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Care, connection and understanding

Support for life with loss

You do not have to find your way through grief alone. There is no right pace. Start with a conversation, a few pages, or one small thing that helps today.

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What to do when someone dies in Australia

A place to begin

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Australia · Resources: 18

People and communities

Free access Australia

Griefline, now part of SANE

SANE Australia

Find grief information, peer community and guidance on available support. Since August 2026, calls to the Griefline number connect to SANE’s Service Enquiries team.

  • The early days
  • Death of a partner
  • Family, friends and siblings
  • Anniversaries and ongoing grief

Free support resources. Enquiries Monday–Friday, 10am–8pm AEST/AEDT. This is not a crisis line.

Check costs and access Australia; funding differs by location

Grief Australia counselling

Grief Australia

Specialist bereavement counselling and support, including telephone and telehealth options. Ask about the right service for your location and circumstances.

  • The early days
  • Death of a partner
  • Family, friends and siblings
  • Pregnancy, baby or child loss
  • Anniversaries and ongoing grief

Victorian funding and interstate fees differ. Check current eligibility and fees before booking.

Check costs and access Australia

Red Nose Grief and Loss

Red Nose Australia

Specialist support after the death of a baby or child, with a round-the-clock support line, information and ways to connect with others.

  • Pregnancy, baby or child loss
  • Family, friends and siblings
  • Supporting someone else

24/7 support line. Check the provider for counselling and group arrangements.

Free access Australia; ages 5–25

Kids Helpline

Kids Helpline

Phone and online counselling for young people aged 5–25 living in Australia. You can talk about grief, worries at home or anything else that feels difficult.

  • Children and young people
  • Supporting someone else

Free, 24/7 phone counselling and online options.

Check costs and access Online resources; counselling in Victoria

Support After Suicide

Jesuit Social Services

Grief and suicide bereavement resources, including a national online LGBTQIA+ community. Individual counselling is offered to people bereaved by suicide in Victoria.

  • Sudden death or suicide loss
  • Family, friends and siblings
  • Death of a partner
  • Pregnancy, baby or child loss

Free online resources. Ask about counselling eligibility and current service arrangements.

Check costs and access International group network

GriefShare: Christian grief support groups

GriefShare

A faith-based option for people who would welcome a Christian approach. Find locally hosted or online groups and ask the host about the format before joining.

  • The early days
  • Death of a partner
  • Family, friends and siblings
  • Pregnancy, baby or child loss
  • Anniversaries and ongoing grief

Fees, workbooks and schedules vary by group. English and Spanish programmes; local availability varies.

Content note: Christian teaching is part of the programme.

Books by local voices

Memoirs, practical guides and books to read together. Choose what feels right, and put a book down whenever you need to. Libraries may offer print, digital or audio editions.

Borrow or buy Australian author

Any Ordinary Day

Leigh Sales

Journalism and lived experience

An Australian journalist explores the lives of people facing sudden, life-changing events. Interviews and research sit together in an account of loss, uncertainty and what comes afterwards.

  • Sudden death or suicide loss
  • The early days
  • Supporting someone else

Paid book; ask a library about borrowing or accessible editions.

Content note: Violence, disasters and traumatic deaths.

Why this book is here

Winner of the 2019 Walkley Book Award, as recorded by the publisher.

Sources checked 2026-10-05

Borrow or buy Australian author

The Space Between the Stars

Indira Naidoo

Memoir

The Australian broadcaster writes about her younger sister’s death and the role of the natural world in her own life afterwards. A personal account for readers drawn to reflection and connection with nature.

  • Family, friends and siblings
  • Sudden death or suicide loss
  • Anniversaries and ongoing grief

Paid book; ask a library about borrowing or accessible editions.

Content note: Sibling death and suicide bereavement.

Why this book is here

Chosen as an Australian account of sibling loss. The publisher describes the book and its focus on nature.

Borrow or buy Australian creators

Beginnings and Endings with Lifetimes in Between

Bryan Mellonie; illustrated by Robert Ingpen

Children’s picture book

An Australian picture book that explains living and dying through people, animals and plants. Read together with a child, allowing them to ask questions in their own time.

