Services & Pricing

Arranging a Funeral

How we can help…

Walker Funerals provides full and comprehensive funeral services as well as small private farewells.

We can provide a funeral to suit your needs and your financial circumstances.

A funeral service can vary in many ways and our staff are happy to guide you in making the choices that are right for you.

How to arrange a funeral

It is preferable that your funeral director has a personal face-to-face discussion with you and your family in order to arrange a proper service. This meeting would usually take place our office. The funeral director will discuss all the service details, including individual wishes of the family, and come to an agreement about the specifics of the funeral. This initial meeting also serves to dispense with some of the formalities, such as the completion of statutory documents and forms that must be signed for a funeral to go ahead.

Listed below are some of the steps you will need to consider when planning a funeral.

Funeral Checklist

Cremation or Burial
Venue
Celebrant
Eulogy
Press Notices
Viewing
Music
Photo Presentation
Live Stream
Memorial Booklet
Pallbearers
Flowers
Casket
Catering

Funeral Home

Chapel

Chapel Inside

Pre-Planning

… is easier than you think

Pre-arranging and pre-paying a funeral takes care of the future. Planning ahead gives you and your family peace of mind and will make things easier for loved ones in their time of grief. It can bring much comfort to know that the style of service you would wish for has been discussed and prearranged with you personally, accurately recorded and kept safe by us until needed.

You can choose the type of service you want — at a cost you can afford.

The ability to have pre-paid your arrangements helps to protect you from the effect of inflation upon funeral costs.

Planning your funeral is a logical extension of your Will and may assist with pension entitlements. In fact, the money you pay into the plan will not affect your pension as it is not subject to income or assets tests.

Please obtain a printable copy (PDF) of our planning checklist below:

Download Our Funeral Checklist

Download Our Registration Information Form

Audio Visual

Our in-house design and print team can assist you with all audio visual elements of the funeral service. Whether the service is at our chapel, a graveside or a local church we have the equipment and expertise for all your needs.

Public Address

We have a vast range of equipment including microphones, lecterns, speakers, amplifiers and wireless systems. No matter how many are in attendance or the location of the service, we have a solution to ensure that every spoken word and musical tribute can be heard clearly.

Music

Most funerals comprise of several pieces of recorded music. This is sourced and played by our staff. Simply tell us the name and the artist and we will take care of the rest. We have an extensive network of musicians and singers that can perform live if you are looking for something more traditional.

Booklet

We have years of experience designing and printing Order of Service booklets. We work closely with you to produce a design that serves as a meaningful keepsake for all in attendance. Our team liaise directly with the celebrant to source the content. Photos you would like included in the booklet can be given to us as hard copies or electronically on a flash drive or via email. We can retouch and edit images using Adobe Photoshop to ensure optimal print quality. We are able to provide you with an electronic .pdf copy of the booklet to send to anyone unable to attend.

Slideshow

We can compile a pictorial slideshow to be played during the service. Simply send us the photos you would like included and we will edit them and synchronise with your choice of music. The slideshow will be provided to you after the service on a flash drive as an mp4. The flash drive also contains a digital .jpg of all the photos used. We are also able to email you a link to an electronic copy of the slideshow.

Recording

Our crematorium chapel is equipped with a high-resolution camera capable of recording the audio and video of the service. An mp4 video is given to you either electronically or on a flash drive.

Live Streaming

Some may find it difficult to attend the funeral. The crematorium chapel can live stream a service to the web for those who are unable to attend.

Share the link below with anyone who would like to watch…

www.walkerfunerals.com.au/live

Funeral Pricing

Walker Funerals is an independent locally owned funeral home. Established in 1856 the Walker Family has been serving the local community for seven generations. With over 150 years of experience you can rest assured that your loved one will be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.

Funeral packages can restrict your choice. Instead of offering packages, we personalise each funeral service based on your requirements and adjust the price accordingly.

We believe in affordable, transparent pricing. Before entering into any agreement with our firm, you will be provided with a full written quote.

All prices listed below include GST.

Standard hours are weekdays 8am – 4:30pm.

Into Our Care

Our involvement begins with the transfer of your loved one from their place of death to our mortuary. Our mortuary is located in our funeral home at 75 Smith Street, Kempsey. Transportation will be in a suitable vehicle owned by our company. The cost of the transfer is determined by the location and time of death.

From a Residence 550
From a Residence After Hours 750
From a Hospital or Nursing Home 350
From a Nursing Home After Hours 550
Travel over 70km 3.30 per km

Holding Your Loved One In Our Care

The cost of holding your loved one in our mortuary.

Holding Fee (per day) 20*
*No charge for the first 14 days if our firm conducts the cremation or burial

Mortuary Care

The preparation of your loved one including dressing and placement into a coffin.

Basic Mortuary Care 350
Complex Mortuary Care 650

Coffin

A coffin is required to transport your loved one. Coffins come in a wide variety of styles to meet the needs of all – from simple veneered particleboard to solid, carved timber. It is also possible to have a completely personalised coffin, or a simple, environmentally friendly coffin. The price varies depending on your choice of material, pattern, colour and finish. The fee includes the chosen coffin, hardware (handles, nameplate) and interior linings.

