Telstra international roaming and being on a cruise

If you’re an Australian with Telstra and are contemplating a cruise, be aware that Telstra’s daily international roaming/day pass fee (e.g. $5/day for NZ, $10/day for US) DOES NOT cover any time your phone might say ‘Cellular at Sea’ or similar and you will be charged for EVERY SMS and email received, even though you have no internet connection for other data. (Fortunately, there’s no internet connection otherwise the data charges would be astronomical!).

How did I find this out? Because Telstra sent me a message when I had exceeded $100 and then $200 in charges (I was expecting $35 for 7 days around NZ), and when I was back in Australia and queried it, they said international roaming doesn’t cover you once the ship leaves port, even if you appear to have connection to local towers near the coast or ‘Cellular at Sea’ (as I saw on the ship I was on).

And guess what? I could find NOTHING about this at all on their website. There’s just NO information about cruising and the charges you will incur: https://www.telstra.com.au/international-roaming

That said, the charges I incurred were far less than I would’ve paid on the ship for patchy internet connection, but at least I would have had some data connection for that money instead of the second by second charges Telstra charged me for receiving (not sending!) an SMS or email.

Being an Executor in Western Australia

My Dad passed away in May 2023. He was 92, and as far as deaths go, his was perfect—no mess, no fuss, no pain, quick and clean. He was ready to go, and we all knew it and treated every day with him as precious. My sister and I were named as Executors in his Will, but she was happy to let me take on that job on as she lives some 3 hours from where Mum lives, while I’m only an hour away. According to the lawyer, there may be times when we BOTH needed to be present to deal with finalising Dad’s affairs, so it made sense for just one of us to take on this task. I’d never had to do this before, so I did what I knew how to do—I created a big checklist (table) of the things I thought needed to be done. And as I found out information I made notes of phone calls made, emails sent, answers received, links to websites, next steps etc. in that table. That multi page checklist has been invaluable in dealing with the tasks an Executor in Western Australia has to do.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• This post only applies to Western Australian and Australian government departments and companies as at 2023. If you live elsewhere, use this as a starting point, but note that all requirements etc. (and terminology) may vary depending on your location and jurisdiction.
• Everyone’s circumstances will be different, so use this as general guidance only. I’ve written about MY experience; yours WILL be different.
• I am NOT a lawyer, so do not take any advice written here as being true and correct for YOUR situation.
• You can’t avoid lawyers, funeral directors, accountants, and government agencies, much as you might want to!

The table below summarises most of my checklist—the tasks I had to do and the things I encountered and learned. Along the way, and at the end of the post, are some ‘lessons learned’ and general advice about setting up your own affairs in preparation for someone having to do this for you, as well as a list of resources (general and those specifically for Western Australians).

Some abbreviations:

• ATO: Australian Tax Office
• AusPost: Australia Post
• EPoA: Enduring Power of Attorney
• ID: Identity/identification
• RACWA: Royal Automobile Club (WA)
• RAD: Refundable Accommodation Deposit
• WA: Western Australia

 

