Coming up in June: an open and honest conversation about the different eco friendly options for end of life farewells. Join Rosalie on Saturday June 13, 10am-12pm at QT Neighbourhood Node (67 Spring St, Queenstown).
Other Dying to Know Meet Ups for 2026 are:
August 8: Dying to Know Day
October 10: Swedish Death Cleaning
December 12: How to choose an Executor
The Dying to Know project has well and truly kicked off again for 2026. The first session in February was an open forum where people could ask questions and discuss any thoughts and concerns. Future topics for the now bi-monthly meet-ups were also discussed, which are currently being turned into a calendar for 2026.
A new project idea has sprung from Dying to Know, which we will be exploring in a Spark Session on March 5th: Community Compassionate Care. In the lead up to Dying to Know Day (August 8th), we want to explore what it could look like to have a network of kind, caring, compassionate people who can support community members in their most vulnerable and painful times. Wouldn't it be great if we could hold space for difficult feelings, support the carers in our midst, and feel confident connecting families navigating serious illness, end-of-life care, or death to supports and resources out there.
Come along and share your ideas about what this could be!
Community Compassionate Care: Spark Session
March 5th
6.30pm
QT Neighbourhood Node, 67 Spring St, Queenstown
Thank you to everyone who joined us on Saturday 4 October for our Mini Masterclass with Danielle Phillips from Sage Executor Solutions. Danielle guided us through what happens after a loved one dies and the many administrative tasks that follow.
The session highlighted how valuable it is to choose an executor thoughtfully, and how important it is to keep our plans up to date as life changes. Many people found it helpful to see a checklist of what needs to be in place, and to know that support is available when navigating this process.
Danielle has sent a follow-up to attendees with an overview of the key information covered.
We also recently gathered on Friday 1 November for the last session of the year, with a Death Consultant and Doula from From Ashes We Rise, who shared thoughtful insights into end-of-life care and support. It was a warm and reflective session that continued the sense of connection and curiosity within the group.
Dying to Know 2026
In 2026, we will be moving to bi-monthly Dying to Know meet-ups, to give ourselves enough time to promote the sessions, and to find suitable speakers and topics. We will also be exploring other ways we can build community capacity and resilience around death and dying, and specifically how we can create community support for those experiencing challenging times of end-of-life and serious illness.
We welcome anyone interested in these topics to join our project team, and to help shape what Dying to Know can bring our community in the future. Contribution to the project team is wholly dependent on your capacity at any given time, and comes without expectations or obligations to commit permanently. Come once, come when you can! Please reach out to rosalie@wholisticservicesadelaide.com if you are keen.
The Dying to Know project has successfully launched with its first monthly meet-up on September 6th following the initial Dying to Know Day event on August 8th. The project aims to bring death and dying conversations back into the community, creating a space for people to share experiences, ask questions, and access resources. The meet-ups will continue on the first Saturday of each month from 11am-1pm.
First Monthly Meet-up Wrap-up
Our most recent Dying to Know gathering was intended to focus on how the funeral industry is changing, but as often happens in these conversations, it naturally grew into something bigger. People shared stories of grief and caring for loved ones at home, asked thoughtful questions, and listened deeply to one another.
The room included a rich mix of voices, from those who came simply to listen to others who felt ready to share their own experiences of loss, alongside professionals with backgrounds in palliative care, nursing, and social work. The atmosphere was both tender and engaging, with moments of emotion as well as moments of learning.
What stood out most was the openness: the way participants responded to each other, followed up on comments, and created a true sense of collaboration.
Many people left expressing gratitude for the space, a place where stories, questions, and ideas about death and dying can be shared without fear or judgement. These conversations remind us that we don’t have to journey alone, and that community can offer both compassion and practical support.
Future Plans for Dying to Know
The project will continue to develop with:
- Monthly sessions with part dedicated to a specific topic and part as open forum
- Next session focusing on "care for the carers" supporting dying or very ill people
- Plans to develop resources for people with financial constraints
- A visit from the Threshold choir at one of the monthly sessions
- Potential for organic growth into a broader community support network
- Possible funding in the future to expand reach
How to Get Involved
Anyone is welcome to contribute, participate or simply come and listen at any moment in the Dying to Know project. If you have ideas for how the project can evolve, want to share something specific at a Monthly Meet-up, or simply want to come along to a conversation: we'd love to see you!
