J.A. Dunn celebrates 140 years with re-brand to Simplicity Funerals

After 140 years in the industry, J.A. Dunn Funeral Directors are celebrating close to a century and a half in operation by rebranding as Launceston Simplicity Funerals.

The company - which has provided funeral services to locals for over a century - are changing name, look, and expanding their offering to "move into the modern funeral world" after making a deal with national operator Simplicity Funerals.

"It has been a long time coming," location manager Simon Rice, who has been with the business five years, said.

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"We're excited to unite our historical roots with a fresh new service for Tasmanian families."

With the change in name comes additional services, but Mr Rice said that in terms of ownership nothing has really changed with only superficial updates to the businesses Brisbane Street site.

The team of funeral directors from J.A. Dunn - of Mr Rice and Simon and Oscar Phillips, who have a combined 50 plus years' experience - are now the team from Simplicity Funerals Launceston and previous funerals locked in with J.A. Dunn will be honoured.

"We're not changing our standards," Mr Rice said.

"We just wanted to give people more options and a newer approach with affordable options for people.

"There will be greater resources for us, more options digitally with some of the new technology becoming ubiquitous in funeral services and other advantages."

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While it's a big change for the business, it isn't as large as the industry has seen since J.A. Dunn began operations 140 years ago, originally as a masonry, with the last Dunn in charge of the business selling in 2022.

In the "old days", Dunn's funerals began with a horse and cart before being replaced by motor car hearses and headstones displayed outside on Brisbane Street have been succeeded by the modern day popularity of a plaque.

Mr Rice said Launceston's first crematorium was installed in the early 20th century, and prior to that, traditional casket funerals were more common.

"There has been enormous change in the funeral industry over the past 140 years," he said.

"In Launceston, there were trams that went from the city to Carr Villa Memorial Park Cemetery Gates, too."

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In recent years, the leaps in technology have provided the biggest updates: live streaming has become common fare - being necessitated by the COVID pandemic and gaining popularity since - and photographic slide shows and tributes have replaced the old-fashioned portrait aisle.

These days, funeral service options are almost endless, according to Mr Rice, who said funerals in churches and chapels have slowly given way to services and memorials in people's backyards, football grounds and even cycling arenas.

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What hasn't changed though is the funeral director's approach to grief.

"I think we have a representation of being down in the dumps in our profession, but that's not the case," Mr Rice said.

"We're supportive and friendly, we're there for people in their time of need and we're consoling and kind.

"I think we make a difference."

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