Action / Documents required	Notes
Accountant Death Certificate Letter of probate	You must let the deceased’s accountant know of the death as it will have tax implications. Tax must be finalised with the Australian Tax Office. But the accountant likely can’t do this until they receive the letter of probate naming you as the Executor. Update (19 December 2023): I had sent the certified copies of the death certificate etc. to Dad’s accountant as I received them. He lodged Dad’s final tax return but the ATO cancelled issuance of the refund a week ago.  The accountant had never had this sort of cancellation before, and he told me the ATO told him that I had to call the ATO as the Executor and ask for the refund to be released into the estate bank account. I called the ATO (I completed 3 big crosswords and 9 Sudokus while I was on hold before I got to actually talk to a person) and found out that the accountant had been requested by the ATO to submit the proof of death documentation. The accountant had never received that request, and said he’d never been asked to provide such information before. He wondered if the ATO has recently changed the rules regarding deceased estates. He will submit the documentation to the ATO and we’ll see if they act on it and pay the refund soon. Of course, being almost Christmas we could be waiting…
Lawyer / Will Original Death Certificate Original Will Photo ID documents to prove who you are to the lawyers	Lawyers cannot release the Will from their custody until after they receive the original of the legal Death Certificate (typically 2 weeks after the funeral), and then they don’t actually ‘release’ the Will at all. Once they get the Death Certificate (which comes from the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages, who is notified by the funeral director), the lawyer will request a meeting with the named Executor(s). At the meeting with the lawyer, they will confirm that you are who you say you are, so you’ll need to bring some form of official photographic ID, such as a drivers licence or passport. You should also bring a summary list of what is owed to the deceased person (e.g. RAD if they were in aged care) and what they owe (e.g. to the Australian Tax Office, other creditors). They will then confirm that you are willing to act as Executor. If another person named in the Will as a co-Executor declines that role, an extra step must be taken by the lawyers to submit a signed affidavit to that effect to the Supreme Court of Western Australia. This can take time to draw up and get signed, especially when the lawyers and the other person named are not in the same location. Allow a couple of weeks. When you’re at the meeting with the lawyer, get them to make and notarise MULTIPLE copies (at least 5) of the original Will and Death Certificate before they send them to the Supreme Court. Many institutions, companies etc. will require a copy (physical or digital) of one or the other and/or the letter of probate (once it comes) to finalise the deceased’s estate. Scan these notarised copies and keep the paper copies safe; only supply a paper copy if a digital one is not acceptable. The other reason you need notarised copies of the Will is because the original Will is kept by the Supreme Court forever (no, I had no idea either!). The original Death Certificate is returned to the family, eventually, and typically with the letter of probate from the Supreme Court (and only after you’ve paid the lawyer’s bill). After signing some papers that you want the lawyers to act for you (they should also disclose their fees for the whole process), you wait… Submission isn’t as easy as saying ‘do it’. It can take wait several weeks for the lawyers to draw up the documents, then you’ll have to sign each page in front of a witness (only a very narrow subset of people can be witnesses to this document). This becomes a bit of an issue if you live some distance from the lawyers’ offices! Remember, they work on their time frame, not yours. The lawyers then submit these 2 original documents to the Supreme Court with the paperwork that requests that probate be granted and the information about what is owing and what is owed. Once the Supreme Court receives this documentation, it can take 2 to 3 months for them to issue the authority to be an Executor (letter of probate) for a simple estate, and potentially years for a complex one. The cost of submission through lawyers will be upwards of AU$2500 (in addition to the $375 lodgement fee to be paid to the Supreme Court). These costs can be recouped from the deceased person’s estate, as part of settling their affairs. Only once the grant of probate has been given to the Executor can that person now do many of the tasks required to finalise the deceased’s affairs. (Note: Some places don’t need this documentation, but many do, so finalise as much as you can with places that don’t require this documentation while you’re waiting for it come through. Just tackle one institution at a time otherwise it’s daunting and frustrating; learn how to put your phone on speaker and have something to do [e.g. crosswords] while you’re on hold… you will be on hold a LOT.)
Aged care residence Letter of probate	If your loved one dies in aged care, as my Dad did, then the aged care residence notifies Centrelink and MyAgedCare. This happens very quickly and the person’s record disappears from myGov / Centrelink / MyAgedCare within days. Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD): By law, the RAD is NOT released immediately on death (only on moving out), despite what you may have read. It is ONLY released once the aged care company receives a copy of the letter of probate (authority to act as Executor) from you, and then it is ONLY released to a bank account in the name of the deceased’s estate (e.g. The Estate of Joseph E Blow), with interest accruing from the date of death. You may find that you cannot set up this bank account until you have the letter of probate (each bank may have different rules), so as soon as you get that letter, set up the bank account (make sure it is in the name that the aged care company wants) and then notify the aged care company of the bank details and forward a copy of the letter of probate so they can act on your instructions and the RAD can be returned to the deceased’s estate. Also be aware that the RAD, which could be up to $500,000, is subject to the terms of the Will, no matter who paid it! It goes to the estate and then must be dealt with according to the Will. So if one child paid all the RAD for their parent, they aren’t guaranteed to get it all back unless the parent changed their Will to reflect this. In my case, the aged care people ONLY paid by cheque, and because it was a big cheque, I had to go into the bank to deposit it into the estate account. Once the cheque cleared, I could then distribute monies according to the Will (everything to Mum, in my case). I held some back in the account to pay a potential final tax bill. If there’s any left, it will go to Mum and I’ll close the account, but I’ll wait until a few months have passed and nothing else comes to light.
