Indigenous and political leaders pay tribute to Uncle Lyall Munro Senior

Flanked by the home-ground goal posts of his beloved Moree Boomerangs Rugby League Club, hundreds of mourners gathered on Saturday for the state funeral of Uncle Lyall Munro Senior.

During a farewell befitting one of Australia's hardest-working advocates for Indigenous equality, dignitaries including Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall, Moree Mayor Katrina Humphries and Aboriginal Employment Strategy founder Dick Estens, paid tribute to a man who dedicated his life to improving race relations.

Uncle Lyall Munro's great grand-daughter Armani Munro at his state funeral in Moree.Credit: Georgina Poole

Tributes from Indigenous leaders including Pastor Uncle Ossie Cruse, Sugar Ray Robinson, Michael Ghillar Anderson, Harry "Phillip" Hall, were a testament to his unwavering dedication to Aboriginal affairs.

While stories of his involvement in watershed movements such as the Freedom Rides in 1965 and recognition of the Myall Creek Massacre of 1838 are etched in Australian history, his legacy at a grassroots level was remembered as being just as significant.

Many Indigenous leaders paid tribute to Uncle Lyall Munro's legacy.Credit: Georgina Poole

With more than 220 direct descendants, Munro's legacy was as much about love and family as his enormous contribution to the Indigenous cause.

Munro's son Lyall Munro Junior spoke in his eulogy about the great love story between his father and his late mother Carmine May Munro, from their introduction at the Gunnedah Showgrounds through to the powerhouse the couple became during their 63 years of marriage.

Survived by his nine children, 45 grandchildren, 122 great-grandchildren and 28 great-great-grandchildren, the Munro family remains a pillar of the Moree community.

Having served as director of the Moree District Hospital for 10 years, and helping establish prominent local organisations such as the Pius X Aboriginal Corporation, Aboriginal Homecare and the Aboriginal Employment Strategy, Munro's contribution to his local community, as well as the wider indigenous cause, was enormous.

"We don't need to look elsewhere for heroes," Munro Junior said. "We have heroes here in Moree, people who can influence the goodwill of the whole community."

Get our Morning & Evening Edition newsletters

The most important news, analysis and insights delivered to your inbox at the start and end of each day. Sign up to The Sydney Morning Herald’s newsletter here and The Age’s newsletter here.