Anthony Albanese has led tributes at the state memorial for pioneering cancer specialist and former Australian of the Year Richard Scolyer.
The Prime Minister said it was an “incredible honour” to celebrate his life, remembering him as a “man of courage, curiosity, generosity and kindness”.
“In the great constellation of the Australian story, Richard was, without question, one of our brightest stars,” Mr Albanese said.
“A man grounded in the love of his family. We mourn a life cut far too short.”
Mr Albanese said he counted Professor Scolyer as a friend, and “for a happy stretch of my life, as a neighbour – and for that, I feel blessed”.
“Now this brightest of stars has set, yet his glow remains around us,” he said.
“Richard did so much to push back the shadow of melanoma and one day, when a cure for brain cancer is at last found, his name will be spoken, all of us will be able to say – we knew him, and he gave us hope.”
Mr Albanese is one of many notable Australian figures among the crowd of thousands packed into the Sydney Opera House on Monday morning.
Also taking the stage, NSW Premier Chris Minns remembered Professor Scolyer’s “palpable, irresistible, overpowering love of life”, saying he was taken “far too soon”.
“He reached the end knowing that his gift to the world would be more life and more time,” he said.
Mr Minns recalled a tribute page that was launched on the Melanoma Institute’s website in the wake of Professor Scolyer’s death.
“To Richard, stage 4 melanoma, 10 years ago. Still going strong. At 84 years of age I’m a keen golfer and a tennis player, how lucky am I?” one note read.
One father, whose son was diagnosed stage 4 melanoma and given months to live, said they gave immunotherapy a go in a “last throw of the dice”.
“I can still hear his oncologist shouting voice over the phone saying to my son, ‘It worked! It worked! You are going to live!’”
“My son is now cancer free, married, living the life that we never thought he’d have.”
Attendees have written personal notes dedicated to Professor Scolyer’s memory.
One written by a family friend of the Scolyer family reads: “What an Aussie hero and top bloke! So proud to call our friend.”
‘Bloody good bloke’
Laughter filled the room when Professor Scolyer’s best friend Jim Finlay walked on the stage and described him as a “bloody good bloke”.
“Look out at this amazing and gathering and think how incredibly lucky I am,” he said.
“The one that strikes me – a lot out here, I think, the majority of people probably only knew the very professional Professor Scolyer.
“I’m one of the lucky few to have known the unprofessional Richard Scolyer.”
He recalled attending university together in Tasmania, competing in triathlons, half-Ironman events and playing football.
“We had five years playing footy there together, and what we lacked in on-field success we made up for off the field, and Rich … was a very key part of that senior team,” he said.
“He was a reliable, solid defender and at centre half-back was pretty much undermanned. And testament to the great friendships made at the club.”
The pair quickly grew close over their love for Midnight Oil, Hoodoo Gurus, and Paul Kelly.
“We had a bit of an infatuation with Kylie Minogue for a while – I wasn’t sure what that was about,” he said, as the room erupted in laughter.
Tears welled in Jim’s eyes as he described learning of Professor Scolyer’s cancer diagnosis.
“We had dreamed of maybe doing an Ironman together and maybe racing together,” he said. “Obviously that won’t be.”
Touching scenes ahead of funeral
Dozens of cyclists have taken to Sydney’s streets in a touching display dedicated to Professor Scolyer.
The former Australian of the Year and world-renowned cancer researcher died on June 7 after a three-year battle with brain cancer.
A procession of cyclists in purple jerseys slowly made their way down Macquarie Street on Monday morning, escorted by a fleet of police cruisers with sirens blaring.
As they reached the Opera House, the riders were greeted by members of Tour de Cure, a riding group which raises money for cancer research.
Perched on the top of a white Lexus was the bicycle owned by Professor Scolyer, paying tribute to his love for the sport.
Professor Scolyer was a keen cyclist who participated in events with Tour de Cure, including cycling 500km across Tasmania in four days just 11 weeks before his death.
‘Game on’: Touching tributes
Monday’s service is being led by Hamish Macdonald, who fondly remembered the first time he met Professer Scolyer, who was wearing a T-shirt that read ‘game on, mole’.
