Picaluna Funerals is now in Newcastle, Hunter and Surrounds. From the vineyards to the ocean, from Lake Macquarie to Port Stephens and out to Maitland and all areas of The Hunter Valley
At Picaluna we believe in honouring loved ones in the environment they felt connected to, where they thrived, and where they were at their happiest.
As locally based Funeral Directors and Funeral Celebrants, we accompany our families with the level of authenticity, care, and compassion they so deserve during such a difficult time.
There is a growing preference to seek various and unique locations to hold a meaningful ceremony. The Newcastle area holds many locations that can keep a celebration of a person’s life, close to home.
From community halls, wineries, bowling clubs, outdoor venues, function centres, even under the shade of a big tree at home, at Picaluna we will strive alongside your family to create a funeral that endeavours to make it happen in a way that truly represents your loved one.
Whether you want to hold a home vigil, scattering of ashes, or memorial service, or even hold your farewell over different dates and times, there are many ways to say goodbye.
Acknowledgement of Country
We would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of this land the Awabakal, Wonnorua and Worimi people. We pay our respects to Aboriginal Elders who hold the memories, the traditions, the culture and hopes of Indigenous Australia. We want to thank them for preserving this beautiful land.
Picaluna’s team of funeral directors and funeral celebrants offer a wealth of experience and expertise to guide you in the creation of an appropriate funeral ceremony. Being a different style of Newcastle funeral home, we pride ourselves on our personal approach – we’re all about providing you with the right information and appropriate support to honour your person. We work in our communities and alongside end-of-life consultants, death doulas and palliative support workers to provide a continuity of care when you need it most.
You can call our Picaluna team at any time to discuss your particular situation, and start the funeral planning process.
Acting with compassion, care and respect, we make all the arrangements to transfer the deceased person into our care.
Our funeral arranger meets with you to help and guide you in creating a funeral that is meaningful, personal and within your budget.
We carefully organise and
professionally deliver a personalised funeral – one that’s totally aligned with your wishes and feels authentic to the memory of your loved one.
Picaluna is changing the way funerals are done for the better. It’s a change that needed to happen. More personal.
More compassionate. And importantly, more affordable.
Picaluna is about community. Walking alongside the bereaved in their most significant time of need, is at the heart of what we do. We’re there for you, guiding, listening and assisting with whatever is needed to create the most meaningful funeral possible.
We believe in giving back.
Picaluna donates 5% of our service fee to your choice from one of our Picaluna Charity partners.
At Picaluna, we believe in creating truly unique and personalised farewells. We’re a different kind of funeral home in Newcastle. We work together with families to create life celebrations or personal funerals that take place in meaningful locations. Whether this is your church, your backyard, a surf club, golf club or crematorium chapel. Picaluna funeral directors take the time to guide you through the funeral planning; to help inspire you in creating a beautiful farewell for your special person.
Picaluna does things a little differently to traditional Newcastle funeral homes; we see our role is to assist and empower families to create meaningful and authentic farewells that are aligned with their values… and at an affordable price. We are completely transparent with our pricing, sourcing everything at cost and applying a 35% Service fee to the wholesale cost of the funeral.
Picaluna believes in 100% price transparency, so we do things a little differently.
We see our role as being to assist and empower families to create meaningful and authentic farewells that are aligned with their values. We are completely transparent with our pricing, sourcing everything at wholesale price and applying a 35% Service fee to the wholesale cost of the funeral. Furthermore, we donate 5% of our profit to a charity of your choice.
Prices & Information as at Jan 2024
(all prices are including GST)
All the prices in this document are just a guide. Your personalised funeral may have products and services that differ from those highlighted. Rates may vary, depending upon the respective suppliers used on the funeral. If you would like a more accurate quote for your circumstance, please get in touch with us.
A Direct Cremation is a no service, no attendance cremation of the deceased, with the ashes delivered to the family following the cremation taking place. The family often use the ashes at a later date in a memorial ceremony for the deceased.
Transfer is the transferring of the deceased from the place of death to the crematorium. This price is for a weekday transfer; weekend rates apply for transfers on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays.
Funeral arranging entails organising the transfer, meeting with the family to complete documentation, coordinating with external suppliers, registering the death with The Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages, delivering the ashes back to the family.
Basic cardboard or MDF cremation coffin is a legal requirement in NSW.
There are two cremation certificates – the Cremation Risk Advice, and, the Medical Referee’s Cremation Permit.
As issued by The Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages.
Paid to the crematorium for the cremation.
Picaluna sources everything for you at wholesale rates, then applies a 35% Service Fee to the wholesale cost of the funeral.
