[Dean]’s father, Paul Shillingsworth, thanked the community of NSW for their support. “God bless you all,” he said.

“To Dean’s family, your little boy was such a beautiful child,” he said. “We may not have known Dean but he touched every single person here.”

“Dean was only a little baby boy none of you have even met,” she said. “Dean’s spirit has gone home to the Dreamtime. Dean was a very vibrant little man, he always had a smile on his face, he was a very lovable little baby.”

THERE were few, if any, dry eyesat sunset yesterday as hundreds of balloons were released over the lake at Mundarra Reserve in thefar western Sydney suburb of Rosemeadow.

The story of Dean Shillingsworth, 2 1/2, began as just another tale from a drug-ravaged and dysfunctional under-class. But Dean touched the nation’s conscience in a way that the deaths of few other children have done.

Last night, more than 2000 people gathered for a memorial service at the pond where 10 days ago, his body was found stuffed into a suitcase. They released balloons with Dean’s name on them and floated hundreds of candles on the water.

After the formal ceremony Dean’s extended family held a traditional Aboriginal smoking ceremony to release Dean’s spirit from thelake.

One relative, Uncle Ivan, said traditionally the spirit of a dead child needed special care to allow it to separate from the body.

He said the spirit must be released at the site of his death but the body must be returned to its traditional homeland. Dean’s funeral will be held at Brewarrina in western NSW next week.

“Remember Dean when you see the beauty of this land, remember him in the perfume of the flowers, the balloons rising in the sky, all this,” he said.

As the multicoloured balloons floated into the sky, a minute’s silence was observed.

Dean’s father, Paul Shillingsworth, thanked the community of NSW for their support. “God bless you all,” he said.

Aunt Mary from Brewarrina said the lake would remain a sacred place to every man, woman and child present.

“If you have any children or grandchildren standing beside you, hang on to them.”

The organiser of last night’s event, local resident Jason Robbins, thanked everyone for their flowers, prayers and gifts.

“To Dean’s family, your little boy was such a beautiful child,” he said. “We may not have known Dean but he touched every single person here.”

He read out a poem: “You came into our life, so sudden and so sad … an angel for sure is what you’ll be, RIP Dean.”

Dean’s great-aunt, Sharon Coffey, said it helped to know there were people who loved and cared about him.

“Dean was only a little baby boy none of you have even met,” she said. “Dean’s spirit has gone home to the Dreamtime. Dean was a very vibrant little man, he always had a smile on his face, he was a very lovable little baby.”

Funds raised last night for a memorial to “The Little Lake Angel” will ensure his sad and short life is not forgotten. Dean’s mother, Rachel Pfitzner, 26, has been charged with his murder.