Bank accounts etc. May need certified copies of any or all of these (each bank’s requirements are different): Will Death Certificate Letter of probate	Joint accounts: If the deceased’s spouse is still alive, you will need to change the account to just the one name. Be aware that a bank may freeze the account for a period of time, although that wasn’t my experience. Credit cards: Be aware that if there’s a single card number with a primary and secondary card holder, the death of one card holder (primary?) may automatically freeze the card for the other. It’s advisable to have separate cards, perhaps with separate banks so that the other person can still pay bills etc. if the credit card is frozen. Note: If direct debit payments are made from that card, contact those suppliers urgently to make other arrangements as those payments will likely be affected as well. Lesson I learned from this: Make sure each person in a marriage/partnership has their own bank account and credit card, even if there’s only a small amount in them, enough to get by for a few months. Another lesson learned: For one investment account at a different institution (yes, I’ll name you, Colonial First State), I had to submit my Enduring Power of Attorney (EPoA) and ID again! Even though I’d submitted two EPoA forms and ID some years earlier (one for each of my parents named in their 50/50 joint account), when I needed to change the account to just Mum’s name, they told me the EPoA for MUM was no longer applicable (even though it was DAD who had died, and that was a separate EPoA document). It seems when the primary account holder dies and the account needs to change names to just the surviving spouse, even though everything else remains the same, they rescinded BOTH EPoAs for my parents and so I had to resubmit the EPoA again for Mum’s account. Yes, I had words with them about this ‘rule’ that they have because the EPoAs were for differently named people and so should remain attached to each individual. Mum is still alive so there’s no reason why the EPoA for her should have been rescinded.
Landgate (property titles office)	I had notes to say to let Landgate know of the death, but as my parents were in a retirement village (lifetime lease) this didn’t apply to their situation as they didn’t own their property. Information: https://www.landgate.wa.gov.au/land-and-property/land-transactions-hub/land-transaction-policy-and-procedure-guides/land-titles/proprietor/dec-01-deceased-proprietor/
Water Corporation (utility) Letter of probate	If the account is in joint names, it will need to be changed to a single name. If it is in the deceased’s name only, it will need to change to the surviving spouse—this may require the account to be closed and a new one created for the surviving spouse. If the surviving person is a senior, make sure their WA Seniors Card number and any other concession card information is registered with Water Corp for any government rebates. The letter of probate is needed to change a joint property into the name of the surviving spouse. Send a copy to contactus@watercorporation.com.au Procedure for dealing with a deceased estate: https://www.watercorporation.com.au/Help-and-advice/Bill-and-account/Your-online-account/How-to-finalise-a-deceased-estate
Passport Death Certificate Passport Letter of probate??	From the Australian Passport Office’s website: ‘If you report the details to us, we will cancel the passport to ensure it cannot be misused by another person. Take the passport and the original death certificate to an Australia Post passport agency. If you wish to retain the passport as a memento, we will return it to you after it has been cancelled.’ (https://www.passports.gov.au/general-information#deceased-relative-passport) You must make an appointment at the AusPost branch (typically NOT a licensed post office in another shop); according to their website, the AusPost branch can also do the Australian Tax Office death notification (assuming not done through the accountant or automatically done via Centrelink etc.) NOTE: The Passport Office’s website says ‘If you report’, which to me implies you don’t have to report the death to them. You may be able to just let the passport expire. Note also that they say they want the ORIGINAL Death Certificate, so if this is the case, you likely can’t do this until the original is returned to you. Even then, I’d certainly be hesitant to send an original of anything! We will just let Dad’s passport expire.
Insurance policies None (may vary by company)	If a house/contents policy is in both names, it will need to go into the name of the surviving spouse. The company may need to start a new policy in that name and cancel the other. Make sure you get a price match with the previous policy—nothing else has changed except the name on the account, so they shouldn’t increase your premium. If they won’t budge, take your business elsewhere. I found this was very easy to do with my parents’ insurance company and they didn’t require any documentation. NOTE: I was already an authority on their account, which was something we’d set up in the past 12 months when it was clear Dad’s health was failing, so that could be why it was so easy. My parents didn’t have life insurance. Lesson learned: Make sure someone other than the spouse is an authority (preferably with an EPoA) on as many accounts as you can, just in case the surviving person is incapacitated or not able to deal with all this stuff. Do this months or years before you’ll need to!
Drivers licence Death Certificate Drivers licence	From: https://www.wa.gov.au/government/multi-step-guides/what-do-when-someone-dies-alpha-stage/cancel-services-and-notify-organisations/cancel-deceased-persons-wa-drivers-licence: ‘You can return the deceased person’s licence to any Driver and Vehicle Services Centre or regional agent. You will need the deceased person’s date of death, driver’s licence number, date and place the licence was handed in and a certified copy of the death certificate.’ Or I presume you can just let it expire and not renew it, which is what we did.
ACROD card (for using a disabled parking bay)	I haven’t done anything with this as I’m not sure if it’s associated with Dad’s car licence or driver’s licence, both of which are no longer in existence or are in the final stages of expiry. General information: https://acrod.org.au/renew-extend-replace-cancel/
Medicare	Medicare already knew Dad had died (presumably from the other connected federal government agencies, such as Centrelink / MyAgedCare). When I called, they told me that Mum’s Medicare card (she was the second listed on the same card number as Dad) is still valid and when she is re-issued with a new card, she will be the #1 holder of that card. Services Australia form for death notification to Centrelink, Medicare etc.: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/sa116
Australian Tax Office Letter of probate Death certificate	I’m waiting for the finalisation of Dad’s tax affairs, which is currently with the accountant. As I received copies of the death certificate, letter of probate etc. I forwarded them to the accountant so he can deal with the ATO and/or let me know what I have to do, if anything. Notification of death form: https://www.ato.gov.au/Forms/Notification-of-a-deceased-person/ Also: https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Deceased-estates/
