I may not have many days to live from now, and post this thread to seek advice
from others with more knowledge of Australian law than I, on what steps I should
put in place to ensure that the normal cremation can proceed directly following
my death, directly from my home to the RIP venue, without the intervention
of the public hospital morgue as a stopover.

How should I make sure that my last request is carried out?

You may not have an option, the corriner has to have a say.
If the coriner is happy with a letter from your doctor, you may be lucky, and be released with out tests.

Thank you for your advice Desmond. That was about what I imagined, although my last doctor was not conversant with written words, and pro bono interruptions. May God forgive those who have no more helpful options.

Personally,I have arranged with a teaching hospital to collect my body from my house and use it for the practice surgeons. They told me they needed bodies with 'pathologies'. I signed the paper work etc. no cost to me or my family ...All the family does is ring the hospital and they arrange the rest. two years later the hosp does a group memorial burns what's left and family get the ashes.

If they can do it I can't see that if your demise is of clear natural causes that a funeral director couldn't arrange the expediting of the cremation.The problem will be to find one.

There are also "Self cremations" (?) i.e. someone takes the body to the crematorium and they dispense with all the prayers and flowers and cremate. One needs to contact the crematoriums to find out which one will do the job. last time I inquired for me I was quoted $1000 .

The rest is I think law. Have you contacted a lawyer.
Other than that I can't help sorry.
Hope you are successful in arranging it YOUR way.

Interesting question and one I have pondered on myself - though hopefully as a longer term objective.

My M-I-L died about 11 years ago after a long battle with cancer. It was her wish to die at home and with the assistance of a large family and community resources providing some in-home help she was able to achieve her last goal.

After her GP attended the home to confirm death, her remains were taken to the local funeral home where an embalming process took place. Her body was then delivered back to the house in open coffin where she remained for the next 2 days until funeral arrangements were finalised. Day of funeral, Undertaker collected and proceedings took place at nearby crematorium. Family was very satisfied with the way things went.

Problem is I have no idea what had to be done, what permissions (if any) needed to be obtained etc as this took place in NZ and as my partner is one of 9 children there was no need for me to be involved bar giving support and helping make refreshments.

I'm sure there would be some choices here though they may vary from State to State and even locality.

Good luck!

Examinator - when my Dad died a couple of years back he thought he'd made exactly that arrangement with the regional teaching hospital. As it turned out, they stuffed up appallingly and only wanted bits of his body, and I was left to arrange and pay for cremation of the rest. You may want to consider whether you want to leave your family in that position.

My own view is that when I die what's left is a lump of meat that will need to be disposed of, and I'm not particularly fussed about what method is used. I quite like the idea of being used as fertiliser.

However, I will make damned sure that it's not my kids who have to arrange it.

Seano I feel for you, you are strong and I admire you and your wishes.
You highlight an issue we all must face not death we know but ignore that.
But body disposal.
Examinator gave me an answer the C J Morgan took it away.
I will have enough to burn me but am the eldest of many.
Who only I can afford to bury if I do not mind being hungry.
Why does it cost so much?
Why can we not be buried all of us, back in the bush as some are now at very little cost?
You will find a thousand reasons to bury with dignity those you love but we need nothing but memory's not flowers and high cost future weed patch's.

Thank you all for the advice given. I appreciate your kindness as I have only really the Internet to ask for clarification on matters such as this. It is unwise to discuss these things with loved ones over the telephone, as you can probably imagine the sorrow it causes them.

In the past I have nominated myself as an organ donor, and learned the smell of formaldehyde back at uni and that would have been okay until last year.

Now though, dying with dignity excludes the possibility of breaking two promises I made on February 29th last year and on July 1st this year. I will never willingly set foot in an Australian public hospital, nor on any Australian academic campus as long as I live, and while I am willing to allow a few bone fragments to wind up in some archaeological exhibit, the flesh goes with me, and it looks like I might have to rely on my own means to see this promise through, from what I gather from the input so far.

I also appreciate the report of selective nature of the learning institutions so that would now be out of the question of it was not already.

Thanks again for your advice and support and sorry to have broached an unpleasant sort of topic. Let's hope we can talk about happier subjects to balance this one out.

there is a notice of claim[nou]and cor process..that withdraws the person from the state...its a teqnicality..that we are subject to laws...mainly because we begged/applied to fall subject to them

see when your parents..reegistered your birth...you fell under/..subject to the law..your parents applied..'under'..thus this application...gives them control,over the person

but you are not a person..legally a person is a person/under the act..by recanting the enforced contract of personhood...on you the living man...you decalare your notice of standing...many wrongly call it a notice of understanding...litle knowing its about your standing

anyhow..it's simply a matter of your stating your standing...asking the question's of the powers that be...and recinding your person..thus govts right to control your spirit via the person..then when they default..it becomes law in the matter

info is available from my outside link..at my id details...i suggest asking the question there...its simple to see that the deception of state...has made us surities..in the nations bankruptcy

see that you swore true your birth details...[when its not your first hand info...you lied when you stated your birth certain..its legally heresay..its not info you know of your own memory...you were told it

see under law the law assumes a begger knows for what he begs...when we applied for licence/registration...under the act..govt gets control of the persona creted under the act...but the act applies only to those empowered under the act/..

thus aplying for licence..makes us subject to road rules..applying for anything..in the name of your person..makes the person subject to the act..recind the person..recind their control over the acts of person..the only valid law id criminal law

your person creates a civil juristiction/law of contract...anything we sign..enters the states civil juristiction..over the person...but persons are dead instruments...used to control the living

you are aware i hope that death dosnt mean dead/your living spirit lives on...but via the person..the dead control the living..thats why jesus said do not take oath..only let your yes be yes..and your no mean know

As I understand it, if you die from a chronic condition known to your doctor and he attends and completes the death certificate, then there is no need for the coroner - who is there is resolve cause of death where is there is vagueness or suspicion of an unnatural cause.

However if you die in a hospital your remains will always be sliced and diced to confirm cause of death.

I want my body to be disposed of by cremation ASAP and without fuss. Cardboard box please. Ashes to be thrown onto the nearest garden. It is my preference that my family has a private get together to soothe one another, but without the church, undertaker and all of the hoo hah and certainly without my remains being present.

I am sure that the only chance I have of seeing my wishes carried out is to arrange and pay for the funeral in advance and make it known to all close relatives, but even then the undertakers are likely to sell something bigger to grieving relatives.

The other problem is ensuring that one is allowed to die when the time comes and there is no risk of resuscitation as a living vegetable, an active mind trapped in a paralysed body, or a disgusting train wreck that relies totally on others to assist with basic bodily functions. If anyone has some clues on achieving that (death not resuscitation) then out with them please, because my doctor and I both agree that things will always be taken out of the patients hands. I am heartened by the possibility that a refusal of treatment might work if one is fortunate enough to be in a position to do it.

Hi Cornflower - in Qld there's a legal instrument called an "Advance Health Directive" that appears to cover most of the issues you raise, at least while you're still alive. I investigated it a few years ago when my old Mum was ailing, but she avoided having to take it further by dying quite suddenly.

http://www.justice.qld.gov.au/1142.htm

Not sure if there's an equivalent in other States. Hope this helps.

Thank you all for the new information while I have been away from the forum, with special thanks to the link provided by CJ Morgan.

Although I am in the west, I believe that the Queensland data is exactly the sort of information I should have been looking for, and will have a look through the search engines for something pertaining to Western Australia, which I expect might coincide reasonably closely with Queensland law. Much appreciate the new advice posted in my absence. Thank you all.