Howard government minister Jocelyn Newman has been remembered as a beacon of strength, courage and energy who championed women's rights.
John Howard eulogised Mrs Newman at a state funeral, held at Duntroon's Anzac Memorial Chapel on Friday.
The former prime minister paid tribute to a tenacious voice at the cabinet table and dear friend who presided over the introduction of Centrelink, family tax benefits and youth allowance.
Former Queensland premier Campbell Newman was among the mourners who gathered for the service for his mother, who died on Easter Sunday aged 80 after a battle with Alzheimer's disease.
Current ministers Marise Payne and Kelly O'Dwyer attended the service along with Tasmanian senator Eric Abetz.
Former governors-general Quentin Bryce and Michael Jeffrey were seated in the same row as Mr Howard and his wife Janette, while former ACT senator Margaret Reid led the closing prayer.
Mr Howard said Mrs Newman reminded people that all women wanted was respect and acceptance of their talents.
"She wasn't into tokenism but she was certainly into fairness and she was into equality of treatment," the former prime minister said.
Mrs Newman, who held the social services and family and community services portfolios, had a keen interest in defence after spending 14 years as an army wife to her late husband Kevin, a minister in the Fraser government.
"She lived and breathed the defence of our country," Mr Howard said.
She fought off cancer twice and was a vocal supporter of legalising euthanasia, with Mr Howard describing the passion and elegance of a parliamentary speech on the subject in 1997.
Rebecca O'Connor and Emma Roff made emotional speeches honouring their grandmother.
Mrs O'Connor reflected on a keen gardener with a sense of adventure and an incredible bond with her husband.
Ms Roff said the bulk of her memories were after Alzheimer's disease had begun to set in, but "my grandma certainly didn't stop being my grandma".
Dementia had started to take its toll on Mrs Newman during her son's 2012 election campaign, when she went missing while handing out how to vote cards at a Brisbane primary school.
They found her giving an interview to a TV crew, and attempted to extract her before realising political instinct had kicked in.
"Despite everything, grandma was perfectly articulate - and what's more - she was delivering relevant-sounding election talking points," Ms Roff said.
