24/07/2026
News
CASTLEMAINE MAIL
Dying to Know Day gathering
The Good Grief Lounge will once again be hosting its annual Dying to Know Day event at the Northern Arts Hotel on Saturday August 8 and invites community members to come along and be part of the discussion.
Special guests will include Death Doula Jenny Blake, lawyer Sarah Byrne - who will speak on how to make a will and appoint an Enduring Power of Attorney, and ceramicist Lisa McPherson who will lead participants in making a healing vessel out of clay.
Lawyer Sarah Byrne said her brother died suddenly without a will, although separated from his wife, he was not divorced, this meant his entire estate went to a person to whom he did not want to benefit, and not to the people he wanted to receive his estate.
"On the back of that lesson, I decided to study law and made a promise to myself to assist as many people as possible with their es- tate planning to ensure their hard-earned assets go to the people of their choice and not the ones appointed by governments," she said.
"I was admitted to legal practice in February 2003, after a successful career in media and journalism. Law both inspired and challenged me, and taught me that I could always do better, it was humbling in many ways," Byrne said.
"My practice includes probate, estate planning and farm law which incorporates working with clients to establish the right estate documents for them, or guiding them through the probate process after the death of a loved one. We are all unique so there is no 'one fit for all'.
"I found the best approach was to create a legal model that of- fered clients the opportunity to meet in their homes or farms rather than a high-end law office. Most people feel so much better chat- ting about their estate planning in the comfort of their own home, over a cup of coffee or tea," she said.
The event will run from 11am-2pm. All welcome.
Entry: $10 Register: https://events.humanitix.com/gg-lounge26 Northern Arts Hotel is located at 359 Barker Street, Castlemaine. For more information contact Jill 0418 389 189 or email