Australia farewells Bert Newton
Australian entertainment legend Bert Newton was farewelled on Friday 12 November at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne. Bert was 83 and had suffered ill health for some time. A state funeral was held in his honour, with family, friends, politicians (including the Premier of Victoria and the Prime Minister of Australia), and entertainment colleagues filling the cathedral to ‘pandemic-capacity’.
I was asked to photograph the funeral on behalf of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. Having not been inside the cathedral to take photographs for over 18 months, due to the pandemic, it felt good to be back inside those once-familiar walls, and to be able to capture this special occasion.
Though the funeral started at 10am, by 8.30am there were already people all over the cathedral grounds, and outside its perimeter fence. Temporary marquees had been set up for media doing ‘live-crosses’ from the cathedral, as well as throngs of onlookers and photographers who had not received accreditation to be inside the grounds.
Guests included television and stage personalities such as Eddie Maguire, Molly Meldrum, Sam Newman, Lucy Durak, Marina Prior and Rhonda Birchmore. Silvie Paladino sung the Australian national anthem and Anthony Callea sung a powerful rendition of The Prayer.
I was particularly moved by the emotional tributes delivered by Bert’s long-time friend and colleague, Peter Smith OAM, who also spoke on behalf of Bert’s children Matthew and Lauren. Premier of Victoria, the Hon. Dan Andrews and Eddie Maquire also paid their respects. It was also beautiful to see Bert’s grandchildren read the Prayers of the Faithful and bring up the Offertory gifts.
My experience of Bert ‘on-screen’ prowess and gift was limited, having not watched much telly growing up. But what I gleaned from the tributes is that at the heart of it, Bert Newton was a man with a big and generous heart. He loved his work, and life, and was warm and generous with all he encountered. But most importantly, he loved his wife, Pattie, and their children and grandchildren. My heart was moved by this couple’s testimony of love, through thick and thin, and through a life of service. I pray that Bert is resting in peace, and that his family can go on in the knowledge that Bert was a man who gave his all.
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