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National

The Seekers singer Judith Durham will receive a state funeral in Victoria

Australian music legend Judith Durham dies aged 79.

The Seekers lead singer Judith Durham will be honoured at a state funeral, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has confirmed.

Durham died on Friday, aged 79.

She has been remembered as an Australian treasure with the voice of an angel.

Her band mates, Athol Guy, Bruce Woodley and Keith Potger, said their lives had been changed forever by losing "our treasured lifelong friend and shining star".

Premier Daniel Andrews announced on Twitter that after speaking with Ms Durham's family,  they accepted the offer of a state funeral to honour her life and contribution to music.

Mr Andrews described Ms Durham as a "true icon of Australian music".

Judith Durham was a girl from Melbourne who became a superstar. (AAP: Julian Smith)

Durham was born Judith Mavis Cock in the Melbourne suburb of Essendon in 1943.

She changed her name to her mother's maiden name at the age of 19.

The Seekers formed in 1962 and Durham joined them a year later.

Her voice and stage presence helped propel the band to superstardom and they moved to the UK in 1964.

With their first three releases going to the top of the British charts, the previously unknown group from Melbourne knocked The Beatles off the number one spot.

They also had three top-20 singles and two top-20 albums in the US — a market notoriously difficult to crack for Australian artists.

On their return to Australia in 1967, The Seekers set an Australian record when a crowd of more than 200,000 watched their performance at Melbourne's Sidney Myer Music Bowl.

The Seekers are loved around the world. (Supplied: Bruce Woodley)

Durham made her shock decision to leave The Seekers on a tour to New Zealand in 1968.

But the band reunited a number of times in the decades since for reunion shows.

Durham died in palliative care after a short stay at Melbourne's Alfred Hospital after complications from chronic lung disease.

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