I was born in Arncliffe, Sydney, and lived my early days in Sutherland and Seaforth. I came to Wollongong when I was about 17. I have two brothers - older brother John and younger brother Peter. My dad, Jack Hansen, was involved in the formation of Lakeside Memorial Park, Kanahooka, in 1963. Lawn cemeteries were pretty new in those days. It was the first lawn cemetery in Wollongong. I joined Lakeside in 1967 at the age of 18 or 19. I lived in Dapto when I first came to Wollongong. My role then was like a jack of all trades - administration work, record keeping, talking to families about plaques, plot pre-purchase, mowing, even grave digging. We built Wollongong's second crematorium at Lakeside in 1980. We sold Lakeside in 1993. I've stayed on as a regional manager for Hansen and Cole Wollongong and Tobin Brothers Funerals in Canberra. Dad died about 28 years ago.
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I was interested in the funeral business. When people talk about death and dying and funerals, there's always that mystique and that had me a little bit intrigued. In 1973, Dad and I bought the funeral business of Arthur Cole in Wollongong. I'd never physically seen a deceased person when I bought the funeral business. For the cemetery, we'd receive a coffin and we'd bury the coffin. It took a bit of time to adjust, but the thing I've found is that people come to you with their most valued possession. That's a big responsibility, they're placing their family member or friend in your care. You must be a people person and you also have to have a respect for all faiths and cultures. You've got to be a good communicator and a good listener. I've always tried to ensure we look after the family the best way we can. You've got to let people know about options. Funerals are not a one-size fits all. They are as individual as we are.
I remember directing my first funeral in 1973 - a Mrs Wilson at Wollongong Crematorium. Her husband was nervy and I was trying to keep him as calm as I could and relaxed, so when we sat him down we could start the service straight away. If you take families in too early, they are looking at the coffin and a million things are going through their head. The family were very pleased. I became more determined. I did a lot of industry courses with the AFDA. I was involved in Toastmasters. I became very active in Dapto Rotary and I'm still a member. I support Legacy. I'm an affiliate member of Dapto RSL and Wollongong Lions and honorary member of Illawarra Vietnam Veterans Association. I enjoy being involved in community things. My favourite project has been the Korean War veterans memorial plaques, we started with the first one at the Wollongong Cenotaph. I have the utmost respect for people who have served our country. I received the OAM in January 2013. It was a huge honour.
I've represented the AFDA on government liaison committees. I've had dealings with former fair trading minister Anthony Roberts on a number of issues and I believe we've made the industry a better industry. To this day, it's very unfortunate there's no licensing of funeral directors. The government says they receive very few complaints about funerals. There is very heavy licensing of pre-paid funerals. I've always tried to improve the industry. Twenty of us started the Australasian Cemeteries and Crematoria Association in 1986. It provides a good crossflow of information and raises the standards. There has been a major move away from traditional funerals - a service at the church with a minister. Funerals are more life-centred, people want special music, DVDs or PowerPoint presentations. I welcome the changes. Fifty per cent of all funerals are carried out by celebrants. There's a number of deaths here in Wollongong, where the body is donated to science. There's also more people saying "we don't want anything. Just take mum to the crematorium and we'll just have a gathering at the club or at home".
I enjoy working on funerals because my experience and my knowledge of many people here in Wollongong helps in the way that we conduct our funerals. I can be a hard taskmaster for my staff but we only get one chance to get it right. It can be darned tough dealing with the death of young people. I have six grandchildren and I've got a different perspective on things now. Family plays a major role in my life.
