Harmony Funerals: Funeral Directors Sydney & Central Coast

Harmony Funerals is a family-run funeral director caring for families right across Sydney and the Central Coast. We answer the phone ourselves 24 hours a day, publish every price, and look after your loved one in our own care centres at Blacktown, Canterbury, Smeaton Grange and Tuggerah. Our cremations start from $3,650 and our chapel funerals from $6,195, including GST.

If you are looking for a funeral director in Sydney, you are probably doing it at one of the hardest moments of your life. This guide explains what a funeral director does, what a funeral in Sydney really costs, how to compare funeral directors, and what to do first, so you can make good decisions without pressure.

In short

• Call any time. A Sydney funeral director can bring your loved one into care at any hour, from home, hospital or a nursing home. Our number is 02 9676 2561.
• Expect a written price. Ours are published on our packages page and in our Pricing Disclosure.
• Most funerals are held about a week after the death, once the doctor’s certificate and the cremation or burial paperwork are complete.
• You choose the farewell. A chapel, a church, a graveside, a beach or your own backyard, with burial or cremation.

What does a funeral director in Sydney do?

A funeral director takes care of the person who has died and of everything needed for the funeral, so the family can focus on each other. At Harmony Funerals that means:

1. Bringing your loved one into our care, at any hour, from home, hospital, a nursing home or the Coroner.
2. Caring for them in our own mortuary, including dressing and preparing them for a viewing if you would like one.
3. Handling the paperwork: the medical certificate, the cremation permit or burial booking, and registering the death with NSW Births, Deaths & Marriages so you receive the death certificate.
4. Planning the service with you: the venue, celebrant or clergy, music, flowers, booklets, photo tribute, live streaming and catering.
5. Running the day, from the hearse and family cars to the service, the committal and the gathering afterwards.

You deal with a small team who know your name and your loved one’s story. Our founder and funeral director, Josh Staples, has over 15 years of experience in funeral care, and you will never be passed between departments.

How much does a funeral cost in Sydney?

Funeral costs in Sydney vary widely depending on whether you choose cremation or burial, whether there is a service, and the cemetery, venue and extras. That is why it pays to see a full price, including cemetery and crematorium fees, before you commit.

Here is what a funeral with Harmony Funerals costs (all prices include GST):

Funeral	From	What it is
Simple Bare Essentials Cremation	$3,650	No service or attendance. Includes the transfer, coffin, cremation, death certificate and a timber urn.
Simple Bare Essentials Funeral	$6,195	A service in our Blacktown chapel or the Royal Remembrance Chapel in St Marys, with the coffin, mortuary care and cremation.
Burial	Quoted	Cemetery fees are set by the cemetery and depend on the grave. We add them in writing once you choose.

Common extras include a weekend service ($1,195), a chapel at Pinegrove, Forest Lawn or Castlebrook ($750), a celebrant ($550), a family car (from $550) and a newspaper notice (from $350). Every funeral service also comes with complimentary keepsake booklets, a framed photo, a personalised candle, a photo story and an online condolence book.

You can build your own price, line by line, with our Funeral Quote Calculator, or read our full guide to funeral costs in Sydney.

How to choose a funeral director in Sydney

When you compare funeral directors, ask these questions. A good funeral director will answer every one of them clearly.

• Are your prices published, and will you put my quote in writing? Be wary of anyone who will only give a price in person.
• Who will actually look after my loved one? Ask whether they have their own mortuary and where your loved one will be taken.
• Will I deal with the same person the whole way through?
• Do you understand our culture and faith? If your family has particular customs, ask how they have handled them before.
• Can you come to us? You should be able to make the arrangements at home.

What to do when someone dies in Sydney

At home

If the death was expected, call the person’s doctor or the palliative care team to confirm the death, then call us. There is no rush: you can take time to sit with your loved one before we come.

In hospital or a nursing home

The staff will look after the medical paperwork. Call us and we will liaise with the ward or the nursing home, so you do not have to make those calls yourself.

Suddenly or unexpectedly

Call 000. The police may report the death to the Coroner, and your loved one will be taken into the Coroner’s care first. Call us as soon as you are ready and we will work with the Coroner for you.

Read our full guide on what to do when a death occurs.

Cremation or burial in Sydney?

Cremation is usually the lower-cost option. Burial is important to many families and faiths, and the cost depends mainly on the cemetery and the grave. Cemeteries and crematoria we work with across Sydney include:

• Western Sydney: Pinegrove Memorial Park, Minchinbury, and Castlebrook Memorial Park, Rouse Hill
• Inner West and Parramatta: Rookwood Cemetery, Lidcombe, with sections for almost every faith
• South-west: Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Leppington, and Macarthur Memorial Park, Varroville
• North: Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium and Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens, North Ryde
• East and south: Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park, Matraville, and Woronora Memorial Park, Sutherland
• Central Coast: Palmdale Lawn Cemetery and Memorial Park

Cultural and religious funerals

A funeral should reflect who your loved one was. We arrange funerals for every faith, and specialise in Samoan, Tongan, Cook Island and Māori funerals, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander funerals, Chinese funerals and Portuguese funerals, including returning loved ones home overseas.

Where we care for Sydney families

We look after families in every part of Sydney and the Central Coast from four care centres:

• Blacktown (main care centre and chapel), 10 Jane Street, Blacktown
• Canterbury, 51-53 Canterbury Road, Canterbury
• Smeaton Grange, 186 Hartley Road, Smeaton Grange
• Tuggerah, 1/5 Joule Place, Tuggerah

Find your area: Blacktown & Mount Druitt, the Hills District, Parramatta, Penrith, the Inner West, Canterbury-Bankstown, the Eastern Suburbs, St George, the Sutherland Shire, Liverpool & Fairfield, Macarthur, the Lower North Shore, the Upper North Shore, the Northern Beaches, the Hawkesbury, the Blue Mountains and the Central Coast, or see all the areas we service.

Planning ahead

Many people choose to plan their own funeral in advance. You can record your wishes with us at no cost, or pay for your funeral at today’s prices with a prepaid funeral, held in an approved NSW pre-paid funeral fund.

Talk to us, any time

Whether someone has just died or you are planning ahead, call Harmony Funerals on 02 9676 2561, 24 hours a day. We will listen, explain your options in plain English and give you the time you need. Contact us or meet our team.