Telstra  (phone/internet provider)	We put their landline phone and internet account into Mum’s name before Dad passed, so there was no change to be made there. Dad had his own mobile phone while he was in care but it was a full purchase phone with a pre-paid account, so we will let that expire and not renew it. Other information from Telstra: https://www.telstra.com.au/aboutus/support-in-times-of-need/bereavement-support
WA Seniors Card None	Complete the online form: https://www.seniorscard.wa.gov.au/forms-guides/ and email it to info@seniorscard.wa.gov.au. You will get an email back saying they’ve removed the person from their database and advising you to destroy the card. Phone: 1800 671 233
Death Certificate	The things you learn… There are 2 types of death certificate—one is from the doctor, and it lists the cause of death and is forwarded to the funeral director, but the ‘real’ death certificate is the legal one. The details (including the cause of death from the doctor) are completed by the funeral director after the funeral and then forwarded to the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. At the initial meeting with the funeral director they will ask you for your loved one’s details, including the full names of their parents, various dates etc. The official death certificate is returned to the funeral home about 2 weeks after the funeral, and is collected from there. You then need to take it to the meeting with the lawyer for them to lodge it with the Supreme Court, so get several notarised copies made when you’re at the meeting with the lawyer. You will need notarised copies of the death certificate for many places.
Synergy (electricity utility) Letter of probate	If not a joint account (and perhaps if it is), the account in the deceased’s name must be closed and a new account set up for the same address in the name of the surviving spouse. Make sure a new direct debit is set up because the old one can’t be transferred. The only person who can close the account is someone who has authority on the account, and Synergy are very particular about that. What they don’t tell you is that if there’s any refund due on the now closed account, the account will now be in the name of ‘The Estate of xxx’ and because the person is deceased, any EPoA you have for them is no longer valid. You will have to wait for the letter of probate to claim the refund. Or sign and have witnessed a statutory declaration. Phone: 13 13 53 (7am to 7pm) More information: https://www.synergy.net.au/Your-home/Help-and-advice/Bills/How-to-finalise-a-deceased-estate Email: trustee@synergy.net.au
City / shire rates Death certificate	Each jurisdiction’s requirements will vary so check with them.
Australian Electoral Commission None	Notification Form: https://formupload.aec.gov.au/Form?FormId=Notificationdeath You only have to provide information about yourself and the deceased person in the online form. They say they will confirm via email, but I didn’t get a confirmation email so I called a few weeks later and it had gone through without any problem.
RACWA None	The membership was only in Dad’s name. We did not renew it when it became due. I checked some weeks later and they said because it wasn’t renewed, the membership had expired. Phone: 13 17 03
Funeral director Pre-paid funeral receipt (if applicable)	You will spend some time talking to the funeral people within the first days after the death. They will ask you questions about the deceased’s birth date, their parents’ full names etc., which all have to go on the death certificate, so make sure you have that information to hand. My parents had pre-paid funerals, but there were still some extra fees (about $1,600) to pay on top of that already paid some 10 years earlier ($8,000 each). It’s best if you’ve had discussions about the type of funeral, music, etc. with your parents/spouse/family LONG before the time, as you may not be able to think clearly or make quick decisions. Other things to do prior to death or immediately after include writing out a death notice for publication in the newspaper (include the dates of birth and death for future genealogists researching your family), and writing a eulogy. Rehearse your eulogy by reading it out loud many times and print it out in large font and good spacing so you can read it at the funeral, even with the tears. Even if you think you’ve nailed it, the emotions on the day can be overwhelming, so have a backup person ready to continue your eulogy if you can’t. If a cremation, be prepared for an email or phone call from the funeral director some time later to let you know the ashes are ready for collection, and don’t be surprised at how heavy they are. The funeral director explained that some of the weight came from the coffin.
Doctor	Meet with the deceased’s doctor and thank them for their care. Ask them to notify any medical specialists your loved one had been seeing.
Car None if transferred before death	If it’s clear that your loved one will not be driving anymore, and the car is only in their name, GET IT OUT OF THEIR NAME as soon as possible before they die. We got Dad to sign the transfer papers to put it into Mum’s name a few months before he passed away, and that meant that we could sell his car without having to wait for the letter of probate. Transferring a car into a spouse’s name only incurs a small fee; if transferred to another member of the family, the usual transfer fee applies. By transferring early, we weren’t in a legal bind of not being able to sell, or even perhaps drive, the car for several months. More information: https://www.transport.wa.gov.au/aboutus/deceased-estates-refunds.asp https://www.wa.gov.au/government/multi-step-guides/what-do-when-someone-dies-alpha-stage/cancel-services-and-notify-organisations/changing-vehicle-ownership-when-someone-dies
Health insurance (private) None, may vary depending on provider	HBF in our case. You can do this over the phone, but it may be better to make an appointment at one of their offices as it can take a bit of time. It was a simple process to transfer the joint membership into Mum’s name only (and immediately halved her premium), so do this early on as it’s likely you won’t need specific documentation. A new tax rebate form needs to be signed by the surviving spouse, or by a person with EPoA for them. HBF: https://www.hbf.com.au/members/member-assistance/death-in-the-family
Clubs, associations, loyalty programs, etc.	Let each know and get them to cancel the membership. This is one of those small jobs that you can do early because you likely won’t have to provide proof of death.
Frequent Flyer	Transfer any accumulated points to the surviving spouse, a family member etc. BEFORE cancelling the membership. Or transfer the points then just let the membership lapse. Qantas: https://help.qantas.com/support/s/article/Can-I-transfer-my-Qantas-Points-to-a-family-member
Online presence	Dad didn’t have an online presence at all, so this wasn’t an issue for us. For others, though, you’ll need to have usernames, passwords, etc. Social media sites have information on what to do with a deceased person’s accounts. Don’t forget accounts where there may be money, such as PayPal, Qantas Travel Money etc. Do not close these until you have transferred the money out. Some may require your legal authority (e.g. EPoA) to do so. Hopefully, your loved one has software or an app or a notebook where they kept all their usernames and passwords…

