Graham Richardson state funeral LIVE updates: Labor heavyweights farewell late political kingmaker, prime minister to deliver eulogy

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Watch: Graham Richardson’s funeral

Hundreds of dignitaries and political heavyweights have gathered at St James’ Church for Graham Richardson’s funeral. Watch below.

11.28am

Prime Minister delivers eulogy

By Angus Dalton

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has paid tribute to Graham Richardson in a eulogy that noted the Labor giant was the younger ever senator when he began his political career in 1983.

Albanese honoured Richardson’s contribution to the environment in his eulogy. Richardson successfully advocated that the Daintree Rainforest be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988, and the prime minister quoted him saying: “My memory won’t be around for very long, but the rainforests of north Queensland will be around forever”.

The prime minister has also touched on Richardson’s more notorious side, characterising his life as “colourful” and that he exuded a “whatever it takes” attitude. “He was never one to consider losing as a valid option,” Albanese said.

Anthony Albanese delivers Graham Richardson’s funeral.

11.11am

Amanda Richardson arrives with son D’Arcy

Graham Richardson’s wife Amanda and son D’Arcy arrived shortly before the service commenced.

Amanda Richardson (right) arrives with her son D’Arcy.

11.09am

Tony Abbott and Blanche D’Alpuget greet prime minister

Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and writer Blanche D’Alpuget have greeted Anthony Albanese as they took their seats.

Graham Richardson was a major figure in the government of D’Alpuget’s former husband Bob Hawke.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with Tony Abbott and Blanche D’Alpuget.

11.00am

Anthony Albanese arrives, service almost under way

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has arrived for the state funeral of Graham Richardson. He will deliver the eulogy for the Labor giant.

The service is about to begin.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrives.

10.49am

In pictures: Politicians, philanthropists filter in

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, Nationals Senator Matt Canavan and Labor Senator Tony Sheldon are among the mourners who have filtered into St James’ Church.

10.45am

Artful dodger, kingmaker, spiv: Read our obituary

By Damien Murphy

Artful dodger, kingmaker, spiv, front bar wit, grey eminence, raconteur, Graham Richardson shaped the Australian Labor Party in his own image, and when it was no longer of use to him, he blithely lay down with its enemies, the Packers and the Murdochs, and spent his last years opining fearlessly for his new masters.

A former NSW ALP general secretary and NSW senator, as leader of the NSW Right, Richardson was instrumental in installing Bob Hawke as federal leader and then dumping him in favour of his “mate” Paul Keating.

Then senator Graham Richardson (left) and prime minister Bob Hawke in 1990.

Richardson once said that loyalty was the only virtue. He put the true value of forgiveness in politics as nil, and his winner-takes-all persona was so successful that it turned Labor’s default position from reform to pragmatism.

Yet, he was a prodigiously able administrator, a spectacularly successful political fundraiser and a surprisingly wily and competent minister until his penchant for wheeling and dealing tripped him up.

Read the full obituary.

10.40am

Disgraced broadcaster Alan Jones makes rare public appearance

By Kishor Napier-Raman

Disgraced broadcaster Alan Jones has made vanishingly few public appearances since being charged with indecent assault and sexual touching offences last year.

But Jones, who faces trial in 2026, was among the mourners who arrived at late Labor powerbroker Graham Richardson’s state funeral on Tuesday.

Alan Jones makes a rare public appearance at Graham Richardson’s state funeral.

The pair were Sky News colleagues, co-hosting the show Richo + Jones, which ran for several years, before Mark Latham replaced Richardson as a permanent host due to his ill health.

Jones entered quietly through the public entrance, likely to keep some distance from the gathered media scrum.

Alan Jones arrives ahead of the service.

10.37am

Albanese to deliver eulogy, Marles to pay tribute

By Angus Dalton

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to deliver the eulogy for Graham Richardson during the service this morning.

The prime minister has previously described Richardson as a Labor legend and a “formidable character” in the machine politics of the party.

Albanese’s deputy, Richard Marles, will also pay tribute, as will former Coalition minister and ambassador to the Holy See, Keith Pitt.

Inside St James’ Church ahead of the state funeral for Graham Richardson.

Graham Richardson’s coffin arrives at St James’ Church.

10.27am

‘Not compatible’ with a Catholic funeral: The last-minute venue change

By Angus Dalton

Graham Richardson’s funeral was planned for St Mary’s Cathedral but a last-minute change on Friday saw the venue swap to St James’, an Anglican church.

The change followed a breakdown in what Richardson’s family hoped for the funeral and what the Catholic Church would allow, The Daily Telegraph reported on Saturday.

One of the reported sticking points was that the church wouldn’t allow Richardson’s coffin to be draped with the Australian flag, or the flag of the St George Dragons.

The coffin arrives ahead of the state funeral for Graham Richardson, draped in the St George Dragons flag.

A spokesperson for the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney confirmed “some requests were not compatible within a Catholic funeral rite which is primarily a moment of prayer, and we respect the family’s request to relocate the funeral”.