The Generational Lord Mayor’s Commendations recognise family businesses that have operated continuously within the City of Melbourne across at least three generations.
On Wednesday 1st October 2014, the Tobin Family was awarded the City of Melbourne Lord Mayor’s Commendation ‘for the professional services provided to the people of Melbourne over four generations’. Leo T Tobin represented his family and accepted the award.
Tobin Brothers Funerals introduced The Harley Hearse to their fleet of vehicle options.
A 2013 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy with a custom made side car bed accommodates any coffin or casket from the Tobin Brothers Funerals range.
The Tobin Brothers Funerals Thomastown Chapel was named ‘Orlando’s Chapel’ on 23rd August 2013 in honour of the late Orlando Mascitti who was a well respected, well loved and well known member of the Tobin Brothers staff and Thomastown community.
Tobin Brothers Funerals is inducted into the ‘Family Business Australia Victoria Hall of Fame’ as a Victorian family business that is recognised in its field of endeavour for their contribution to Australia’s future, community and culture on 10th May 2013.
Tobin Brothers was also named as the ‘Best Third Generation Family Business’ in Victoria.
Tobin Brothers was awarded a ‘Business Excellence’ Award by Business Excellence Awards Manningham in the category of ‘Technology Business of the Year 2013’ for our Memory Maker app.
Tobin Brothers Funerals was awarded the ‘AFE Innovation Award’ at the Asian Funeral Expo Industry Awards in 2013, for the ground breaking work done by the company in developing and marketing the MemoryMaker app
The launch of the Tobin Brothers MemoryMaker App in 2012 – a bold new initiative which was the first of its kind in the Funeral Industry worldwide!
Using tablet and smartphone touch-screen technology, the aim of the MemoryMaker App was to enable client families to make more informed decisions about products and costs, even before meeting with the Funeral Planner.
“The introduction of the Tobin Brothers MemoryMaker App has since assisted thousands of client families to make better informed decisions so much so that on numerous occasions when we arrive to meet with the client family to plan their loved ones funerals, many of the decisions and choices have already been made.
Often it was difficult for families to communicate in front of the Funeral Planner because they wanted to talk about costs, they had a different opinion of the colour or the style of what their loved one would have liked or would not have liked.
MemoryMaker made it easier for families and that is something I am most proud of.” – James MacLeod
In 2012, Tobin Brothers Funerals launched their Creative Communications division, comprising a group of people who possess expertise in voice, video, journalism, and graphic design.
The company now produces blogs and podcasts on many funeral related issues and produce video features on various ‘not for profit’ organisations who deserve funding and recognition such as The Wellington, The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation, Redkite, Kids Helpline, The Aussie Swag, Zaidee’s Rainbow Foundation, Cultural Diversity, The Prostate Cancer Foundation, Motor Neurone Disease, The Organ Donor Registry, Beyond Blue, The Make a Wish Foundation, Operation Stitches and World Vision to name a few.
Tobin Brothers also filmed and produced 20 different multicultural commercials for TV and radio, has one of the most comprehensive and transparent websites in the Funeral Industry, and has an extensive collection of YouTube videos with millions of views per video with millions of views on videos about the funeral industry, loss and grief.
This Creative Communications division also manages the content and the community in the online space which has become another form of support for thousands of people.
“I very much wanted to build a social community, a place where people could find comfort and others who were dealing with loss and grief, a place where people could find help and information about death.” – James MacLeod
Tobin Brothers Funerals hosts its first ‘Art for the Heart’ exhibition.
Art for the Heart was a free art exhibition that honoured the use of creativity as a powerful source for healing. It allowed members of the public to submit their works in any medium, to share these often hidden experiences of loss, love & hope with the community as a way of processing their own feelings while also having the opportunity to connect with and give to others in need.
Works were submitted from people from different cultures, countries, socio-economic backgrounds and with different types of losses. Both groups and individuals whose expressions of loss and grief were displayed in craft as well as painting, poetry, drawing and sculpture were displayed in Federation Square and various venues of Melbourne each successive year. Funds raised through the optional sale of artworks were donated to meaningful organisations within the field of trauma, loss and grief support, disability support and mental health organisations. The event continued to run annually until 2018.
“It’s amazing that people can overcome the worst moments of their lives to do something for others.”
Tobin Brothers Funerals built and opened the current ‘Tides of Life’ Chapel in Rosebud on 26th April 2012.
The first funeral conducted by Tobin Brothers Funerals was for Ena Margaret Price in 1934. In its first year, the company conducted 53 funerals and after the payment of creditors and the collection of debts, it made a modest profit.
