The Don

On Satutday I attended the funeral of Don Chipp at Saint Paul's Cathedral. I had only met him a few times and knew him more by reputation than anything. However I felt compelled to attend. Funerals have a very personal function but they also have a more community-oriented aspect and I am part of a community for which Don Chipp was a pivotal figure. Naturally there were many Australian Democrats past and present in attendance and I had a chance to spend some time with friends and colleagues following the service. But the state funeral was much more than just an event for ADs. There was a host of members of the community from all political persuasions and all walks of life. Don Chipp had a significant role in many aspects of community life and this became evident during the course of the service.

Andrew Denton (who had interviewed Don on Enough Rope and subsequently became his friend) penned and presented a poem at the 80th birthday of Don which is very much in the larakin tradition of Australian poetry. It reminded us that even seeming heroes are flawed but are known for how they changed the world. Idun (widow of Don) asked that he recite it once more for the service. It was a fantastic and funny set of verses which encapsulated the spirit of Don as a determined and driven person but also as a fun and loving one. I was reminded of an era in Australian politics that is fast fading. Expressions of political rivalry were conducted with sparkling wit and politicians engaged the electorate in packed townhall meetings. We have slowly been losing something over past decades and with the passing of Don it is that bit further away.

Senator Natasha Stott Despoja spoke movingly on the ability of Don to cut across generation gaps and be a mentor and friend to someone much younger than himself. Her sense of gratitude to him, for having started the party which has been her political home all her adult life, reminded me of my own. Technically the ADs were formed by many activists (including members of then-existing parties like the Australia Party) but it was Don who was instrumental in giving that party a kick-start like none ever seen in Australian political history. Following that he did much to steer the course of his new party to ensure it was much more than just a passing fad. And even in retirement he still monitored the progress of things and helped in times of need.

The cathedral had over a thousand in attendance and many of those would have been family and friends of Don Chipp. The family members who shared anecdotes of the life they had spent together were moving. The presentations they made gave such a sense of the loss felt by a sibling or parent or spouse that at times it was almost too much for me. One of the clergy officiating told those gathered that grief only exists because of love. The event had been an historical one and a political one. But it was also a personal one at which I was simply an observer.