Thousands of mourners have gathered at the Sydney Opera House for the state memorial for former Australian of the Year Richard Scolyer on Monday.
The pioneering cancer researcher died on June 7 at the age of 59, following a three-year battle with brain cancer.
His family held back tears as they shared their tributes and favourite moments with the beloved scientist.
Professor Scolyer’s wife, Katie, remembered him as a social butterfly who loved meeting new people.
“I think he had a special ability to put people at ease, and for them to feel the warmth and kindness of his spirit,” she said.
She recalled how their first date was an unplanned adventure on their bikes and it was the perfect metaphor for their lives together.
“We headed out and spent hours together, laughing, having so much fun and we were pretty much inseparable since,” she said.
Professor Scolyer’s three children also shared their tributes, recalling their childhood memories with him.
“Dad was always my biggest, and best cheerleader who encouraged me to give everything a go, even if I was the youngest,” his daughter Lucy said.
His son Matt, recalled their shared love for football, while eldest daughter Emily said that her father would always proudly say that his children were his greatest achievement.
“From his countless professional successes to competing if triathlon and multisport internationally, but somehow he said we were his greatest achievement,” she said.
“We’re not sure how true this is, we can’t really compete with being awarded Australian of the Year, but we treasure every moment we spent with dad.”
Earlier in the memorial, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese led tributes, remembering the beloved scientist as a “man of courage, curiosity, generosity and kindness”.
“In the great constellation of the Australian story, Richard was, without question, one of our brightest stars,” he continued.
“A man grounded in the love of his family. We mourn a life cut far too short.”
Albanese also honoured Professor Scolyer’s work in cancer research, saying: “Richard did so much to push back the shadow of melanoma and one day, when a cure for brain cancer is at last found, his name will be spoken, all of us will be able to say – we knew him, and he gave us hope.”
NSW Premier Chris Minns and Professor Scolyer’s best friend Jim Finlay were also among those who paid tribute to the scientist.
General Sam Mostyn, Treasurer Jim Chalmers, Health Minister Mark Butler, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor and Grace Tame were among the high-profile figures in attendance at the memorial service.
On Monday morning, dozens of cyclists in purple jerseys took to the streets, as part of Tour de Cure, to raise money for cancer research.
They were escorted by a fleet of police cruisers, and a white lexus that followed them with Professor Scolyer’s bicycle on top of it, as tribute to his love for the sport.
Just 11 weeks before his death, Professor Scolyer, took part in the Tour de Cure, cycling 500km across Tasmania in four days.
In 2024, he was named Australian of the Year alongside colleague Georgina Long for their groundbreaking melanoma research and advances in immunotherapy.
Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, the leading Sydney cancer treatment and research centre where Professor Scolyer worked, announced a new brain cancer research position in his name.
A $5.9m grant will fund a new team of dedicated cancer researchers and expanded clinical trials, in collaboration with the University of Sydney as well as the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
“We’re going to fill it with a clinician scientist, because that’s what Richard was … we want someone who has that patient focus but who also has excellence in research,” the centre’s chief clinical officer and director of research Lisa Horvath said.
“We want that person to bring innovative ideas that we can turn into new treatments for brain cancers so that in the future there are more options for treatment, and people can live longer and spend more time with their families.”
She hoped the new chair would help continue Professor Scolyer’s legacy, saying: “We’re going to make him proud.”
Image: 9News