 

 

Lessons learned

• Have the relevant legal documents drawn up well before:
  • Have in place an Enduring Power of Attorney giving someone else the authority to look after your financial affairs while you are alive. Although this may be your spouse, consider including one or more children or a trusted friend. By the time you die, your spouse may have already passed or not be capable of looking after your affairs. Having more than one person listed covers as many bases as possible. NOTE: The EPoA becomes void once the person dies, so you can no longer act on their behalf until the letter of probate or administration is issued.
  • As for an EPoA, also have in place an Enduring Power of Guardianship, which allows those named in it to make health and lifestyle decisions for you (though NOT financial decisions).
  • Have a Will, naming your beneficiaries, preferably using % amounts, not actual $ amounts. Consider discussing the contents of your will with your children/beneficiaries so there are no surprises. NOTE: In Australia, your Superannuation goes to the nominated beneficiary in your Super fund and NOT to your estate unless you specifically state that with your Super company. In other words, your Will has nothing to do with your Super unless you specifically state that the beneficiary is your estate.
  • Have an Advanced Health Directive and/or a Do Not Resuscitate order and make sure your family knows what it says so that it can be invoked if necessary, as it was for my Dad. If your loved one is in hospital or in care, make sure they have a copy of the AHD or DNR too.
  • Get at least 5 notarised copies of EACH document, and scan and PDF a notarised copy so you have a digital copy as well. You WILL need them.
  • Know where all the originals are kept—the original Will, at least, will be needed by the Supreme Court.
• If you are named as the EPoA for someone else, such as a parent, contact the relevant agencies, departments, companies etc. they have accounts with/deal with and give them a notarised copy of the EPoA to establish your authority to act on their behalf well before you need to.
• Each person in a marriage should have their own separate bank account/credit card, in addition to any joint accounts:
  • There should be sufficient funds in those accounts to tide that person over several months of bills if their loved one’s bank/credit card account gets frozen (and there WILL be bills you weren’t expecting, such as funeral expenses—the funeral director won’t wait to get paid).
  • This is particularly essential for a couple where the bank account is just in one name—if that person dies, the other person will not be able to access the account and pay bills! And in the case of a joint credit card (same number, different cards), if one person (just the primary named person?) dies, the card is frozen for the other person.
  • Check if any EPoAs you provided for a joint-named account still keeps the surviving person’s EPoA in place once it goes to a single name (one place didn’t and I had to resubmit it all again)
• Consider a pre-paid funeral—you lock in prices at today’s rates and can even specify things like the music you’d like played, the type of funeral (burial or cremation), etc. Your family may still have some to pay after the funeral, but the bulk of the costs will be covered.
• Talk to your family about death and dying and what you want to happen both before and after. Being open and upfront about death and dying certainly takes away some of the mystique and avoidance issues. I was so fortunate that my sister and I knew what Mum and Dad wanted—it made it so much easier to plan Dad’s funeral, and so much easier to deal with his passing knowing he went exactly the way he’d always told us he wanted to.
• If the person will no longer be driving and the car is in their name, get it out of their name before they pass so that the car doesn’t get tied up in legal situations where you may not be able to sell it for some months.
• Consider writing an obituary/eulogy months or even years before you need it. You can always tweak it closer to the date of the funeral (or not even use it), but the bulk of the work will be done when your thoughts aren’t clouded with grief, sadness, and memories. Put the document in a cloud storage area so you can access it even if you change computers in the intervening years.
• Also consider writing out a death notice for the newspaper, making sure you put in the full name and dates of birth and death, names of all children, and grandchildren (if not too many)—your descendants researching your life in another generation or two will thank you!
• Keep open the bank account (with some funds in it) for the ‘estate of’ for several months after you’ve dealt with the last of the financial expenses, just in case.
• After your loved one has died, the funeral is over, and you’re waiting for the letter of probate appointing you as the Executor (months, potentially years):
  • Make a list of what has to be done and who has to be contacted (see my table above for general guidance), and gather relevant information like account numbers etc.
  • Start working through your list, dealing with as many of the small things that don’t require much documentation to close/change names on.
  • Just tackle one institution at a time (e.g. one a day, one a week) otherwise it’s daunting and frustrating.
  • Learn how to put your phone on speaker and have something to do (e.g. crosswords) while you’re on hold… you will be on hold a LOT, especially with government departments. Even though these places must deal with the death of members etc. ALL the time, some will act like it’s all new and has never happened before; the better ones will have a group of people/department whose only job is to deal with deceased estates—you will be very grateful to these.
• You might be wondering why I changed accounts in joint names to a single name (i.e. my Mum). Well, at some point my Mum will die too, and I’m trying to preempt a situation where an institution asks for all Dad’s paperwork as well when I go to close the account, which could be some years from now. I may then have to provide death certificates/letters of probate for BOTH deceased parties and explain why I didn’t tell them of Dad’s death earlier. I’m trying to myself save that hassle!

Useful resources

• Justices of the Peace (WA): https://www.wa.gov.au/service/justice/civil-law/find-justice-of-the-peace-your-area
• ATO: https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/deceased-estates/checklist–what-to-do-when-someone-dies/
• Services Australia: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/who-to-tell-when-someone-dies?context=60101
• MyAgedCare: https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/aged-care-home-accommodation-refunds#resident-passing
• Justice WA:
  • https://www.wa.gov.au/government/multi-step-guides/what-do-when-someone-dies-alpha-stage/cancel-services-and-notify-organisations
  • https://www.wa.gov.au/government/multi-step-guides/what-do-when-someone-dies-alpha-stage/dealing-deceased-persons-estate
  • https://www.wa.gov.au/government/multi-step-guides/what-do-when-someone-dies-alpha-stage/dealing-deceased-persons-estate/wills-and-probate
  • https://www.wa.gov.au/service/justice/civil-law/manage-deceased-estate-public-trustee
  • https://www.wa.gov.au/government/multi-step-guides/duties-information-requirements/related-parties-duty-requirements/deceased-estates-duty-requirements
• https://www.eqt.com.au/about-us/media-centre/news-items/whats-new/the-little-things-that-can-turn-into-big-things
• https://www.funeralplanner.com.au/the-funeral/the-service/who-to-notify-after-the-service/ (comprehensive list, give list of those to contact within 6 months of the death too)
• https://www.deadparentswhatnow.com/

[Links last checked November 2023]

The problem with double-barrelled questions

“Do you love me and will you marry me?” Sounds innocent enough, right? But it’s actually two questions posing as one and there are several ways it can be answered. Yet the person asking the question only wants one answer—yes or no. The true answers are yes to the first part of the question and no to the second, or no and yes, or yes and yes, or no and no. The last two would give a straight yes or no response, but certainly not the first two.

This simple example is a double-barrelled question—one that disguises a single question, which actually asks two things but only wants one answer. Wikipedia has an easy to understand article on these types of questions: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-barreled_question. It’s a type of questioning that I learned NOT to use when setting tests for school students back in my teaching days—if you want a single answer, then ask a single question. If the question is actually asking two things, then ask two questions.

So, why am I writing about these sorts of questions today? Because yesterday (14 October 2023) Australia went to the polls for a referendum, just as we’ve done 45 times since Federation (1901). Referendums are held to change the Australian Constitution, and only 8 have attained a majority Yes vote (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Referendums_in_Australia).

The most recent that I’ve voted in were to allow Australia to become a republic (1999), and the one yesterday to recognise the First Nations peoples of Australia as the original inhabitants of this land. Except NEITHER question on the ballot paper actually asked these questions. Instead, both referenda questions were double-barrelled because they included other information on either how that should happen or what it would look like.