  • Children and young people
  • Supporting someone else
  • Loss of a pet

Paid book; ask a library about borrowing or accessible editions.

Why this book is here

A longstanding title in Penguin Australia’s catalogue, written for adults and children talking about death.

Things to read and try

Free access UK information, readable anywhere

There is no timetable for grief

Cruse Bereavement Support

An introduction to how grief can change over time, including why anniversaries and unexpected reminders can bring strong feelings back. There is no set sequence you have to complete.

  • The early days
  • Anniversaries and ongoing grief
  • Death of a partner
  • Family, friends and siblings
  • Pregnancy, baby or child loss

Free online information.

Free access UK information, readable anywhere

Looking after yourself while grieving

Marie Curie

Small, practical ideas for rest, daily life and asking for help. Choose something that feels possible today; you do not need to do everything at once.

  • The early days
  • Anniversaries and ongoing grief
  • Death of a partner
  • Family, friends and siblings
  • Pregnancy, baby or child loss

Free online information.

Free access UK information, readable anywhere

Grief before someone dies

Marie Curie

Explains anticipatory grief and some feelings that can come with caring for someone who has a terminal illness. Includes a short video and suggestions for finding support.

  • Grief before a death
  • Supporting someone else

Free online information.

Free access US information, readable anywhere

Resources for children, teens and young adults

Dougy Center

Age-specific activities, information and support for families before and after a death. Includes material for parents and caregivers, and a Spanish-language resource collection.

  • Children and young people
  • Supporting someone else
  • Family, friends and siblings
  • Sudden death or suicide loss
  • Grief before a death

Free resources; use the age and audience sections to find a starting point.

Free access UK information, readable anywhere

When someone has just died: how to help

Cruse Bereavement Support

Ideas for listening, offering practical help and sharing memories without trying to fix another person’s grief. For friends, family and colleagues who want to be there.

  • Supporting someone else
  • The early days

Free online information.

Free access UK information, readable anywhere

Being there on anniversaries and later on

Cruse Bereavement Support

Ways to keep supporting someone after the first weeks, remember important dates and continue making room for the person who died in conversation.

  • Anniversaries and ongoing grief
  • Supporting someone else

Free online information.

Free access UK information, readable anywhere

When grief and family conflict overlap

Cruse Bereavement Support

Explores why people in the same family can grieve differently and why tensions may grow after a death. A starting point for understanding difficult feelings and seeking support.

  • Family, friends and siblings
  • Supporting someone else

Free online information.

Free access UK information, readable anywhere

Coping with the loss of a pet

Blue Cross

Information for people grieving a pet or assistance animal, including grief before a death. The UK charity also describes its pet-loss support options; check access from your location.

  • Loss of a pet
  • Grief before a death
  • Supporting someone else

Free online information.

Something to listen to

Free access US podcast, available online

Grief Out Loud

Dougy Center; hosted by Jana DeCristofaro

Conversations about the many ways people experience grief. Browse episode descriptions and choose a topic that feels right; listening can be an alternative when reading feels hard.

  • The early days
  • Children and young people
  • Family, friends and siblings
  • Death of a partner
  • Pregnancy, baby or child loss
  • Sudden death or suicide loss
  • Grief before a death
  • Anniversaries and ongoing grief
  • Supporting someone else

Free podcast. Episodes vary in length and subject.

Content note: Some episodes discuss suicide, violence or the death of a child. Check the episode description.

When you are ready for the practical things

Paperwork and arrangements can feel like a lot. Our separate loss guides help you keep track of practical tasks, one step at a time.

Sign in to keep a practical checklist

Support that fits you

Your relationship, culture, faith and language matter. You can ask a provider about these, accessibility and costs before you begin. If distress is making everyday life difficult, a doctor or qualified counsellor can help you find further support.

How we choose and care for this library

We include local authors, established bereavement organisations and clearly attributed lived experience. Book notes explain the selection: a publisher description is different from a professional recommendation. Links are not affiliate links.

These are starting points, not treatment or a guarantee of fit. Sources and contacts were checked on the dates shown; availability and fees can change. We aim to review entries every three months. Service providers set their own privacy terms.

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