Former prime minister Bob Hawke is at the Sydney Opera House where a memorial service for his former wife Hazel Hawke is about to get underway.
As the rain cleared and the sun came out, a procession of political figures past and present alighted from cars at the entrance of the Opera House, including John Howard and his wife Janette and Paul Keating and his former wife Annita.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her predecessor Kevin Rudd have also arrived for the event, with Mr Rudd on his way in hailing Mrs Hawke as "a great Australian".
Others present include deputy opposition leader Julie Bishop, feminist Anne Summers, NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell and former Queensland premier Anna Bligh.
Thousands of members of the public have come to pay tribute to Mrs Hawke, who was Australia's popular first lady while Mr Hawke was in power from 1983 to 1991.
Mrs Hawke's close friend Wendy McCarthy said the turnout was "a measure of the woman whose life we are celebrating".
"She redefined the role of prime minister's wife but I think her legacy ... is her capacity for friendship, and that is very special," she told reporters.
Mrs Hawke died on May 23 aged 83 after succumbing to dementia.
A selection of Australian artists will join the SSO in a musical tribute to her patronage of the arts and work as a dementia advocate.
Journalist Margaret Throsby remembered Mrs Hawke as a champion of many causes and endeavours and a lover of music as well as an accomplished musician herself.
"The arts generally and music in particular were her passions," Ms Throsby told the service.
"She not only loved music, she was a fine musician in her own right.
"She studied piano from an early age, she continued playing through her adult life until the `big A' (Alzheimer's disease) got her."
Ms Throsby's tribute was followed by Mozart's piano concerto which Mrs Hawke had herself performed in the Opera House in 1990.
Tuesday's performance featured the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and pianists on three grand pianos including Simon Tedeschi.
Ms McCarthy said Mrs Hawke was a woman of her time who took her marriage vows seriously and embraced her role as prime minister's wife, but she relished her new found independence after her marriage to Mr Hawke ended in 1995.
So Alzheimer's came as a doubly cruel blow when it struck but she found her voice as a spokesman for the disease, Ms McCarthy said. "Hazel had a special relationship with the Australian people," she said.
"They felt that they knew her, that somehow she would understand their stories and concerns, that she was one of them.
"That they shared a common narrative about being Australian and the things that mattered - love, marriage, children, community, social justice and fairness."
Ralph Willis, a former Labor treasurer and Hawke family friend said Mrs Hawke was a devoted mother and generous host to friends, though there was one time when she was "less welcoming". Mr Willis said she was less than unimpressed when Mr Hawke was named father of the year in 1971.
Mr Hawke had acknowledged himself that his career meant Mrs Hawke had to be father as well as mother, Mr Willis said.
Such thoughts were clearly on her mind when Mr Willis and his wife went to celebrate the award with the Hawkes.
"Hazel immediately made it clear how unimpressed she was with this award and proceeded to let Bob know in no uncertain terms what his shortcomings as a father were," he said.
"For all that, Hazel was tremendously supportive of Bob in pursuing his career in the ACTU and federal politics."
