Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull turns out to remember his good mate, legendary cartoonist Bill Leak

CARTOONIST Bill Leak’s provocative depiction of an Aboriginal man holding a beer can and asking his son’s name united Australians in defence of free speech, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said.

• Miranda Devine: Bill Leak was good trouble. And Australia owes him
• Andrew Bolt Blog Posts: Bill Leak dies

CARTOONIST Bill Leak’s provocative depiction of an Aboriginal man holding a beer can and asking his son’s name united Australians in defence of free speech, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Friday.

Mr Turnbull was paying tribute to his friend of 30 years, who died from a suspected heart attack a week ago at the age of 61.

While Leak was hounded by the Human Rights Commission over the cartoon, Mr Turnbull told mourners yesterday that it had united the nation in defending the freedom to draw it, the freedom to agree with it and the freedom to disagree with it.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, arriving with wife Lucy, is delivering a reflection on his mate Bill Leak’s life. Picture: AAP

Australian comedian and close friend Barry Humphries turns up to the memorial — as himself rather than one of his famous characters. Picture: AAP

Former prime minister Tony Abbott arriving at the memorial. Picture: AAP

A sombre former prime minister John Howard heads into the memorial service. Picture: AAP

He said Leak, who worked for The Australian newspaper since 1994, was courageous and knew the work of the media was as important as that of politicians and the courts. Leak “punched pomposity”, he said.

Mr Turnbull joined another of Leak’s good mates, Barry Humphries, along with political leaders who had been mercilessly lampooned by Leak over the years including John Howard, Tony Abbott, Mark Latham, Graham Richardson and Immigration Minister Peter Dutton at a memorial service at Sydney Town Hall.

They sat alongside Leak’s widow Goong, sons Johannes and Jasper, stepdaughter Tasha and his ex-wife Astrid, and senior News Corp editors.

Bill Leak with his wife Goong.

Johannes Leak, 36, said of his dad: “He was a brilliant cartoonist, artist, political commentator and a shit-stirrer of the highest order.”

The Australian newspaper’s editor-in-chief Paul Whittaker said Leak had intended the controversial Aboriginal cartoon to be sympathetic to the plight of young indigenous offenders.

“Bill could not understand how his effort to confront an unpalatable truth brought the wrath of so many people down on his head,” Mr Whittaker said.

Editor-in-chief of The Australian Paul Whittaker lauded Leak’s ability to reduce complex issues to simple images that made people gasp. Picture: AAP

He read out a message from News Corp executive chairman Rupert Murdoch: “(Leak) was a fine example of the Australian tradition of free-thinking, a fearless opponent of hypocrisy and cant wherever he saw it.”

Humphries, who launched Leak’s latest book just three days before his death, described those who had hounded Leak over the cartoon as “PC (politically-correct) jackals”.

“How his laughter would have really enraged his enemies,” he said. “How it would have disappointed the humourless rabble who attacked­ him so viciously.”

Bill Leak’s controversial cartoon.

“He had intended the cartoon as sympathetic to the plight of young indigenous offenders in the Northern Territory,” Mr Whittaker said.

“Bill could not understand how his effort to confront an unpalatable truth brought the wrath of so many people down on his head.”

On desk at the entry someone has put a laminated WANTED poster of Triggs and Soutphommasane for the "untimely death of Bill Leak" pic.twitter.com/XuemIUVf9I

— Mark Di Stefano 🤙🏻 (@MarkDiStef) 17 March 2017

Malcolm Turnbull speaks, flanked by his Bill Leak 1994 portrait pic.twitter.com/G9ZciMA0KB

— Mark Di Stefano 🤙🏻 (@MarkDiStef) 17 March 2017

Mr Whittaker read out a letter from Rupert Murdoch, Executive Chairman of News Corp, the publisher of The Australian and The Daily Telegraph, to the memorial audience.

“Not only was he a masterful artist ... but he was a fine example of the Australian tradition of free thinking,” he read.

“I am proud to have known him as a colleague and a friend. You always will be the heart and soul of the Aus.”

Television presenters Peta Credlin and Paul Murray. Picture: AAP

News Corp columnist Andrew Bolt. Picture: AAP

ABC presenter Leigh Sales and editor of The Australian John Lehmann ahead of the service. Picture: AAP

Leak’s oldest son, Johannes Leak, 36, summed up his beloved dad in a few words.

“He was a brilliant cartoonist, artist, political commentator and a s… stirrer of the highest order,” he said.

One politician Leak loved to lampoon, Graham Richardson, attended the memorial looking frail using a walker to get to his seat.