Prices & Information as at Jan 2024
(all prices are including GST)
All the prices in this document are just a guide. Your personalised funeral may have products and services that differ from those highlighted. Rates may vary, depending upon the respective suppliers used on the funeral. If you would like a more accurate quote for your circumstance, please get in touch with us.
A Cremation with a service, can either have the coffin present with the cremation taking place following the funeral service, or, the cremation can take place first, followed by a memorial service at a later date. With both options, the ashes are delivered to the family following the cremation taking place.
Transfer is the transferring of the deceased from the place of death to the mortuary. This price is for a weekday transfer; weekend rates apply for transfers on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays.
Mortuary care includes nightly storage at a $200 flat rate, preparation of the deceased starting from $159.09, and a coffin name plate at $13.64. The deceased’s stay at the mortuary can vary from one night, through to many weeks, depending upon the individual circumstance.
Funeral arranging entails organising the transfer, meeting with the family to complete documentation, coordinating with external suppliers, registering the death with The Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages, conducting the funeral on the day, delivering the ashes back to the family.
A professional celebrant is an integral part of the funeral process. They will meet the family, learn the story of the deceased, their life and loves; then craft a personalised funeral ceremony, delivered on the day. This typically takes 10-12 hours’ work. This helps the family and the community to honour and celebrate their person, mourn their death so they can heal and rejuvenate.
Price for a Richmond standard MDF coffin; prices vary depending on choice of make and model, starting from $160 for a Daisy Box, environmentally friendly cardboard coffin.
Your choice of a range of hearses from vintage Mercedes to modern models.
There are two cremation certificates – the Cremation Risk Advice, and, the Medical Referee’s Cremation Permit.
As issued by The Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages.
This cost is the minimum that one could expect to pay for a Service Venue. Service Venues can vary greatly, from a Surf Club, a Community Centre, a Park, a Family home, a place of worship, through to a Crematorium chapel.
Funeral staff numbers on the day, vary depending on the needs of the venue, as well as forecast attendance. Price is for one staff member for 2 hours.
Paid to the crematorium for the cremation.
Picaluna sources everything for you at wholesale rates, then applies a 35% Service Fee to the wholesale cost of the funeral.
Prices & Information as at Jan 2024
(all prices are including GST)
All the prices in this document are just a guide. Your personalised funeral may have products and services that differ from those highlighted. Rates may vary, depending upon the respective suppliers used on the funeral. If you would like a more accurate quote for your circumstance, please get in touch with us.
A Burial with a service, can be a funeral service followed by the burial graveside service, or, the graveside service can take place first, followed by a memorial service at a later date.
Transfer is the transferring of the deceased from the place of death to the mortuary. This price is for a weekday transfer; weekend rates apply for transfers on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays.
Mortuary care includes nightly storage at a $200 flat rate, preparation of the deceased starting from $159.09, and a coffin name plate at $13.64. The deceased’s stay at the mortuary can vary from one night, through to many weeks, depending upon the individual circumstance.
Funeral arranging entails organising the transfer, meeting with the family to complete documentation, coordinating with external suppliers, registering the death with The Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages, and conducting the funeral on the day.
A professional celebrant is an integral part of the funeral process. They will meet the family, learn the story of the deceased, their life and loves; then craft a personalised funeral ceremony. This helps the family and the community to honour and celebrate their person, mourn their death so they can heal and rejuvenate.
Price for a Richmond standard MDF coffin; prices vary depending on choice of make and model.
Your choice of a range of hearses from vintage Mercedes to modern models.
As issued by The Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages.
This cost is the minimum one could expect to pay for a Service Venue. Service Venues can vary greatly, from a Surf Club, a Community Centre, a Park, a Family home, a place of worship, through to a Crematorium chapel.
Funeral staff numbers on the day, vary depending on the needs of the venue, as well as forecast attendance. Price is for one staff member for 2 hours.
Picaluna sources everything for you at wholesale rates, then applies a 35% Service Fee to the wholesale cost of the funeral.
Whether it’s cremation services in Newcastle you’re after, or a burial, we’re here to help you farewell your loved one in a truly beautiful way, with our support and guidance at every step. Cremation cost starts from $2,720, with a Burial cost starting from $6,860
Picaluna is about choice, time, flexibility, and honouring people in an authentic and personal way. An appropriate venue choice could be anywhere from a place of worship, a local crematorium or cemetery chapel, to perhaps conducting a non-traditional funeral service at a favourite surf or golf club, or even having the funeral at the family home.
