As local end-of-life doula Karen Hamilton often says, the one thing we can be sure of in this life is that one day we are all going to die. Most of us will never know when that might be, thankfully.

“The End” is something many people aren’t ready to accept, let alone talk about, but this might change following the first Dying To Know Day (DTKD) event to be held in Dubbo next week, and the recent launch of a local “death cafe”.

Part of a national campaign by Proveda to encourage people to “think about the inevitable without fear”, the Dubbo Dying To Know Day event will draw together a number of public and private organisations at Club Dubbo on Wednesday, March 11, from 10am – 2.30pm.

Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Local Health District, the National Association for Loss and Grief (NSW) Inc (NALAG), Carer Gateway, Connecting Community Services, and Preparing the Way are just some of those participating in the inaugural DTKD Dubbo event.

Attendees will learn about grief support (NALAG), the work of end-of-life doulas, what’s available through Carer Gateway, palliative care, voluntary assisted dying, advance care planning, medications and legal information, and mindfulness and respite options.

As well as presentations, there will be information stalls on a range of subject matters and a light lunch will be provided. If you wish to attend the free event, you will need to RSVP by contacting NALAG on 02 6882 9222.

NALAG media and publicity officer Paula Hanson spoke with Dubbo Photo News recently about the importance of this event.

“We're aiming to get people talking about death, dying and grief in everyday life,” Paula said.

“We readily talk about mental health nowadays, but we don't talk about death as much. This is going to be a real [end-of-life] literacy conversation,” she added.

“A solicitor is going to talk about enduring power of attorney. A funeral parlour is going to talk about creative ways to host funerals. And so much more.

“It's extremely difficult when someone dies, and you don't know what they wanted and didn't talk to them. What were their wishes?”

This exact question – knowing what a loved one’s wishes were – is at the heart of the 2025 theme for the Australian Dying To Know Day movement.

​”’Nobody Knows’ is a cheeky, irreverent campaign designed to expose the absurdity of keeping your end-of-life wishes a secret,” Proveda explains on its website.

“[This is] because not telling anyone your final wishes is chaotic, confusing, and worst of all creates guesswork and potential family division. ​

“​At its core, Nobody Knows ‘The Secret I’m Glad I Shared’ is a call-out, because if Nobody Knows your final wishes, they never will. Share them now,” Proveda concluded.

Conversations about death, dying and everything in between have recently started in Dubbo, with a local branch of the Dead End Coffee Club (DECC) launching during last week’s Orana Every Woman Festival.

Formed in Narromine in 2024 by Karen Hamilton and Sharon Bonthuys, it is a local form of the international concept of the “death cafe” where people gather to enjoy a hot drink and discuss end-of-life issues in a safe, supportive space.

DECC's first meeting post-festival will be held at Poppyseed Cafe at a date to be announced, and you can follow the club on social media.