A state funeral was held on Wednesday for legendary Australian radio broadcaster John Laws, who died on 9 November at age 90. The service at St Andrews Cathedral in Sydney drew more than 800 mourners, including former prime minister John Howard, billionaire Lindsay Fox, and Olympian Dawn Fraser.
Academy Award-winning actor Russell Crowe, a longtime friend and neighbour, delivered a eulogy that balanced reverence with irreverence. Crowe recalled that Laws gave his son a bottle of Wild Turkey bourbon at his first birthday party, and joked about the broadcaster's role in the 1999 cash-for-comment scandal, saying his own remarks were 'less obvious'.
Laws, known as 'the Golden Tonsils' for his baritone voice, had a seven-decade career. His golden microphone was placed on his coffin during the service. Eulogist Paul Warren noted Laws' versatility as a singer, songwriter, actor, and salesman, and said he won 92 radio surveys in a row at his peak, with over 2 million listeners.
The Reverend Michael Jensen, who gave the sermon, said Laws retained the common touch despite his wealth. 'It's a long way from Woolloomooloo to Walgett. But John spoke Walgett fluently,' Jensen said. He also revealed he gave Laws a Bible after the death of his wife Caroline in 2020.
Crowe addressed the contradiction of Laws presenting 'invective laden opinion' on air while ending his show with 'be kind to each other'. He said it was part of the performance of a great showman who called himself an entertainer, not a journalist. 'The performance for today was at a close. The show was done. Be kind to each other,' Crowe concluded.