Our local team of funeral specialists are embedded in our community. We are you – your friend, a neighbour and local citizen. As locally based Funeral Directors and funeral celebrants, we accompany our families with the level of authenticity, care, and compassion they so deserve during such a difficult time.
Picaluna Funerals Newcastle, Hunter and Surrounds. From the vineyards to the ocean, from Lake Macquarie to Port Stephens and out to Maitland and all areas of The Hunter Valley.
In addition to working closely with all our local churches, chapels/crematoriums and cemeteries, Picaluna is experienced at delivering unique, authentic and bespoke services.
At Picaluna we believe in honouring loved ones in the environment they felt connected to, where they thrived, and where they were at their happiest.
Funerals and farewells can be whatever you want them to be. Since their formation 7 years ago, Picaluna’s ethos has been to think laterally, and creatively, as we plan beautiful funerals.
There is a growing preference to seek various and unique locations to hold a meaningful ceremony. The Newcastle and Hunter regions hold many locations that can keep a celebration of a person’s life, close to home.
From community halls, wineries, bowling clubs, outdoor venues, function centres, even under the shade of a big tree at home, at Picaluna we will strive alongside your family to create a funeral that endeavours to make it happen in a way that truly represents your loved one.
Whether you want to hold a home vigil, scattering of ashes, or memorial service, or even hold your farewell over different dates and times, there are many ways to say goodbye.
Whether you want to hold a paddle out, scattering of ashes, or memorial service, or even hold your farewell over different dates and times, there are many ways to say goodbye.
Picaluna continues to uphold the importance of being honest with families, transparent with their pricing, and giving back by donating 5% of our service fee to a Picaluna charity partner of your choice
What is the capacity of the venue?
Will there be rituals that need to take place outside? (E.g. smoking ceremony before entering a space, burning notes or planting a tree..)
How will the music be played?
What area will form the backdrop to the ceremony?
Will slideshows be part of the ceremony or wake or both?
Will the space be connected to nature?
Will there be tributes involving candles, coffin decoration or live music?
Will the location be a part of religious services?
Will there be catering or refreshments for attendees?
What is the access like to the ceremony location? (E.g. is there wheelchair access required?)
Is there sufficient parking?
Is the location easy to find
Our experienced Picaluna funeral arrangers can assist you in finding, booking and working with the right venue for your needs.
Fort Scratchley – Newcastle East
Peppers Creek Barrel Room and Chapel – Pokolbin
St Patrick’s Church at Nulkaba in the Hunter Valley – this is was once a Catholic Church, but now is deconsecrated and therefore a non-religious service can be held or any faiths and cultures.
Pokolbin Community Hall – set in the heart of Wine Country is available for religious and non-religious Funerals and Memorials.
BELLA Flowers at Morisset
The Carriage House at Chateau Elan
Tanilba House
Lake Macquarie Yacht Club
Belflora Florist – Broadmeadow
The livestreaming of a funeral ceremony brings family and friends together no matter how far apart they are. Picaluna provides sophisticated multi-camera options for livestreaming and webcasting. Whether in a traditional funeral home in Newcastle backdrop or a backyard, it can take place in almost any location. A high-quality recording is also available for download following the ceremony as a special reminder of the day.
Rating
Shelly was an absolute angel in disguise! From the get go right through to the end of farewelling our loved one. She is one of the most gentle and caring people I have ever met and really went above and beyond in comforting us throughout the whole daunting journey. Heartfelt thank you Shelly!
Shelly has been great to work with through a difficult time. We found her to be friendly, welcoming and easy to to deal with throughout the process. Highly recommend.
Rachel Bracken was amazing. She went above & beyond with so much heartfelt sympathy & empathy for the family for my Mother in laws' funeral. Nothing was any trouble for her. She is so easy to talk to, it feels like we had known her for ages. I would thoroughly recommend her for any event.
I could not have asked for anyone better than Alexandra Kirk and Picaluna to arrange the Farewell to my wife. I had great hopes of the setting and the format of the ceremony, both of which were challenging. My hopes were realised and expectations exceeded. We live streamed the event for the benefit of family and friends in the UK. This was very successful. Alexandra brought a sympathetic, understanding and comforting personality to her role as celebrant which was appreciated by all in attendance. My words are insufficient to express my gratitude. Thank you Alexandra.
Kate brought warmth, compassion and a personal touch to the recent celebration of my mum’s life. I was so grateful for her guidance, thank you Kate.
Melissa and Picaluna arranged the cremation of our loved one and guided us through the process with great care, patience and compassion, especially as we had no experience beforehand. We are very grateful for their help and support.
