A visibly emotional Bob Hawke has joined the nation in farewelling his former wife Hazel at a moving celebration at Sydney Opera House Bob Hawke arrives for Hazel Hawke's State Memorial Service at the Sydney Opera House. David Dillon pays tribute to his Grandmother at Hazel Hawke s State Memorial service was held at the Sydney Opera House today inside the Concert Hall. Picture: Taylor Adam Source: News Limited Hazel Hawke has been remembered as a woman of her times who was devoted to her children and husband. Daughter Sue Pieters-Hawke pays tribute to her mother at Hazel Hawke s State Memorial service was held at the Sydney Opera House today inside the Concert Hall. ARGUABLY Australia's most popular first lady was farewelled today in a moving State memorial service held, fittingly, at her beloved music hall at the Sydney Opera House. No less than three former prime ministers, as well as the current leader Julia Gillard, were in attendance at the 90-minute ceremony punctuated by moving, and sometimes, humorous tributes from friends and families as well as musical performances by both the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Sydney Children's Choir. Perhaps the most moving tribute of all was delivered by Hazel Hawke's grandson David Dillon who, while fighting back tears, remembered his grandmother as; ``Hazel, nan, a devoted mother, a proud Australian a great friend a loving grandmother. ``Grand in all sense. For me she stood graciously in a league of her own. ``She touched us all and gave the greatest gift of all - herself. After all this is all you can give. Hazel's daughter and eventual carer Sue Peters-Hawke also gave an emotional send-off to her mother, saying; ``It's said that you're lucky if you have a compass to hand that always points true, a voice that guides you in the direction of your most profound values and towards the best of what is possible. For me, that voice was Hazel. Former Prime Minister and ex-husband Bob Hawke was the last of the dignitaries to arrive at today's service and, while he didn't address the crowd, was moved to tears several times throughout the service. The charismatic former Labour powerhouse wiped away tears throughout a handful of musical tributes, none more so than a breathtaking performance of the famed operetta Nessun dorma from Turandot during which he was seen shaking his clenched fist. And not surprisingly he was an oft-referenced topic among the tributes, with Hawke family friend and political colleague Ralph Willis sharing a colourful anecdote about arriving home to the Hawke family residence after Bob had been named Australia's `Father of the Year' in 1971. ``As Bob said recently in a tribute to Hazel, she had to be father as well as mother to the children because of the demands of his career. ``My wife Carol and I came home with Bob that night to what we thought would be a celebration. ``Instead Hazel immediately made it clear with how unimpressed she was with this award. ``She proceeded to let Bob know in no uncertain terms what sort of father she thought he was," Willis said to a roar of laughter, adding; ``Carol and I bid a hasty retreat at that point." Willis also made note Hazel's famously infectious laugh and her broad Australian accent, the latter which he revealed was the topic of some derision at England's notoriously upper-crust Oxford University during Bob Hawke's Rhodes scholarship period during the mid-50s. `` (Her accent) was the genesis for a lot of riddles at the time," he shared. ``One was; What's the difference between a buffalo and a bison? ``The answer went along the lines of; ``One is a large bovine animal found in various continents of the world. ``The other is something that Hazel Hawke washes her hands in. Indeed the famed `cackle laugh' seemed to be remembered as somewhat of Hawke's trademark even throughout her much-publicised battle with Alzheimer's disease which, according to her daughter Sue, she referred to as `that bloody A-thing'. ``She loathed it," Peters-Hawke confided of her mother who was ultimately diagnosed with dementia in 2003. " (Despite) retiring from public life 10 years ago, she was still fiercely determined to make what difference she could to the impacts of dementia in people's lives," Ms Peters-Hawke said. She had this mantra, 'we've got to fight stigma and raise money through research, we've got to beat this bloody thing'. I heard it many a time. She would fix me with that look and say, 'I won't be able to for much longer but you lot can'. She knew that we couldn't beat it for her and she would have to live with its effects but her fear of what lay ahead for herself simply heightened her determination that it should be different for others in future. Earlier a procession of political figures past and present had alighted from cars at the entrance of the Opera House, including John Howard and his wife Janette and Paul Keating and his former wife Annita. Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her predecessor Kevin Rudd have also arrived for the event, with Mr Rudd on his way in hailing Mrs Hawke as "a great Australian." Others present include deputy opposition leader Julie Bishop, feminist Anne Summers, NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell and former Queensland premier Anna Bligh. Thousands of members of the public have come to pay tribute to Mrs Hawke, who was Australia's popular first lady while Mr Hawke was in power from 1983 to 1991. Mrs Hawke's close friend Wendy McCarthy said the turnout was "a measure of the woman whose life we are celebrating." "She redefined the role of prime minister's wife but I think her legacy ... is her capacity for friendship, and that is very special," she told reporters. Mrs Hawke died on May 23 aged 83 after succumbing to dementia. A selection of Australian artists will join the SSO in a musical tribute to her patronage of the arts and work as a dementia advocate. Journalist Margaret Throsby remembered Mrs Hawke as a champion of many causes and endeavours and a lover of music as well as an accomplished musician herself. "The arts generally and music in particular were her passions," Ms Throsby told the service. She not only loved music, she was a fine musician in her own right. She studied piano from an early age, she continued playing through her adult life until the 'big A' (Alzheimer's disease) got her. Ms Throsby's tribute was followed by Mozart's piano concerto which Mrs Hawke had herself performed in the Opera House in 1990. Tuesday's performance featured the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and pianists on three grand pianos including Simon Tedeschi. Ms McCarthy said Mrs Hawke was a woman of her time who took her marriage vows seriously and embraced her role as prime minister's wife, but she relished her new found independence after her marriage to Mr Hawke ended in 1995. So Alzheimer's came as a doubly cruel blow when it struck but she found her voice as a spokesman for the disease, Ms McCarthy said. "Hazel had a special relationship with the Australian people," she said. They felt that they knew her, that somehow she would understand their stories and concerns, that she was one of them. That they shared a common narrative about being Australian and the things that mattered - love, marriage, children, community, social justice and fairness. Ralph Willis, a former Labor treasurer and Hawke family friend said Mrs Hawke was a devoted mother and generous host to friends, though there was one time when she was "less welcoming." Mr Willis said she was less than unimpressed when Mr Hawke was named father of the year in 1971. Mr Hawke had acknowledged himself that his career meant Mrs Hawke had to be father as well as mother, Mr Willis said. Such thoughts were clearly on her mind when Mr Willis and his wife went to celebrate the award with the Hawkes. "Hazel immediately made it clear how unimpressed she was with this award and proceeded to let Bob know in no uncertain terms what his shortcomings as a father were," he said. For all that, Hazel was tremendously supportive of Bob in pursuing his career in the ACTU and federal politics. A vocal pro-choice campaigner, Mrs Hawke confessed to having had an abortion so that her former husband could pursue his Rhodes scholarship in the UK prior to his being elected to the federal leadership. She was also an advocate of reconciliation, drug education, welfare and the arts at a time when such attitudes were considered relatively progressive. Her husband was elected prime minister in 1983 and served until 1991 when Paul Keating took over the leadership.