Remembering Bill Hunter…
"People loved Billy. What you saw was what you got," friends and colleagues of the late Bill Hunter were told at a memorial in Melbourne.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
Film, television, stage and showbiz colleagues gathered for a memorial to pay tribute to the late actor Bill Hunter today at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne.
Hunter, who was born on 27th February 1940 in Ballarat, died on Saturday following a battle with cancer, aged 71.
The memorial opened with a song by Paul Kelly and a eulogy read by actor Rod Mullinar.
“People loved Billy. What you saw was what you got. The straight-up-and-down, authentic, genuine Aussie bloke,” said Mullinar.
Mullinar then read a Banjo Patterson poem, “A Mate Can Do No Wrong.”
Hunter’s niece Kate read a message of thanks who aid his generosity of spirit was extraordinary, and who possessed a ‘high bullshit meter.’
“You added colour and passion to all of our lives, and mostly I thankyou for being just the way you were,” she said.
There were also memories of Hunter’s early swimming achievements, as the first Victorian to break the 100m freestyle in a minute.
Hunter’s agent Mark Morrissey and actor David Field were also acknowledged for their friendship by Hunter’s wife.
She described him as, “A wonderful husband, a great father but a true knowledge-keeper.”
There were strong links to Hunter’s links to the Indigenous community, from actor Gary Foley.
“Billy Hunter knew and understood, black fellas,” he said.
But Foley also used the moment to politicise by saying Hunter knew more about the Indigenous community than Federal Minister Jenny Macklin. He also made statements about “land rights”, issues that were passionate to Hunter.
Mark Morrissey said Hunter was his mentor, who taught him how to act professionally as an agent. He read messages from colleagues including Phillip Noyce, and Gillian Armstrong.
Actor David Field even recalled a Bill Hunter acting lesson observed from inside a pub. “Can’t learn that at NIDA mate,” he said.
“So many yarns,” he remembered….
“I miss you mate, I love you uncle, never forget you.”
Mick Molloy introduced a film package, acknowledging a staggering amount of work that couldn’t be included in the piece.
The memorial, screened live on ABCNews 24, closed with another song by Paul Kelly, “Leaps and Bounds.”
With that, everyone headed for the pub.
Thanks, Bill…
4 Responses
I was on the same flight as Bill Hunter once when I was heading home from Ballina to Sydney a few years back. He managed to charm the stewardess into giving him a beer – not a bad effort for a wee little domestic ‘non-drinking’ Qantas flight, and at 10.30 in the morning to boot! He’ll be missed.
Wish I knew it was being televised. No chance they’d be replaying it later tonight I guess?
I watched itvery emotional RIP bill
It was requested by colleagues of Bill’s that everyone ‘raise a glass’ in his memory at 6pm tonight (May 26) as everyone would either be at home or near a pub at that time — so I’m heading down to the public bar of Young and Jackson’s tonight to do just that — thanks Bill for all the great performances and the life lessons you gave a lot of us in doing so.