know and what we donā€™t yet have language for. At his memorial, we found that language.

Thank you James. Itā€™s been a pleasure and a privilege to walk with you. Brilliant work ABC Radio at putting this memorial together.

You can listen to yesterdayā€™s Celebration of James Valentineā€™s Life here:
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/sydney-afternoons/james-valentine-am-a-celebration-of-life/106738786

šŸŒ¹ā¤ļø

ABC Sydney

27/05/2026

Many people tell us they want to be buried under a tree. In a city, thatā€™s not always possible. Yet!

For now, close to the cycles of nature, we have our botanical shrouds. Dyed on seedy silk by artist , using only what the trees provide. Olivia follows the seasons and the cycles of nature with care. Leaves, seeds, pods. Foraging small amounts from any one place, so the animals and soil get their share too.

The same plant dyes differently depending on the season, tones shifting between cooler and warmer months. These shrouds were made in autumn ā€” Maple, Oak, Eucalyptus and Casuarina leaves, swept to the ground by wind and storm.

Wrapping your person in the textures of the season, from the canopy of the trees to the forest floor, brings softness, intimacy and a return to our senses.

Check out our range of shrouds here: https://www.liferites.com.au/funeral-costs/shrouds

It has been a privilege and honour to care for James Valentine and his family as doulas and as funeral directors. He was...
14/05/2026

It has been a privilege and honour to care for James Valentine and his family as doulas and as funeral directors. He was the authentic, curious and delightful human that all the tributes and outpouring of love reflect. We will certainly be present at this, his public memorial on May 29 at Town Hall. For details visit the 702 ABC Sydney website

See you there ā¤ļø or listen along with the broadcast of the memorial on 702 ABC

Throw back to this gorgeous moment ~ .endoflifedoula looking cute amongst the stunning abundance of this .au casket cove...
14/05/2026

Throw back to this gorgeous moment ~ .endoflifedoula looking cute amongst the stunning abundance of this .au casket cover arrangement. Pastel dreams šŸŒøšŸ©µšŸŒ¼

11/05/2026

Itā€™s International Nurses Day AND National Palliative Care Week! So, naturally, we asked Kim and Pat, our resident nurses at Life Rites, to share their wisdom and their experience. We are so lucky to have their expertise and hands-on experience in our team. Pat and Kim, you are truly dreamy šŸŖ½

A key message from .care.australia this year is that too many folks still think palliative care is only for the very end of life, when in reality it can begin much earlier and sit alongside other treatments

Starting conversations early and asking questions can make all the difference. And the support of a doula alongside palliative care can be truly powerful. Doulas are there to support those important conversations, help you find the right questions to get to the heart of it, and walk beside you every step of the way ā€” a natural complement to the palliative care team šŸ¤

Here we are at Woronora Heritage Day. We connected with new and familiar faces, sharing our holistic doula-led model of ...
05/05/2026

Here we are at Woronora Heritage Day. We connected with new and familiar faces, sharing our holistic doula-led model of care and practice, as well as our passion for our independent funeral home in Hurstville. Our shrouds, the wicker casket and info on shrouded cremation were of huge interest and sparked much curiosity. Grateful to have been part of this beautiful day with the local Shire community.

Thanks Metropolitan Memorial Parks for a splendid day šŸ§”

Address

118 Durham Street
Hurstville, NSW
2220

Telephone

+61421200250

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Life Rites Funerals posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Life Rites Funerals:

Shortcuts

Share

Category