Coffin Range 1450-5000

Viewing

A viewing is optional. It is an opportunity for family and friends to spend some private time with your loved one prior to the funeral. Our viewing rooms are located at our funeral home in Smith Street, Kempsey.

Viewing 150
Viewing After Hours 400

Arranging and Conducting The Funeral (Professional Fee)

A funeral service involves days of preparation and planning, as well as several hours of involvement from numerous staff on the day.

Our professional fee covers all business operating costs; including wages and training of our staff, 24 hour availability to answer all enquiries, attending to relevant administration and legal documents, liaising with various third parties (crematorium, cemeteries, florists, advertising firms, celebrants, musicians, doctors), transportation to the funeral venue, preparation of music, graveside furnishings, notifying government bodies of death (Centrelink, Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages), construction and maintenance of facilities, purchasing and maintenance of vehicles, licensing, insurance and utilities, advice and support following the funeral.

Arrival service funeral: An arrival service takes place entirely at the crematorium chapel. The coffin is in place before guests arrive and no hearse is present.

Single service funeral: A single service funeral takes place at one location (a chapel, church or graveside). The service includes a final committal and the hearse and coffin drive away at the end of the service with no procession following.

Dual service funeral: A dual service funeral takes place at two locations. It begins at a chapel or church and is followed by a procession to the cemetery or crematorium for a final committal ceremony.

Cremation Arrival Service 3900
Cremation Single Service 4250
Cremation Dual Service 4300
Burial Single Service 4200
Burial Dual Service 4500
Saturday Surcharge 750
Travel Over 70km From Funeral Home 4 per km

Celebrant Fees

This is the fee paid to the celebrant that officiates the service. This includes their time to prepare the service and their time at the funeral service.

Civil Celebrant 500
Catholic Priest 250
Anglican Minister 220
Uniting Minister 200
Other Denominations POA

Hire of a Venue

The cost to hire the facility where the funeral service takes place. This includes opening, closing and associated cleaning costs. It also includes the cost of any PA and AV equipment required.

Walkers Crematorium Chapel 750
Catholic Church Kempsey Included
Catholic Church South West Rocks Included
Anglican Church Kempsey 100
Anglican Church South West Rocks 150
Uniting Church Kempsey 250
Uniting Church South West Rocks Included

Third Party Fees

Registered Death Certificate 70
Certificate of Cremation (issued by doctor) 120
Medical Referee Cremation Permit 120

Cremation Fees

Adult Cremation 1200
Child Cremation 300

Burial Fees

Burial fees involve the purchase of a gravesite, the right of interment, preparation of the site, digging the grave, closing the grave and perpetual maintenance. Costs will vary depending upon the cemetery and the type of burial site required. Local cemeteries are managed by Kempsey Shire Council. These include East Kempsey, Frederickton, Arakoon, Kinki, Tom’s Gully and Bellbrook.

First Interment In New Position 4750
First Interment In Reserved Position 3900
Second Interment Above 2250
Perpetual Interment Right (Reservation) 2350
Council Saturday Surcharge 800
Other Cemetery POA

Audio Visual

Music
Supply and play songs and hymns at the service.

Order of Service booklets
Designing, printing and folding of the booklets given to those at the funeral. The booklet contains pictures, hymn lyrics, poems and an outline of the service. Additional copies are passed onto you after the service to give to those who were unable to attend.

Photo Presentation
The compilation of a photo presentation including scanning and editing the photos and synchronising them with your choice of music. Fee includes all technology required to play the presentation. A copy of the slideshow is passed onto you after the service on a flash drive. This also contains a digital copy (.jpg) of all the photos used.

Live Stream & Video Recording
The chapel at our crematorium can capture a video live stream and recording of the funeral service. This is automatically uploaded to our webpage 1-2 days after the service. Recording a service can be arranged for any local church or cemetery.

Supply Music No Charge
Design Booklet Including 100 Prints 450-600
Additional Booklet Prints 2
Design Photo Presentation Including 100 Photos 300
Additional Slideshow Photos 2
BYO Slideshow - Reformat and Test 50
Live Stream & Recording (Walkers Crematorium Chapel) 200
Video Recording In Church 400

Our Lowest Cost Option

A direct, no attendance cremation: 4100*

This option does not include a service or ceremony. In its simplest form, it is the collection of your loved one, the cremation and the return of their ashes to you. It includes:

Transfer from place of death to funeral home
Mortuary care
A simple coffin
A registered death certificate
Doctor’s cremation papers
Conveyance to crematorium
The cremation fee

A direct, no attendance burial: 3950* + Council Grave Fees

This option does not include a service or ceremony. In its simplest form, it is the collection of your loved one and their burial. It includes:

Transfer from place of death to funeral home
Mortuary care
A simple coffin
A registered death certificate
Conveyance to cemetery (within 50km)
A grave marker

*Additional Charges
Transfer from place of death after hours: 300
Viewing during standard hours: 250
Complex death: 300