A state funeral unlike any other has been held in regional Victoria today to honour a long-serving leader of Bendigo’s Chinese community.
Russell Jack was farewelled in a traditional Cantonese mourning lion ceremony, believed to be the first in living memory for the region.
A state funeral has been held in Bendigo today for Russell Jack AM. (ABC News: Anna McGuinness)
Victorian Premier Ben Carroll did not attend today’s state funeral, but instead announced this morning that he was forming an independent, bipartisan panel to review how Victoria commemorated officials with state services and statues.
Former premiers Jacinta Allan and John Brumby were in attendance.
In her tribute at the funeral, Ms Allan described Mr Jack as “one of Bendigo and Victoria’s greatest”.
She said Mr Jack was a “proud Chinese Australian” who shared his culture “generously”.
At the conclusion of Russell Jack’s funeral, the white mourning lion was burnt along with traditional paper offerings. (ABC News: Anna McGuinness)
“Russell was such a proud Chinese Australian. He lived and breathed his culture and also, too, so significantly, he shared it generously,” Ms Allan said.
“And it is thanks to Russell that right here in Bendigo we are home to a living record of the contribution Chinese Australians have made to Bendigo but also too, to our nation.”
Jacinta Allan spoke at the state funeral of Russell Jack in Bendigo on Saturday. (ABC News: Anna McGuinness)
Ms Allan said: “[Mr Jack had] ensured that the story of the Chinese migrants who came here to the goldfields of Central Victoria in the 1850s but who then stayed, worked hard and raised their families here would be honoured, would be remembered and would be celebrated.”
Anita Jack said her father’s legacy, beyond the institutions he built and heritage he preserved, was the “lives quietly altered”.
Russell Jack’s daughter Anita, with her daughters Stellina and Amelita Baxter, walks behind the hearse at today’s state funeral in Bendigo. (ABC News: Anna McGuinness)
“To Dad it was simply taking interest in a young person who at that moment needed someone to see something worthwhile in them,” she said.
“We are immensely proud of him and know how extraordinarily lucky we are.”
Richard Louey, a longtime participant in the dragon team at the annual Bendigo Easter parade, also said Mr Jack’s care for children in need was “his single most important legacy”.
Russell Jack “devoted his life to ensuring that Bendigo’s Chinese traditions did not disappear”, his family says. (Supplied: The Jack family)
Mr Jack led the Bendigo Chinese Association for more than 30 years, established the Golden Dragon Museum and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for service to the preservation of Bendigo’s Chinese heritage and culture.
The traditional Cantonese white mourning lion is distinct from the bold, bright colours seen at celebrations such as the annual Bendigo Easter Parade.
Two members of Bendigo’s lion team were chosen to perform the white lion, with six others playing a low, sombre beat on instruments.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime occasion for some members of our lion team,” Bendigo Chinese Association president Doug Lougoon said.
The state funeral ends with the ceremonial burning of the white mourning lion at Bendigo Cemetery. (ABC News: Anna McGuinness)
The mourning lion was made especially for the occasion in Hong Kong, by the same maker of Bendigo’s newest, 125-metre dragon, Dai Gum Loong.
“There’s a real great connection between the family and the dragon maker Master Hui,” Mr Lougoon said.
The lion accompanied Mr Jack and his family through Bendigo’s Dai Gum San Chinese precinct, and on to the state funeral service at Ulumbarra Theatre.
Russell Jack with Prince Charles and Princess Diana in Bendigo in 1983. (ABC News)
At Bendigo Cemetery, the elaborate display of Chinese culture ended with the ceremonial burning of the mourning lion and firecracker.
Each guest was given an offering, a small coin and a lolly to remove any “bitterness” before they returned home.