THE remarkable life of social rights activist and Australian Labor Party stalwart Viv Maher was celebrated at the Icehouse basketball stadium on Saturday morning in a ceremony befitting the local icon.
Ms Maher passed away at Ashford hospital in Adelaide last Wednesday evening after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.
More than 300 people were welcomed to the service by Aunty Penny Bonney, Aunty Val Brennan and Reverend John Deer before a traditional indigenous dance was performed to honour the late social worker, who championed social justice for the indigenous population.
Between touching tributes from friends and family, the crowd sang songs including Helen Reddy’s I Am Woman and Elvis Presley’s In the Garden.
Premier Jay Weatherill and Senator Penny Wong were among those in attendance, while the likes of AFL footballer Adam Goodes and former prime minister Julia Gillard highlighted Ms Maher’s impact in a tribute video.
Eldest son Kyam recalled one of his earliest memories of his mother, which prompted knowing laughter from every corner of the stadium.
“One of my earliest memories growing up was playing cricket in the front yard and I remember my mate had just made a comment, something like ‘come on, you’re throwing like a girl’,” he said.
“Suddenly there was a bellowing voice from the verandah, ‘Martin – you wish you could do things as well as a girl, do you understand little boy?’
“We were around six years old, so lessons in gender equality started exceptionally early.”
He spoke of his mother’s legacy as a “towering strong feminist, champion of and for the Aboriginal community, fierce advocate for social justice and enthusiastic but terrible singer”.
Youngest Maher sibling Gibram said he realised his mother’s impact at age 19.
“One of the first times I truly understood how amazing mum was, was when I was working at the Kraft cheese factory when I was home on a break from uni,” he said.
“A lady came up to me and said ‘are you Gibram Maher, son of Viv Maher?’ – I was a little bamboozled but I told her ‘yes, I am’.
“She broke down in tears, gave me a big hug and said ‘your mum saved my life, if it wasn’t for your mum I would have committed suicide’.”
Cameron Maher described his mother as “caring, loving and compassionate”.
“She treated everyone equally,” he said.
Husband Jim Maher read a message from his late wife on her instruction it was “to be read at the very end”.
“Well, what is different – I’m still going to have the last words,” Mr Maher read with a smile.
“Whatever you knew me by, whether you called me Vivian, Vivvy, Mrs Maher, Aunty Viv, Mum or Grandma, remember that I love you to eternity and back, forever.”
