About AMAR International Repatriations

Born in Liverpool in 1806, Thomas Allison established himself as a cabinet maker, blind maker and undertaker in Camberwell, London. It was there in 1844 that John was born. In the 1860s, John Allison arrived in Melbourne and soon after purchased the business of John Little in Simpsons Road (Victoria St), Richmond, which had commenced there in 1851. Richmond would become the headquarters of the firm for many years.

John’s sons, Jack and Roy, took over from their father before he died in 1921. After buying out his brother’s share in the late 1920s, Roy changed the firm’s name to John (Roy V) Allison. In doing so, Roy distinguished it from the other competing firms of Allison.

In 1944

Roy’s sons John and Rob were taken into partnership by Roy. When they returned after service during the war, they became involved in the management of the business.

In 1956

They purchased a funeral business operated by Norman Monkhouse

in Brighton and Sandringham in the name of its founder, J. Monkhouse & Son. After Roy’s death in 1957, John and Rob carried on the business in equal ownership.

In 1970's

Clive, Rob’s son and the fifth generation Allison to be in the funeral business, entered the firm.

Since 1988, he has been Managing Director and has continued to make Allison Monkhouse one of the foremost funeral firms in the world.


Throughout the history of the firm, a number of Allisons have been recognised publicly for their contributions to the funeral industry.

Roy was elected Honorary Life Member of the Australian Funeral Directors’ Association (AFDA). He, along with his son, John, were elected Fellows of the British Institute of Embalmers. Roy was the first Fellow outside of the UK. John was elected Life Councillor of the AFDA in 1969; Rob in 1978.

In 1995

Rob was honoured as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), for service to the funeral industry, including his role in the return of the Unknown Soldier, and to the community.

Nowadays

More recently, Clive was thanked by both the Swedish and Australian governments for his work in the tsunami relief in Thailand.

All of this achievement would not be possible without the continuing help of loyal staff, many of whom have had a long association in our company’s history.

The Sydney Morning Herald’s article

FUNERAL DIRECTOR – Robert Crichton Allison

4-4-1919 — 27-11-2012

FUNERAL director Robert Crichton Allison, who has died aged 93, had many notable moments in his life, but arranging the funeral in 1978 of Sir Robert Menzies was one that stood out.

Numerous dignitaries, including Prince Charles (representing the Queen), attended and more than 100,000 people witnessed the procession after it left Scots’ Church, Melbourne. The firm John Allison/Monkhouse was given the assignment by the then prime minister’s office – and had only four days to arrange it.

It was a mammoth organisational task but was considered such a model of excellence that it became the industry standard for future state funerals.

John Allison/Monkhouse went on to manage the state funerals of Sir Billy Snedden, Lord Casey, Sir Arthur Rylah and Senator Don Chipp, among others.

This gave the firm a high profile and later led Allison, as Australia’s national funeral director in Belgium and France, to co-ordinate the exhumation and return of the remains of the Unknown Australian Soldier to Australian soil from France to be buried in the Hall of Memory at the Australian War Memorial on November 11, 1993.

Affectionately known as Rob throughout the industry (and Mr Rob within his own organisation), Allison regarded it a privilege to serve people in their time of need. He understood them and the associated pressures and procedures.

During what became a very full life, Allison was an inspiration and mentor to many, regarding “competitors” as colleagues rather than “opposition”.