Grief Australia

This Harmony Week, we’re reflecting on the message: Everyone Belongs 🧡

At Grief Australia, we know that grief touches every culture and every community, but no two experiences are the same.

Different traditions. Different beliefs. Different ways of understanding loss and healing.

We believe our world is richer because of these differences, and that everyone deserves to feel seen, respected and supported in their grief.

🧡

Today is International Women’s Day.

At Grief Australia we are reminded every day of the many ways women support others through grief and loss. As mothers, partners, daughters, friends, colleagues and clinicians, women often hold space for others during some of life’s most difficult moments.

This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is Give to Gain. In grief support we see this deeply. When compassion, understanding and presence are offered to someone who is grieving, it creates connection and strengthens community.

Today we acknowledge the women who are part of the Grief Australia team, the women who seek support through our services, and the women whose lives are remembered with love by those who grieve them.

Their influence continues through the care, wisdom and strength they have shared with others.

We are delighted to announce that Heather Watson has been appointed as the new Chair of the Board of Directors at Grief Australia.

Heather brings significant leadership and governance experience, together with a deep commitment to strengthening grief-informed support across Australia. Her thoughtful leadership and dedication to community wellbeing will be invaluable in this role.

Join us in warmly welcoming Heather to her new role.

Read the full announcement here 👉 https://at.grief.org.au/NewChair

Today is the National Day of Mourning for the Bondi attack victims, observed under the theme “Light Will Win – A Gathering of Unity and Remembrance.”

Grief Australia honours the lives lost and acknowledges the deep grief experienced by families, friends and communities. We recognise that grief may be felt in many ways and we hold space for all who are mourning today.

This day invites us to come together in remembrance, reflection and compassion.

👉 Information about the day and ways to honour it can be found here: https://at.grief.org.au/dayofmourning

Wishing you a safe holiday season 💚

The holiday period can be a time of connection, and for many, a time of grief. We want to wish our community a safe and gentle holiday season.

Please note that Grief Australia will be closed from 5:00pm Tuesday 23 December 2025 and will reopen at 9:00am Friday 2 January 2026.

If you or someone you care about needs support during this time, help is still available through national helplines.

👉 Support is available here: https://at.grief.org.au/nationalhelplines

You’re in our thoughts this season.

A week on from the Bondi Beach Attacks...

In the aftermath of such a devastating and senseless act of violence, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed. Grief can be deeply personal and unpredictable. Here are 5 gentle ways to care for yourself as you navigate this difficult time.

Understanding Collective Grief

You don’t need to know the victims personally to be impacted by tragedy. When violence strikes close to home, or targets communities we belong to or care about, grief can feel deeply personal.

This is called collective grief. It is real, valid, and worthy of care.

If you are feeling numb, overwhelmed, sad, angry or anxious after the Bondi Beach attack, please know you are not alone. Reach out. Speak. Breathe. Connect.

Support is here when you need it:

Grief Australia: 1800 642 066
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636

Further information can be found here: https://at.grief.org.au/BondiBeach

Grief Australia Mourns with the Nation

On the first night of Hanukkah, 16 lives were taken in a deliberate, antisemitic act of violence at Bondi Beach. Among the victims was a child.

This tragedy, Australia’s worst mass shooting in nearly 30 years, has caused deep pain, fear and sorrow across the nation. For many in the Jewish community, this grief is compounded by historical trauma and vulnerability.

Grief is personal, but in moments like this, it becomes collective.

We stand in solidarity with the bereaved, the traumatised, and all those affected.

If you or someone you know is struggling, support is available:

Grief Australia: 1800 642 066
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
Su***de Call Back Service: 1300 659 467

You are not alone.

Further information can be found here: https://bit.ly/48TjUoS

Anticipatory grief. What is it?

Grief Australia CEO, Chris Hall AM, is featured in a Palliative Care Australia article, following his session about it at the Oceanic Palliative Care Conference.

Chris explores anticipatory grief, the grief we can feel before someone dies, and how it can affect families, carers and individuals long before a loss is realised. He highlights how common distress is at the beginning of palliative care, and why compassionate, informed support matters from the very start.

Chris is a respected national leader in grief and bereavement counselling, known for bringing both deep clinical expertise and clear, practical guidance to some of life’s hardest moments.

You can read the full story here: https://palliativecare.org.au/story/understanding-anticipatory-grief/

Understanding anticipatory grief - Palliative Care Australia Promoting quality palliative care since 1991

Remembrance Ceremony 2025: A Legacy of Countless Experiences.
Celebrating the connections that remain, even after loss.

To everyone who came along to the Remembrance Ceremony with Grief Australia and Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust, thank you. On Friday 21 November, we gathered to honour the people we carry in our hearts, and your presence made the day feel warm, respectful and full of care.

The Remembrance Tree was a beautiful centrepiece of the morning. Watching people write messages on paper butterflies and hang them on the branches was quietly powerful. Each butterfly held a memory, a name, a moment, a love. Together, they created a shared tribute to lives lived and connections that continue.

We are grateful to have shared this space with you. May the legacy of your loved ones keep bringing comfort, strength and gentle reminders of what still remains.

If you need support, Grief Australia is here for you. You are not alone.

✨ FREE Webinar: The Longest Night, The Brightest Light, Comfort at Christmas

You don’t need to go through the holiday season alone.

Our free webinar offers guidance and compassion to help you through the emotional challenges of Christmas when grieving.

We’ll discuss:
- Understanding and managing challenging emotions
- Ideas for remembrance and ritual
- Creating space for rest and gentleness
- Staying connected in ways that feel safe and supportive

✨ The Longest Night, the Brightest Light: Comfort at Christmas
📅 Wednesday 3 December
⏰10:00am-11:30am AEDT
💻 Free online event
👉 Register here: https://www.grief.org.au/ga/Detail/EventDetails.aspx?EventKey=WB031225&WebsiteKey=9af4e8a8-8d75-4439-b2f8-b00b7b41ff21