The next Monthly Meet-up is on Saturday October 4th, 11am - 1pm at QT.
If you would like to help organise the next meeting, or have ideas/skills/expertise to share - get in touch with Rosalie at rosalie@wholisticservicesadelaide.com
In August, a group of locals gathered for “Dying to Know Day”, an honest and surprisingly uplifting conversation about something we all share: death. What began as a discussion turned into an inspiring morning about life, choice, and community.
Together, we asked big questions: Why do we fear death so much? Why aren’t we taught about it? People shared personal reflections, the hope for a peaceful passing surrounded by care, and even the practical side of things like funeral costs, eco-friendly options, and advance directives.
Some of the most powerful moments came when participants spoke about love and culture, how grief is expressed differently in families, and how death can reconnect us as we face loss. We also discovered heart-warming initiatives like the Threshold Choir, where volunteers sing gentle songs at a person’s bedside, and heard from Rosalie about the growing movement of death doulas, who support families through the journey of dying at home with dignity.
Our next gathering is this Saturday, September 6th, 11am–1pm at QT (67 Spring St, Queenstown).
Enjoy complimentary cake, tea, and coffee while we chat.
This time, we’ll explore:
“How times are changing regarding end-of-life care at home and in hospice or hospital.”
It’s a chance to ask the questions you’ve always wanted to know, and to listen, share, and learn together in a warm, informal space. You’re welcome to stay for the whole conversation or drop in as long as family life allows.
This group is for everyone — from younger people caring for friends or family, to those reflecting on their own journeys. “Dying to Know” encompasses it all: care and compassion, legal and practical matters, paperwork, and the deeply human side of facing death together.
Let’s keep our community growing as we explore what’s possible when crisis times arise. We don’t have to journey alone.
The first Dying to Know conversation for DTK Day on August 8th was a huge success! People shared their various experiences and thoughts in a warm, kind and open environment created by Eimear and Rosalie. The appetite for regular Dying to Know meetings was great!
If you missed out on the first catch-up, come along to the first Monthly Meet Up at QT on Saturday September 6th.
If you want to be involved in organising future Dying to Know project activities, get in touch with Rosalie at rosalie@wholisticservicesadelaide.com. Anyone is welcome to join the project team and shape this great project moving forward!
The first two Dying to Know dates have been set. Have a look below to find out more about the first upcoming Dying to Know activities.
Today we got together and planned a coffee & conversation session for Dying to Know Day on August 8th, the first objective of the Dying to Know project. We decided on what the session should look like, identified the tasks needed to make it happen, divided them based on what people were most excited about, and created a planning 'gameboard' that helped us work out our timeline for doing our tasks!
On Friday July 25th, the promotion sub-team will be working on creating a poster and hand-out materials. If you are interested in helping out or learning about using Canva to create promotional materials, you are very welcome to come along! We will be meeting at 9.30am at QT (67 Spring St, Queenstown).
The first planning meeting on July 11, 2025 for Dying to Know was taken up by some deep thinking about the objectives and goals for the project. It is always tricky to try and capture the many (possible) facets of a project in a one sentence goal that is inclusive, concise, inspirational and memorable all in one - but we got there!
The ultimate goal of Dying to Know is:
To strengthen our community through honest conversations, shared learning and practical action, so death is met with care, conversation and collective strength.
The Dying to Know objectives are:
- To organise an event/conversation for Dying to Know Day (August 8th)
- To organise monthly conversations that alternate between loose/organic conversation and more structured information sessions or topic discussion
- To be able to resource people to do something practical and meaningful when there is a death in the community
- To organise one-off workshops or conversations in response to community need around end-of-life.
This project is really about creating opportunities for raising awareness, changing perceptions and normalising death as part of life.
To kick start the planning of the first Dying to Know conversation, the project team will be meeting at The Pear on Friday July 11th, at 10am.
Anyone is welcome to join!