It distressed me back in 1999 that the question we were asked wasn’t just about becoming a republic, but also what that would look like. And it distressed me earlier this year when we found out the question we would be asked at the 2023 referendum. If you ask a double-barrelled question and the response is a yes/no or no/yes and not a simple yes/yes or no/no, then those who like one half of the question but not the other will tend to vote No. And so it was yesterday.

The 1999 question about becoming a republic was:  To alter the Constitution to establish the Commonwealth of Australia as a republic with the Queen and Governor-General being replaced by a President appointed by a two-thirds majority of the members of the Commonwealth Parliament.

Actually, breaking it down, this question has 3 parts to it—become a republic (yes/no), replace Queen and Governor-general with a President (yes/no), appoint a President by a 2/3 majority of MPs (i.e. not direct voting by the people) (yes/no). Varying sides weren’t happy about one, two, or all parts of this question. At a personal level, I wanted a republic and to replace the Queen and G-G (I still do), but wasn’t sure about a President and certainly wasn’t sure about trusting MPs to make that decision for me. I voted No.

Yesterday’s question: To alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. (see the Australian Electoral Commission’s website for more information and proposed wording in the constitution: https://www.aec.gov.au/referendums/learn/the-question.html)

Again, there are two parts to this question—recognition in the constitution of First Nations people as the original custodians of this land (yes/no), and establishment, in the constitution, of a voice to parliament (yes/no).

It’s a travesty that such a simple thing as a double-barrelled question can result in a No vote—it can never be any other way as the general human response when you aren’t swayed to a clear yes/yes or no/no position is to err on the side of No. For all the cost of running a referendum, to have had 2 questions on the ballot paper would’ve been no more expensive—one question about recognition, and the other about how to implement it.

See also: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/commentisfree/2023/oct/14/rejecting-the-voice-shows-australia-is-still-in-denial-its-history-of-forgetting-a-festering-wrong, where this sentence voiced a lot of what I’ve felt about this issue: ‘My adult child, standing in a long line to vote on Saturday, was overwhelmed with sadness. “Why are all these people deciding whether we belong or not?” they asked.’

[Links last checked October 2023]

Travel insurance as you age

This specifically applies to Australians (insurance providers in your country may have similar arrangements).

As you get older, your travel insurance options start to diminish.

For example, some insurers (I’m looking at you, 1Cover) won’t cover you for annual multi-trip travel insurance after you turn 65 or thereabouts (there goes the idea of travelling a lot after you retire!). And if you’re 90 or more—even if you’re in excellent health—there’s almost no-one who will cover you, with a few exceptions (e.g. if you’re a member of Probus you can get travel insurance with them up to 99 years of age, but of course, you have to join Probus to access this).

However, there was some good news and bad news when I enquired about an annual multi-trip policy for me through Medibank Private travel insurance. I wanted to know if an annual multi-trip policy for me would cover me on a cruise with Mum (if she was on a different policy with a different company because of her age), especially if I had to cancel (e.g. if Mum got sick beforehand). Bottom line—no. But they offered me another alternative. They said if I did the cruise as a single trip policy with both of us on it, then after they’d asked some questions about Mum’s health, we’d BOTH be covered if one of us took ill and had to cancel, AND they cover the extra person up to 99 years of age! Even better, the premium was very reasonable, even after adding ~$150 for cruise coverage. And there was a 20% discount for being a Medibank Private member (just one person on the policy is sufficient to get the discount).

So, I’ve decided I’ll take out a single trip policy for the cruise, and take out an annual multi-trip policy for myself for other travel I have planned for next year, independent of any cruise with Mum.

Kogan Agora phone: Black screen

I thought my husband’s phone had died completely and I was ready to get a new one (new phone, not husband!). I’d heard it chirp when I put in and pulled out the charger, but there was no response on the screen, nor a vibration when you turned it on (he hardly ever uses it, so a flat battery was my first thought when it didn’t work). I tried various charging cables and power outlets, and I left it on charge overnight. Nothing. Except the chirps when I seated/unseated the charging cable. Hmmm… Was it really dead if I could hear that?

Today I needed to do a Bluetooth transfer of a file from my computer to another device and accidentally chose his phone as the receiving device. It was in the kitchen but from my office I heard the distinctive sounds of a file coming through on his phone. Maybe it wasn’t dead after all?

Off to the internet… I tried terms like ‘phone won’t turn on’, and then I wondered if the phone was actually OK, but the screen had died or gone black. So I searched for that for his brand of phone, and I found a solution that worked here: https://www.justanswer.com/smartphones/icvki-agora-x1-phone-black-screen-nothing-will.html

If this happens to you (or to him again), I’ve written the basic instructions here:

1. Remove the charger from the phone.
2. Press and hold the volume down and power buttons simultaneously for 60 seconds.
3. Release the buttons.
4. Reconnect the charger.
5. Press and hold the volume up and power buttons simultaneously for 30 seconds.

This worked for me—in fact, it worked at Step 5 after about 10 seconds! Yay! No need for a new phone yet. Meantime, I’ve charged it fully and will monitor it to see if it’s losing charge too quickly, in which case it may be time for a new phone.

Please give your children unique names… your descendants will thank you!

One of my hobbies is researching my family tree, mostly finding and confirming various dates of birth, death, and marriage (BDM) in official sources, or finding out the names and BDM dates of their children etc.

