Extract from ABC News
Updated
Photo: Australian political icon Tom Uren was one of the most articulate activists of his generation. (AFP)
The life and achievements of former Whitlam minister
and deputy Labor leader Tom Uren have been celebrated at a state funeral
in Sydney.
Hundreds of mourners gathered at Sydney Town Hall to
commemorate Mr Uren's time in Federal Parliament as a minister in the
Whitlam and Hawke governments and as a soldier.Mr Uren died last month at the age of 93.
His son Michael Uren led the tributes, saying his father spent his time in service of working people.
He described his father as determined, arrogant, egotistical, loving, humble, hard and very gentle.
"I love ya old fellow," said Mr Uren.
"I'm going to miss you, you old bastard."
Federal Labor MP Anthony Albanese was Master of Ceremonies for the service.
He worked for Mr Uren and described him as a father figure and mentor.
A champion of Labor and the Left
Tanya Plibersek pays tribute to Tom Uren, a politician who was always ready to speak out for the voiceless and the dispossessed.
"He was a truly extraordinary man," said Mr Albanese.
"A man with a big heart."
Other Federal Labor MPs also paid tribute to Mr Uren.
Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen said the former Member for Reid was a "lion" of the Labor movement.
The service opened with a smoking ceremony and funeral song performed by the Timorese community.
Mr Uren was deployed to Timor in World War II.
Born on May 28, 1921 in the then working-class suburb of Balmain, he experienced the poverty of the Depression first hand.
A member of the Second Australian Imperial Force (AIF), Mr Uren was deployed to Timor during World War II.
Wartime experiences inspired Uren's political activism
Taken by the Japanese as a POW, he worked on the Thai-Burma Railway and later witnessed the atomic bombing of Nagasaki from his POW camp in 1945."It reminded me of those beautiful crimson skies of sunsets in central Australia but magnified about 10 times stronger," Mr Uren said in a 2008 interview with the ABC's Talking Heads.
His wartime experiences propelled him into a life of political activism and shaped his strong anti-nuclear views.
When he returned home Mr Uren considered returning to boxing, after he started training in the sport before the war, but eventually joined the Australian Labor Party.
He was elected to the electorate of Reid in Sydney and held the seat for more than 30 years.
Mr Uren became one of the ALP's longest-serving members and was a minister in the Federal Government under Gough Whitlam and later Bob Hawke.
He was also deputy leader of the Labor Party in 1976.
A private cremation will be held after the service.
Mr Uren's family has asked for donations to be made to the Australian Red Cross in lieu of flowers.
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