Goodnight possums! Barry Humphries is farewelled in a small, poetic private funeral – with family and close friends given just 24 hours’ notice
- Barry Humphries laid to rest at a private funeral on Friday
- He was farewelled by family and close friends at Bowral property
- Longtime friend Tim Storrier held the funeral at his estate
Barry Humphries has been farewelled at a private funeral by family and close friends who made last-minute arrangements to be there after being only given 24 hours’ notice.
The discreet ceremony was held at the Bowral estate of longtime friend and artist Tim Storrier on Friday in NSW’s Southern Highlands.
The beloved Australian actor and comic, known worldwide for his iconic persona Dame Edna Everage, died aged 89 last Saturday.
Barry Humphries (pictured) has been farewelled in a small private funeral in NSW’s Southern Highlands on Friday
The private funeral was held at the Bowral estate of longtime friend and artist Tim Storrier on (Mr Storier pictured with his portrait of Sir Les Patterson, a character created by Australian comedian Barry Humphries)
Mr Humphries’ wife, Lizzie Spender, is set to leave for London on Saturday and guests were only told on Thursday night that the legendary actor’s funeral was being held on Friday, The Australian reported.
‘It was a small affair, just family and close friends,’ film director Bruce Beresford said.
Also at the ceremony were Humphries’ two sons, Oscar and Rupert, who flew in from London, as well as his daughters Emily and Tessa, brother Christopher and sister Barbara.
Mr Beresford said no speeches were made, but excerpts from some of Mr Humphries favourite poems were read, including three verses from his favourite poem, The Heart of a Friend by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
‘It was very touching, very warm. Everybody was either related or a great friend of Barry’s,’ Mr Beresford said.
Mr Humphries was a lover of the arts, an avid contemporary art collector and an amateur painter himself.
His passion for art was shared with Mr Storier, one of his closest friends, who painted a 3m-high portrait of Mr Humphries dressed as his alter ego, Sir Les Patterson, which won the Packing Room Prize among the 2014 Archibald Prize entries.
The beloved Australian actor and comic, known for his iconic persona Dame Edna Everage (pictured), died aged 89 last Saturday
Following the actor’s death, Storrier wrote: ‘It seems a greater loss when a person who has made us all laugh passes on.
‘As we all know when the jester dies, the king laments. Vale old man.’
Mr Humphries returned to Sydney in December for Christmas. However, he subsequently suffered a fall that led to his hip replacement surgery.
‘He was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit,’ his family said in a statement.
His family had previously been in discussions with the Victorian government about a possible state funeral for the star. It’s unclear if that will still proceed.
Creative Industries Minister Steve Dimopoulos revealed earlier this week that talks were under way with the entertainer’s loved ones about the best ways to honour his legacy.
‘The primary mover of these things is the family because it’s their gift effectively to decide in conversation with government,’ Mr Dimopoulos said on Sunday.
‘So, yes, it could be that [a state funeral]. It could be many other things.’
Premier Daniel Andrews said Humphries would live on through his iconic writing and larger-than-life characters, particularly Dame Edna Everage who put the Melbourne suburb of Moonee Ponds on the map.
‘But at the end of the day, he was a boy from Kew with big dreams. And he achieved them,’ he posted on Twitter.
NSW counterpart Chris Minns said Humphries popularised Australian larrikinism on the world stage but he doesn’t want to ‘front run’ any potential Sydney-based gesture or ceremony.
‘[He was] an Australian legend and someone we’d love to honour,’ he said.
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