Some people are just hard to research, for various reasons, including:

• name is too common (e.g. John Smith, Mary Jones)
• name has changed because of marriage (typically, women have taken their husband’s surname and if you can’t find that new name, you hit a brick wall; they may also divorce and remarry—in one case, one woman had 8 husbands that I can find, and therefore 8+ changes of surname)
• name has changed because of emigration (families emigrating from non-English-speaking nations may have chosen, or been forced, to Anglicise their name, including changing it many years later to avoid discrimination and persecution as a result of later wars; e.g. Weigmann may have become Wegman, Wigman, Wiggers, Weggers, or something else entirely)
• name has many variations (e.g. birth names were Martha Pauline but was always known as Pauline Martha by the family and in later records; and Pauline might be variously known as that plus Paulina, Polina, Pauli, Lina, etc.)
• place names have changed (e.g. most of my paternal grandmother’s family originates from Prussia but Prussia no longer exists and has been subsumed into Poland, Germany etc. and the new place names may be unrecognisable [e.g. Bomst became Babimost])
• records are hard to find (records were destroyed in various wars or for other reasons such as fire, or may not have been transcribed as yet, or may have been lost; and, in the case of my Prussian side, cannot be read by me as they are in a language or style of writing that I can’t read [in some cases, the script and language is from an old version of the language that few people can read these days]).

And then there are the parents who, for whatever reason, decide to name their children after themselves (I’m looking at you, George Foreman, who famously named his 4 boys ‘George’). This is an absolute nightmare for researchers several decades or even a century or more later because it’s hard to differentiate the names without accurate BDM dates to confirm each one. For example, look at this one from my family tree (I’ve blurred out the surname and other identifying information such as location and dates):

First, the parents names are very similar: Johann and Johanna. Johanna’s middle name (not visible here) is Caroline.

Now look at the names of the 10 children—7 are variations of Johann/Johanna (Johanna, Johanne, Johann [4!], and Anna), one is from the mother’s middle name (Caroline) and two escaped unscathed—Maria and Hermann.

It’s very likely (based on my own family’s naming practices on the Prussian side) that the recorded birth name was NOT what the child was known by, so Johann August was likely known as August, Auguste, perhaps Gus; Johann Friedrich Wilhelm was likely called Wilhelm, William, or Will; while his brother also called Johann Friedrich was likely known as Friedrich, Frederick or Fred. But what they were called is NOT what’s in the official birth records. An added problem encountered when trying to untangle this sort of mess is that in later records (e.g. marriage record, death record, headstone, even electoral roll records) the name the person was known by may have been recorded, NOT their birth record name.

It’s complicated!

Advice to all prospective parents: give your kids unique names, even if it’s just a middle name that will differentiate them from anybody else, especially if your surname and the first name you’ve chosen are relatively common. Your descendants searching for them in later generations will thank you!

[Link last checked February 2023]

Western Australians: RAC membership coverage: Things you may not know

After an incident on Christmas night where we had to call the Western Australian Royal Automobile Club (RAC) roadside assistance hotline and they ordered a tow truck, I’ve done a bit more investigating into the RAC membership levels, with the help of one of the membership officers who explained a lot of this to me in various email exchanges. By the way, in our Christmas incident, the tow truck driver was able to temporarily solve our problem so we could drive the car and we didn’t need a tow, but we would’ve paid handsomely had we needed it. Why? Because we only had Standard roadside assistance.

Standard membership isn’t really suitable for anyone who lives outside the Perth metro area (or more than 20 km outside Bunbury [I’m not sure about the other major regional centres]), because the coverage for things like towing is very limited.

Standard membership also only covers one nominated VEHICLE (typically your own) no matter who’s driving it, which means if you’re driving someone else’s car and you need the RAC, you’d have to quote that person’s RAC membership number to get coverage for that car—and if the owner no longer has membership (you can quote the number plate if the owner isn’t with you) then you get no coverage based on your membership and would have to pay $$$ for roadside assistance.

The alternative is to upgrade your membership to one that covers YOU (i.e. Personal Cover) no matter what car you’re a passenger in or are driving. The RAC membership levels that offer Personal Cover are Ultimate and Ultimate Plus. Both cover you whether you’re in your car or anyone else’s (licensed) vehicle. Even if you’re a passenger in a car and the driver/owner isn’t in the RAC, you can quote your membership number and get roadside assistance for the vehicle.

The differences in cover are outlined here (click Show More Details to see the complete coverage list for the regional areas): https://rac.com.au/car-motoring/roadside-assistance

I got caught badly a few years ago when I broke down out of Toodyay, Western Australia (not in the metro area) and my car needed to be towed to Bunbury (also not in the metro area, and some 260 km from Toodyay). My Standard membership level certainly didn’t cover me for any of that. The RAC roadside assistance person did arrange the tow truck from Northam, but I had to pay $800 for the tow. When we moved to the country some 16 years ago, I can’t remember anyone telling us that our RAC Standard membership might not be sufficient anymore. If you look at the coverage of Standard, it’s fine if you’re in the Perth metro area and drive short distances, but almost useless if you’re not.

So what happens if you upgrade your membership? You retain your number of membership years (this is important because something special happens after 50 years of continuous membership) and only pay the pro-rata difference between the membership levels until the end of your membership year, then the new rate from then on. And of course, you get the benefits of the new level starting from 48 hours after you pay that difference.

If you upgrade or are on a higher level of membership when you hit the magic 50 years of continuous membership, they deduct the current cost of Standard membership off your renewal and you only pay the difference (i.e. the Standard membership component is free). A little known fact: After 50 years of continuous membership (i.e. you must have renewed every year and have NO gap in membership renewals) the RAC waives your Standard roadside assistance membership for the REST OF YOUR LIFE. You must still return the annual renewal form, but you don’t have to pay—they need you to complete the renewal form so they know you’re still alive and driving and still need coverage.