“What stands out in my memory is a guy who walked straight into the studio, looked you directly into the eye, gave you a great big smile and in an instant, he connected,” he said.
“Richard Scolyer connected with people. When so many in our world use the freedoms that we all share to accentuate the differences between us, Richard was someone who
saw those differences and lent into them, with delight.”
Macdonald described Professor Scolyer as a “curious” person who never turned away from a challenge.
“Richard invited us all to remember him as a proud, everyday Aussie, who gave it a crack,” he said.
Sat on the stage were a pair of Ugg boots, a bicycle, a scientific instrument and an akubra, all of which played an important role in Professor Scolyer’s life.
Governor-General Sam Mostyn smiled as she paid tribute to Professor Scolyer, whom she remembered as someone who “led with profound courage, humility, generosity and openness”.
She described the moment Professor Scolyer met King Charles III, gifting him an akubra, which she said “(underscored) his mantra of prevention and sun safety”.
Notables out in force
Notable Australian figures are among the thousands of people expected to pay their respects to Professor Scolyer, who was one of Australia’s most prominent advocates for research and funding of brain cancer treatment.
Mr Albanese and his wife Jodie Haydon arrived at the service escorted by a convoy of vehicles.
He joined Governor-General Sam Mostyn, NSW Premier Chris Minns, Treasurer Jim Chalmers, Health Minister Mark Butler, and Opposition Leader Angus Taylor among the high-profile political figures already at the memorial service.
Other attendees included NSW Governor Margaret Beazley, Dennis Wilson and outspoken political activist and former Australian of the Year Grace Tame is also among the attendees.
Inside the service, Councillor Yvonne Weldon performed a Welcome to Country and took a moment to reflect on the life of Professor Scolyer.
“We are gathered here where ancient practices took place for over 65,000 years,” she said.
“Interest continuation of ancient practices, aren’t for what we need to take from each other, but, rather, what we give, and what we share, just as Richard and his family gave to all of us,” she said.
‘Indefatigable’: Scolyer remembered
Professor Scolyer was named co-Australian of the Year in 2024 alongside colleague Georgina Long, undergoing a world-first treatment they pioneered in treating melanomas.
Speaking to NewsWire ahead of Professor Scolyer’s state memorial in Sydney on Monday, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse chief clinical officer and director of research Lisa Horvath remembered her colleague and friend as “indefatigable”.
“Somebody asked me the other day what I will remember about Richard, and I will remember his massive energy. He was always, moving, always thinking of the next research question,” she said.
“He was running, he was lecturing, he was doing triathlons around the world, he was bringing up his three wonderful children with his wife.
“He was somebody who just wanted to do everything and I think you can see that in what he’s documented during his cancer journey.
“He didn’t want to leave anything out on the pitch.”
Chris O’Brien Lifehouse chief executive Michael Boyer said Professor Scolyer had left the team with a “can-do attitude”.
“Richard’s legacy was all about an approach to problems. It was this idea that you’ve got to try, you’ve got to not give up, you’ve got to do what you can,” he said.
Chris O’Brien Lifehouse has announced a new brain cancer research position in Professor Scolyer’s name.
Professor Horvath said the $5.9m grant would fund a team including a new chair of brain cancer research, researchers, and PhD students along with expanded clinical trials.
“The chair is going to be a collaboration between the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse and the University of Sydney, as well as the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital,” Professor Horvath said.
“We’re going to fill it with a clinician scientist, because that’s what Richard was … we want someone who has that patient focus but who also has excellence in research.
“We want that person to bring innovative ideas that we can turn into new treatments for brain cancers so that in the future there are more options for treatment, and people can live longer and spend more time with their families.”
Professor Horvath said she hoped the chair would help make sure Professor Scolyer’s legacy was “incredibly productive”.
“We’re going to make him proud.”
Professor Horvath and Professor Boyer have urged anyone capable to donate to Chris O’Brien Lifehouse to support their ongoing work.
Read related topics:Anthony AlbaneseSydney