Private man of integrity

ZELMAN Cowen's legacy will live on in those he mentored.

ZELMAN Cowen was a giant of a man. His record of achievement as a legal scholar, educator and public intellectual has few parallels in Australian life.

As our nation's 19th governor-general he set a standard that is the benchmark for all those who have followed.

His reputation was impeccable, based on a life lived with honesty and integrity, to a degree that is seldom found.

Sir Zelman's life and work won equal plaudits from both sides of the political divide. He was always above the rancour of partisanship.

But it was the private man who was so special to those who had the privilege of knowing him.

He was humane and decent, humble yet proud. One could not find a more loyal and caring friend, deeply interested as he was in another's wellbeing.

He mentored many young people, who gravitated into his orbit. Each sought his wisdom and advice, which were always dispensed with a generosity of spirit. Age was no barrier to friendship with Sir Zelman, for he would elevate you to his level, making you feel comfortable in his presence.

I vividly remember my first meetings with him nearly two decades ago, when his humour and wit quickly put this young boy at ease.

He never needed to demand respect or command obedience but, by virtue of his very nature and being, he simply earned it.

Right to the very end of his life, including the day of his passing, I, and many others like me, listened intently to his every word, knowing we were in the presence of greatness. He was an example and inspiration, and it is through those whom he mentored, and his extended family, that his legacy will live on.

Sir Zelman's intellectual brilliance and firm moral compass were equally matched by a deep sense of his own identity.

It is said that to know where you are going you have to know where you come from. Sir Zelman knew this.

He was proud of his immigrant background and his Jewish faith, and never sought to distance himself from his heritage during his long and distinguished career.

He was a devoted family man and one-half of a 66-year-long perfect marriage.

Lady Anna Cowen is brilliant in her own right and was the source of much of Sir Zelman's strength. As governor-general the "touch of healing" he brought to the nation was equally hers. His love for Anna knew no bounds and I am not the first to say that, barring a small issue of Jewish tradition, she would be a saint.

Looking back at Sir Zelman's life, it is as if he was destined for greatness from the very beginning, born as he was on the day Alfred Deakin died.

As a schoolboy he knew he had special talents and at every step of the way he brought them to bear.

It is our nation's good fortune that such a gifted and principled man devoted his life to public service.

We are all saddened by his passing but can be proud of his legacy and the many lives he has touched. I am proud to call such a great Australian a friend.

Josh Frydenberg is the federal member for Kooyong.