BELLS pealed out over Orange in the NSW central west yesterday for the passing of its favourite son and greatest champion, Peter Andren.

Crowds spilled into the street from the Holy Trinity church, where a service that blended Aboriginal and High Anglican symbolism proved more a celebration of a remarkable man’s life than a normal funeral.

The fiercely independent and widely admired MP for the seat of Calare was remembered as an uncompromising, compassionate and principled man whose spirited representation of his constituents won their devotion. As the order of service recorded: “He loved his family, he loved his country and he loved its people. And in return they loved him.”

During the lengthy funeral there were tributes from family, former work colleagues and politicians who spoke of his integrity and decency. In a break from tradition, the crowd at one point burst into sustained applause.

Greens senator Bob Brown described Mr Andren as “the refreshing rain of decency in the parched land of politics”.

“He was the conscience of Australia’s parliament,” he said.

Political colleague Borry Gartrell described him as a man who was “of the people, for the people”. Tim Payne and Tim Mahony, who worked for Mr Andren in his office, described a “leader of staff” whose principled stands on many issues, from Iraq to theGovernment’s use of the Tampa incident for electoral gain, had inspired all those around him.

Mr Andren’s youngest son, Josh, his voice breaking, spoke of his father’s love of literature and read a much-loved poem, On The Night Train, by Henry Lawson.

Mr Andren’s brother Max remembered the idyllic rural childhood they shared as “railway kids”, fascinated by the impact of steam trains on the coins they placed on the tracks. He said their father Victor’s sense of fairness and belief that all men should be treated equally was a guiding beacon that motivated Mr Andren throughout his life.

Mr Andren’s partner, Valerie Faber, a childhood sweetheart he met later in life after two divorces, said the short and severe nature of his illness from pancreatic cancer had meant many of his friends and admirers had not had the chance to say goodbye. She thanked people for the thousands of messages of support the family had received and said Mr Andren was enormously proud of his sons, Greg and Josh, but also treated his staff like his extended family.

The service concluded with a recording of a song, Country Town, written and recorded by Mr Andren: “Boys played cricket while thegirls watched hard; We sneaked a kiss while our mates kept guard.”

After the service, the hearse was driven through the streets of Orange as its residents applauded.

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