If you’re in Western Australia and live outside the Perth metro area, or visit the regions occasionally, or drive other cars regularly, you should consider upgrading to one of the RAC’s Ultimate plans. If you remain on Standard or Classic membership, you’re only covered for one nominated vehicle (typically your own car), not for yourself in any car, and only for a limited range from the metro area/large regional centres.

Remembering things I thought I’d forgotten

In a discussion with a work colleague today, something came up about consistency and setting up a taxonomy (for want of a better term) where the preferred spelling, usage, etc. of a term was established. For example, in a list of authors for a reference list you could have the same person represented as Brown, S; Brown SD; Brown, Sue; Brown, Susan Diana; Brown, S Diana; Brown, Susan D; or any other combination depending on whether you included periods and/or spaces for initials (e.g. Brown, S. D. versus Brown, S.D. versus Brown, SD). And if this person married later and took her spouse’s surname, she could be known under Brown, a variation of Brown with her spouse’s surname hyphenated with hers, or under a completely different surname, which means she can get overlooked or treated as a different person at a later date in citations, references etc. If you don’t use a term consistently, the final reference list will treat all these as different authors, even if they’re the same. And don’t get me started on names for government departments and divisions!

We discovered that the referencing/citation software she’s using doesn’t allow preferred usage lists to be created, and that got me talking about how in the library world, which was my first career, having structured lists (e.g. subject headings lists, and the Dewey Decimal Classification system [DDC]) was REALLY important for consistency and for organisation, whether it was catalogue cards/online catalogue (subject headings) or books on the shelf (DDC).

And that little tangent down memory lane reminded me that I used to know how to decode many DDC numbers—after all, the DDC is just a wayfinding code and if you can decipher it, you can find what you’re looking for. So that brought me to the DDC number I used when I taught students how the code is made up: 595.789099412

And what is 595.789099412? It’s a work about the butterflies of the Perth and south-west regions in Western Australia!

And how did I get there (this put my brain into overdrive and I had to look up the correct terms, but I certainly remembered the basics):

• 500: Natural sciences and mathematics
• 590: Zoology
• 595: Arthropoda
• 595.7: insects: Insecta, Hexapoda
• 595.78: Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths)
• 595.789: Papilionoidea (butterflies)
• 595.78909: the 09 is a geographic separator
• 595.789099: Australasia, Oceania, other islands
• 595.7890994: Australia
• 595.78909941: Western Australia
• 595.789099412: Perth (and the south-west) region of Western Australia

Structure. Patterns. Consistency. 595.789099412 will ALWAYS be a work about the butterflies of the south-west region of Western Australia, including Perth, no matter which library you’re in around the world that uses the DDC.

I used to understand how to break down an ISBN too (this was after I’d left schools and was working for a library software company). But all I remember now is that the 0 or 1 at the beginning indicates the book is in the English language, the next 3 to 5 (?) numbers indicate the publisher’s code, the next few are the unique ID of the book/edition, and the last number is a check digit to make sure all the other numbers are correct (there’s a complex formula for this; check digits are also used product barcodes too)

(As an aside… I also remembered that I used to test myself on the DDC with car number plates. 330: Economics! 994: Australian history! 612: Human body! 780: Music! Weird, huh?)

Interesting summary of video statistics

TechSmith, the makers of Snagit and Camtasia software (I use both), have done an extensive survey into online video usage, available here: https://www.techsmith.com/blog/video-statistics/

In summary:

• 71% of people reported watching two or more instructional videos per week (up 33% compared to 2018)
• 43% of viewers prefer instructional and informational videos between three to six minutes in length, while another 15% preferred videos up to nine minutes
• Online search continues to be the most common way (45%) for users to find instructional and informational video content
• Video title and description are the most common reason why viewers choose a video to watch
• 92% of ‘great videos’ came in below the 20-minute mark.

There is a lot more to unpack from their research and it’s a ‘must read’ for anyone creating video content.

 

LG CI OLED TV and Foxtel Ultra HD (4K)

Another blog post for future me… and for anyone else in this situation.

I’d heard about a bug in LG C1 OLED TVs made from Sept 2021 that didn’t allow 4K content to play in 4K (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifkarBLgnWw). The gamers were up in arms. But as I’m not a gamer, I didn’t think it applied to me. However, I do have Foxtel and an IQ4 box, which is designed for 4K/ultra HD. So I checked if I could play a 4K movie from the dedicated Foxtel channel for these. Nope. I got an error message that my TV was incompatible (error F0446, details and troubleshooting here: https://www.foxtel.com.au/support/technical-support/error-code-troubleshooting/iq4/f0446.html). So I waited for the software update to roll out from LG and tried again. I still got the same error message.

I went back to Vincent Teoh’s original video (Vincent is just awesome, and funny too!) and found he had created a new one just for the bug fix (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI-ebazGJ4I), where he said you may have to change a couple of other things on your TV too. I tried those but still kept getting 4K error message on Foxtel. Based on previous experiences I really didn’t want to call Foxtel support…

So I went back to Foxtel’s troubleshooting pages for this error and stared working my way through the suggested solutions. Some I just couldn’t do on my TV as I couldn’t find the relevant settings. But there were also some suggested changes to the Foxtel IQ4 box you could make through Advanced Settings, and it was there I found the solution under their Step 3 (https://www.foxtel.com.au/support/technical-support/error-code-troubleshooting/iq4/f0446/connected-to-tv.html).

My picture settings were set to 1080p, so I changed it to 2160p (as per Step 3) and as soon as I did, I could view the ultra HD Foxtel channels!