I have decided to piggy back on the quaint tradition of the British Royals and will reference my departure with a code name remembering my birth city, Geelong on Wadawurrung Country.  Upon my passing I request that any notices announcing this event begin with this memorable line: “Barwon Bridge is Down”

Having exhausted my allocated “three score and ten” biblical life span I am now living out those bonus years, However I am also aware that I have a responsibility to leave as little mess as possible for those who pick up the pieces when I have departed.

My Rite of Burial

My mortal remains will be privately cremated  at Holy Cross Funerals and then  returned to be interred in my parents grave plot a the Geelong  Western Cemetary. 

Rites of Grieving

My wish when I have departed is that family and friends may choose to remember me in rituals that have been significant across my life. Slideshows and eulogies are not encouraged.

1. Tree planting: From my 70th birthday I have been inviting those who wish to celebrate to plant a tree. We cannot have too many trees on this earth, our fragile common home. You might like to plant a “Tony Tree” that you can nurture or watch as it grows to maturity. May it become a place of peace and reflection for you.
2. Candle lighting. From my Catholic tradition I have always loved the lighting of candles as a moment of peace, calming and meditiaton. This ritual is also common across many other religious traditions and so I invite you to light a candle in your Home, Church, Temple or any space that speaks of the sacred.
3. Family and friends may wish to gather and have a concert of the music and texts which I hope will be a legacy of my dreams and vision for the world beyond my experience. This collection gives voice to the values and inspiration that have been foundational in my life.

Tony’s Requiem  

This Welcome to Country from the late Aunty Ruby Hunter holds a special place in my musical library. I met and photographed Ruby and Archie Roach in Brisbane a few months before she returned to the Dreaming.

The Kyrie from Missa Luba has inspired my acknowledgement of my own fraility and need for the mercy I have received from so many. It also acknowledges the links to African peoples from who I have learnt much.

Psalm 139

A wonderful text by John Henry Newman set to music with graphics that speak to my life in suburbia.

I have sung this anthem of justice over many years having first heard it from Hollie Near

The Beatitudes

‘Be Thou My Vision’ is based on a 6th-century poem by Irish poet Dallán Forgaill, ‘Rop tum o Baile’. It pays honour to my Celtic origins.

Peter Paul and Mary‘s music fired my imagination from first hearing them in the 1960s. The lyrics, the harmony and the passioin for justice have been a lifetime inspiration.

I first heard this as a 17 year old. It has been a life time anthem of a world view and commitment that I have tried to live.

My favourite piece of Australian writing. The boook has travelled with me in recent years. The video of images is equally powerful.

My Celtic origins and love of the bagpipes are honoured in this final farewell.

The Stuff I Leave Behind

I really don’t expect to have much left in the account when I start climbing that Stairway to Heaven and my will I suspect will primarily contain details of my Requiem desires and enough for a decent wake.

I am happy to send out final shout outs in the document so let me know if you would like to be included in the life credits roll call.

A few years agoI had a chat with the State Library Foundation staff  for an assessment of my personal memorabilia as a possible donation in lieu of a bonfire or extra trip to Vinnies. Part of pre death planning is to archive what is fast becoming a major collection of digital images.

Not sure if I want to continue having an online presence post ashing although I suspect I will continue to get into a google search for birthdays I can’t attend. Open to volunteer social media geeks who want to keep me posting into eternity.

It’s really challenging when you don’t have heirs as such for whom you are responsible or who can lay claim to your physical heritage. Add to that the tyranny of distance which probably inhibits extended family members travelling interstate to lay claim to the microwave or fridge. I am “downsizing” as much as possible to limit the trips to Vinnies for the poor Executor.