Television crime shows may have turned the morgue into the cold set for forensic revelations but the reality is more human. Fiona Henderson talks to the team in Ballarat who like to bring the dignity of the living to a place for the dead. Pictures by Justin Whitelock.
CHARLES Harpur believes he plays a special role in helping families through the grieving process when a loved one dies.
Mr Harpur is the forensic technician in charge for the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine at the Ballarat Health Services Base Hospital morgue - a job he finds a real privilege.
"We really do take care of their dignity. Everything is respected.
"The same principles that apply to, say, ICU apply to us too.
"Just because a person has passed away doesn't mean they don't have a right to their privacy and dignity."
Mr Harpur was originally a crop dusting pilot who had a "bad weekend on the job" and decided to apply for a position he saw advertised.
"Just because a person has passed away doesn't mean they don't have a right to their privacy and dignity."
- Charles Harpur
Shortly after, he was being trained at the VIFM and, 20 odd years later, has been the hospital mortuary facility manager ever since.
"I find it very interesting and very rewarding. It's not your everyday job."
But Mr Harpur also knows he helps families with the grieving process, even if he finds the half a dozen viewings conducted in the mortuary each year, mainly for identification purposes, to be quite hard.
However, he has turned the viewing area into a warm and welcoming lounge/chapel space to make the experience easier for all.
"The role can be emotionally confronting at times but I get good support from the hospital and the nursing staff."
Mr Harpur said if a death occurs on the ward, the family is usually given time to say their goodbyes while their loved one is still in their hospital bed.
After that, the body is brought to the mortuary where Mr Harpur stores them in a state-of-the-art stacking facility until the family decides on a funeral home and he releases them into their care.
He said he deals with about 400 bodies a year by himself, though a part-timer is due to start shortly.
He is also on call 24/7 but said it wasn't an issue.
"It's only a phone call and it can make a big difference to a family."
However, cases where the cause of death is not clear - or reportable cases - are much less straight forward, which is where forensic pathologist Dr Paul Bedford steps into the picture.
Dr Bedford performs autopsies in Ballarat every Tuesday and Friday, averaging about two a week.
The Ballarat mortuary is a satellite centre of the VIFM and has "second to none" facilities, according to Dr Bedford.
It is also a central Victorian hub, with VIFM forensic pathologists rotating through Ballarat and Bendigo on a regular basis.
"People think pathologists do autopsies but there are only about two per cent of pathologists doing autopsies.
"They are doing tissue biopsy reporting or haematology or microbiology.
"Forensic pathology is a specialised area."
He said the role involved finding a cause of death when it is unexpected, or a GP can't write a cause on the death certificate.
It also includes off site incidents, such as car accidents, homicides or suicides.
While very complex cases are often sent to Melbourne, Dr Bedford initially examines the body and any medical or police records before deciding if an autopsy will be performed.
"If it's not at all obvious, a post-mortem examination will be carried out."
Mr Harpur then helps Dr Bedford with the autopsy, including taking photographs, and does post-mortem reconstructions and preparation of bodies for handing over to funeral homes, along with sending off medical tests and doing all the required paperwork.
"No body ever leaves here unprepared," Mr Harpur said.
Dr Bedford also said modern medicine meant the bodies showed very few signs of the autopsy.
"Some people get concerned about the body being examined but it's just like extended surgery.
"But it's a difficult time for the families to make decisions. It's very stressful."
Dr Bedford, a keen recreational pilot, often deals with plane crash deaths around Victoria on behalf of the VIFM and was sent to Papua New Guinea to help with body identification after a DC8 with 25 local people on board crashed.
He said VIFM staff have also helped identify bodies at last year's Ukraine MH17 tragedy, the Bali bombings, 9/11 and at tsunami sites.
A VIFM anthropologist has also worked on mass graves in East Timor and Kosovo and a staff member is currently working with the International Red Cross in Nepal.
Dr Bedford, who started out as a doctor before he became a pathologist and then a forensic pathologist, said he was attracted to the job because he liked to "solve puzzles".
"Maybe I was caught up in that whole CSI thing," he jokes.
"But it's rarely the same. Every day there are always variations and different challenges, from a work environment, educational point of view and international point of view."
Mr Harpur said both BHS and the VIFM were putting funding and resources into the mortuary.
"It's an important facility for regional Victoria, because we have an increasing, and ageing, population.
"We will continue to expand to ensure we meet the growing needs of the community."
