Body Donor Program
The Department of Anatomy and Physiology at the University of Melbourne co-ordinates a Body Donor Program for the purposes of anatomical examination and the teaching and study of anatomy.
Bodies that have been donated to the program are used in the education and training of future healthcare professionals including medical, dental, physiotherapy, science and nursing students and are also used for the advanced training of surgeons and other specialists.
Each donated body is treated with great care and respect and, on completion of our studies, is cremated. Following cremation, relatives who have requested the return of ashes are able to retrieve them for commemorative purposes.
More information
Members of the public may apply to donate their bodies through our Body Donor Program, which complies with the Human Tissue Act.
Information for prospective donors is set out in the Body Donor Information Sheet
Please be advised that the University has decided to include a further reason for non-acceptance into the program at the time of death. This has also been added to the information sheet present on our website.
If a donors death occurs between midnight on the 24th December until 11.59pm on the 31st January the University will no longer be able to accept the offer of donation.
Consent Form
A consent form is available for download. Consent Form
To contact the Body Program Coordinator:
Phone: (03) 8344 5809
or
Email: anatomy-donors@unimelb.edu.au
A short video prepared in 2020, hosted by Professor Shitij Kapur former Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences to Commemorate the donor gift
Our body donors contribute substantially to the quality of medical education. At the University of Melbourne we hold an annual Commemorative Thanksgiving Service to acknowledge the generosity of our donors. This service is attended by family and friends of our body donors, with anatomy staff and students of the Department of Anatomy and Physiology.
We have also commissioned a sculpture by renowned artist Heather Swann situated on campus in honour of our donors and which will serve both as a daily reminder to staff and students of the donor gift and also as a site of remembrance for family and friends to visit year round. The sculpture is located on the South Lawn of the Parkville Campus, near the Old Quad. For further information please contact the Body Donor Co-ordinator on (03) 8344 5809 or by email anatomy-donors@unimelb.edu.au.
Body Donor Coordinator
Department of Anatomy & Physiology
The University of Melbourne
Victoria 3010
Phone: +61 3 8344 5809
Fax: +61 3 9347 5219
Email: anatomy-donors@unimelb.edu.au
NSW
Western Australia
The University of Western Australia