Driving the nails into his own coffin

Mr Russell Game, 79, posing on Tuesday in his self-made coffin at the Community Coffin Club in Ulverstone, northern Tasmania. His wife is making the lining for the coffin, which is still to be finished. The coastal town of about 7,000 inhabitants boa
PHOTO: EPA-EFE

Mr Russell Game, 79, posing on Tuesday in his self-made coffin at the Community Coffin Club in Ulverstone, northern Tasmania. His wife is making the lining for the coffin, which is still to be finished. The coastal town of about 7,000 inhabitants boasts Australia's first Community Coffin Club, an initiative by community organisation Care Beyond Cure. The process of making the coffins is aimed at demystifying death and removing the fear and rejection of the subject as a conversation. Mr Game, a retired carpenter, is among the volunteer mentors who help people, often joined by family members, use their own hands to build their own coffin for under A$200 (S$213) compared with commercial ones that can run into thousands of dollars. The club has been running for one year and has so far made eight coffins.

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 19, 2017, with the headline Driving the nails into his own coffin. Subscribe