Hundreds of friends, family, politicians and delegates, dressed in the brightest of colours, have gathered to celebrate the life of Fay Miller at a state funeral in Darwin.
Ms Miller died in April at the age of 75 after battling an incurable bone marrow cancer called myelofibrosis for several years, and a life of service to the small town of Katherine.
"Fay Miller was not to be treated lightly, whether it was [as] the member for Katherine or as the mayor," Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said during one of the eulogies provided at the Christ Church Anglican Cathedral.
Ms Miller represented Katherine in NT parliament for five years before becoming the town's mayor in 2012, where she served for almost a decade.
"She was immediately known as someone who was so enthusiastic about what she wanted to achieve for the people she represented," Ms Fyles said.
"Maybe it was that she was born in the country … and always had an affinity for those who lived [in the bush] to battle just a little bit harder to be heard because they lived away from the big smoke.
"She was determined to advocate for the town she'd come to love and she was determined she'd never leave the Territory, and she never did.
"She was a wonderful friend, we will celebrate her today and her legacy will live on."
During her time living in Katherine from 1989, she was a banker, a caravan park owner and finally a formidable advocate for the community of about 10,000 people.
She made national headlines in 2018 for demanding an apology from federal health minister Greg Hunt, who launched a verbal tirade against her on a trip to Canberra at the height of the town's PFAS contamination crisis.
In 2021, Ms Miller was made a member of the Order of Australia for her more than 30 years of service to Katherine.
In a statement from Ms Miller's husband Dennis Cheal, on behalf of the family, she was remembered as a matriarch, a guiding light, a dear mother, sister, grandmother and wife.
"Today we farewelled a dear friend — a friend of parliament, a friend of local government, a friend of the community and a great friend of territory tourism," Mr Cheal said.
"She was way too humble to entertain the possibility of a state funeral, so today she would have been just gobsmacked."
In another eulogy from family friend Alan Suter OAM, Ms Miller was described as a great storyteller whose philosophy on life was to live, laugh and love to the fullest.
"Fay's life has been so full we could have written a book had she not been struck with this disease," Mr Suter said.
"Rest in peace Fay, knowing that you squeezed every ounce of life out of yours."
A sermon was delivered by Bishop Greg Anderson, and Kristan Slack — the Rector of the Alice Springs Anglican Church — conducted the funeral service.
Ms Miller is survived by her husband Dennis, children, step-children and grandchildren.
