State Memorial Service for Ms Judith Durham AO

A State Memorial Service was held on 6 September 2022 at Hamer Hall to honour and celebrate the life of Ms Judith Durham AO.

Masters of Ceremonies, Brian Nankervis and Julia Zemiro led the memorial, introducing Wurundjeri Elder Aunty Di Kerr OAM for the Welcome to Country followed by a rendition of the Australian National Anthem performed by the Australian National Children’s Choir.

Deborah Cheetham AO then performed Long Time Living Here in her native Yorta Yorta language accompanied by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra string quartet.

The Governor of Victoria, Her Excellency the Honourable Linda Dessau AC, spoke first at the service on behalf of the people of Victoria.

Ms Durham’s sister Beverley Sheehan performed Jelly Bean Blues, accompanied by jazz band The Seekers. The song was a childhood favourite for both her and Judith.

Ms Durham was then honoured with video tributes, including a pre-recorded musical tribute from The Wiggles, live performances from David Campbell, Dami Im, Vika and Linda Bull, and reflections from her family and Seekers bandmates.

The Service concluded with a special recording of Carry Me, a new song by The Seekers that was due for release in late 2022 to celebrate the band’s 60th anniversary.

Donations

In lieu of flowers, tributes can be made in the form of donations to Motor Neurone Disease Australia via the MND Australia website.

Please note that due to copyright and licencing restrictions related to performances during the Service, it is not possible to publish a publicly-available recording.