HUNDREDS of people gathered at Jubilee Park Stadium to farewell Peta Murphy on Sunday.
Murphy, the federal member for Dunkley since 2019, died on 4 December from metastatic breast cancer. She was only 50 years old.
After a livestreamed funeral with friends and family at the MCG on Friday, Dunkley residents and members of the public paid their respects to Murphy at an emotional memorial last Sunday.
On Sunday, Frankston District Netball Association’s Miranda Castle and Ailsa Kenney began by praising Murphy’s contributions to sport, including her successful advocacy for the redevelopment of the Jubilee Park Stadium which hosted the memorial. First Peoples’ Health and Wellbeing’s Karinda Taylor was next up to highlight Murphy’s efforts for Aboriginal causes.
Frankston District Basketball Association CEO Wayne Holdsworth spoke next to further highlight Murphy’s contribution to sports. He thanked Murphy for her continued support after his 17-year-old son died by suicide in October.
Peninsula Community Legal Centre’s Jackie Galloway and Frankston High School graduate Allira Reid were the next to talk. Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke was the final programmed speaker – he spoke at length about his friendship with Murphy.
“She would lift people up even when she couldn’t stand up.” Edbrooke said. “Every single one of us has the power to make our community a better place, just like Peta Murphy did.”
Before the memorial came to a close, Murphy’s husband of 24 years Rod Glover stepped forward to speak about her relationship with Dunkley’s residents.
“People in this community knew her and loved her,” Glover said. “From the strongest girl of all to the strongest community of all, care for each other.”
Glover’s speech received a standing ovation. At Friday’s funeral he told mourners that Murphy “left the way she lived – with dignity, courage, and sarcasm.”
“Peta’s goal since her cancer came back in 2019 was just to reach her 50th birthday. She managed that just a few weeks ago. (…) Peta had a chance to hear from those who loved her and shared her life,” he said. “Peta loved to champion her people. They should know that representing them was the honour of her life.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke at the MCG on Friday. He said “Peta excelled in the first responsibility of every member of Parliament. She was a wonderful local MP (…). She was so proud to be the first woman to represent an electorate named after a strong trailblazing woman.”
Murphy’s father Bob and her younger sisters Jodi and Penni also spoke on Friday. Her sisters shared words from her nieces and nephew.
Instead of flowers, Murphy requested that donations be made to Community Support Frankston. More than $20,000 has been raised so far. To donate visit frankston.net/donation-faq
