Welcome to Australian Aquamation® Funerals (formerly known as Environmentally Friendly Cremations), Australia's trusted provider of Aquamation® services. Our coverage includes Melbourne and Sydney and most eastern states. Call us today to see if we can service your area.
We are the first regulator approved Aquamation® service in Australia.
Why Aquamation®?
Aquamation®, also known as alkaline hydrolysis or water cremation, is an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional cremation. It uses water and alkali to gently return the body to its natural elements. It's a greener, more respectful choice.
- Aquamation® produces less than 10% of the carbon emissions than that of traditional fire cremation.
- With Aquamation®, there is no toxic, cancer causing mercury emissions poisoning the environment that comes from fire cremation.
- There is no requirement with Aquamation® to perform invasive mortuary procedures such as the removal of pacemakers that are removed prior to a fire cremation.
Contact us for a personalised quote for an Aquamation®
About Australian Aquamation® Funerals
Australian Aquamation® Funerals is dedicated to providing compassionate and environmentally responsible funeral services. We are committed to supporting families with dignity and respect during their time of loss.
We are the original Aquamation® service. Our CEO, John Humphries, invented the word 'Aquamation®' in 2009 as a portmanteau of 'Aqua' and 'Cremation'. Prior to this, the term was not used in the funeral industry.
The world’s first Aquamation® water cremation was in Australia in 2010 which was conducted by John Humphries.
Aquamation® was Chosen by a Celebrated Nobel Laureate
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu - the anti-Apartheid leader, Nobel Laureate, and Anglican Archbishop Emeritus who called climate change “one of the greatest moral challenges of our time” requested Aquamation® or Water Cremation, as an eco-friendly final disposition for his body.
This choice by Archbishop Desmond Tutu is raising awareness of the possibilities of Aquamation®, and a way for the funeral industry to play its part in reducing carbon emissions by replacing fire cremation with Aquamation®.
Frequently asked questions
What Happens During an Aquamation®?
Aquamation® uses a process that is scientifically known as Alkaline Hydrolysis. During a Water Cremation, the deceased is carefully wrapped in a biodegradable shroud and placed inside a stainless steel Aquamation® machine. This unit is then filled with water and an alkaline solution and is heated.
Do We Receive the Ashes?
Following an Aquamation®, the loved one’s remains are returned to the family in an urn in the form of Ashes.
Has Aquamation® Won Any Awards?
Yes. Water Cremation, by Aquamation®, was a 2015 finalist in the prestigious Australian Technologies Competition.
2026 Winner - 'Cremation Services of the Year' - Corporate LiveWire Innovation & Excellence Awards 2026.
Aquamation® is the 2026 winner in the category of 'Cremation Services of the Year' in the Corporate LiveWire Innovation & Excellence Awards 2026!
Supporting you through grief
At Australian Aquamation® Funerals, we understand the pain of loss. We offer support to help you through your grief journey. Call John on 0433 336 722 for Caring Support.
Contact us
Location
Melbourne, Australia and we provide Aquamation® funerals throughout Victoria, NSW, ACT, Southern Queensland and South Australia.
Call John on 0433 336 722 for Caring Support and Assistance
Whilst most funerals in Australia, approximately 70%, involve traditional cremation, there is a surge in the popularity of water cremation which is being recognised and acknowledged not only as a gentle final goodbye to loved ones, but also for having far less negative impact upon the environment, and in 2021 Desmond Tutu chose water cremation as a softer, eco friendly alternative to a fire cremation raising public awareness even further.
A fire cremation requires significant energy, with temperatures up to 1000C, produces considerable carbon emissions and also releases the highly toxic element mercury into the atmosphere (it is used widely in teeth filings), whereas a water cremation requires temperatures of no more than 100C and results in 90% less emissions with no trace of mercury being released to damage the environment or the population.
The first water cremation to be undertaken in Australia took place in 2010 under the supervision of John Humphries who had already coined the term Aquamation, and today Australian Aquamation Funerals provide a dignified and caring eco friendly cremation service from Melbourne to Adelaide and beyond and are the only regulator approved service in the country. And the first in the world
At a time of what may be unbearable grief and loss, kindness, empathy and respect are high on everyone’s list of essentials, and the small family-owned business of AAF can ensure that this time is as stress free as it possibly can be for you. Your wishes and those of the deceased are of paramount importance and whatever your needs, they will be catered for with genuine kindness and care. Aquamation is appropriate for all religious traditions and practices and each service can readily be personalised to truly reflect the individual concerned.
The process of Aquamation – or alkaline hydrolysis as it was previously referred to, involves exposing the body, within a controlled environment to water, alkaline and heat, which combine to mimic the normal processes of breakdown, albeit at a much faster rate than would naturally occur, and results in a residue of fine fragments of bone which can be provided as ashes in an urn, very similar to a fire cremation, . Additionally, Aquamation requires no invasive procedures to remove pacemakers and similar, and replacement titanium hips and other joints will survive the process and can be recycled.
Australian Aquamation Funerals are committed to helping you through troubled times with sensitivity and kindness, creating a service dedicated and personalised for your loved one, ensuring that despite the circumstances every experience is positive. Indeed, AAF have been recognised for the exemplary work by being awarded the Cremation Services of the Year, 2026 at the Corporate LiveWire and Innovation Awards earlier this year.
If you are seeking an ecologically sustainable alternative to a fire cremation and appreciate the calm, gentleness of Aquamation that aligns closely with a natural process, and would like to discover more about water cremation in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Victoria and South Australia, simply reach out to Australian Aquamation Funerals where your enquiry will be treated with respect and dignity.