Goulburn and district bids a final farewell to Robert Peden

As his funeral service heard on Friday, his final wish was to have the "cheapest coffin," to be cremated and to have his ashes scattered at his beloved Bullamalita property, southeast of Goulburn.

Up to 300 people farewelled the well known wool grower at the service, appropriately held at the Goulburn Recreation Area's Peden Pavilion. Named after his family, the venue had played host to many Southern Tablelands Merino Field Days, which he helped establish.

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There at the front, his coffin was draped in a woollen fleece and winning ribbons with cans of beer in Saint George Dragons holders on top, all set against a Bullamalita bale.

Mr Peden died on July 19, aged 79, following several strokes.

Speaking on behalf of Mr Peden's sister, Janelle, and Robert's wife, Maree, Mudgee district woolgrower Max Rayner detailed a happy childhood at Bullamalita full of fun and the odd near-death experience riding horses and learning to drive.

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Mr Peden met his lifelong love, Maree at the Braidwood races. They married in 1976 and had three children - Bronwyn, Angus and Michael.

As Maree told it, her husband was a "dreadful driver and a terrible mechanic."

"There were not too many gateposts that hadn't felt his touch. One neighbour planted a garden around his to protect it from Robert," Mr Rayner related.

Mourners giggled as later, the hearse carrying his coffin became stuck on a low point as it was moving off.

"That's Robert," his wife quipped.

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But nobody could question his wool growing ability, inherited from three generations before. Bullamalita Stud won a host of awards for its superfine wool.

"His crowning glory was winning the world champion fleece in 1991 at Texas, Queensland from 1000 entries, with a score of 99.5 points," Mr Rayner said.

There were also personal setbacks. In 2001, the stud was shutdown with OJD and five years ago, he was hit by a 4WD at the Bendigo Sheep Show. Mr Peden also developed pneumonia and was on life support for three days.

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Boorowa wool-grower and former Australian Wool Innovation chairman, Wal Merriman, remembered it well. He was told that things were grim and he should visit the hospital to say his goodbyes.

"When I arrived he was sitting up in bed and said 'what are you doing here?'" Mr Merriman related.

It was just one health scare from which he bounced back. Mr Merriman said Mr Peden was like a "cat with nine lives."

"We were mates for a long time," he said.

"I found him to be a great and loyal friend."

Another lifelong friend, Garry Seaman of Crookwell, told of humorous overseas adventures with Mr Peden, who was content with simple pleasures.

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"I can envision him today looking out over a grassy paddock, contented and with a Murray Cod swinging around in the dam and saying: 'This is alright. We've got nothing to worry about, have we?" Mr Seaman said.

Three of Mr Peden's grandchildren, Sophie and Casey and Josh Halliday, spoke lovingly of a man with a "huge heart" who took them on adventures.

"He will be there in spirit at his farm for years to come," Casey said.

He was also generous. Josephite, Sister Bernadette Mary Walsh recounted how Mr Peden donated a superfine fleece at then Parish Priest Father Dermid McDermott's request several years ago.

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He wanted it to be made into a pallium, or vestment that the Pope would later confer on Archbishop Mark Coleridge, who was to be made Bishop of Brisbane in 2012. The wool is normally sourced by The Vatican, but this was an exception.

"Dermid thought Robert's wool would be better than anything in The Vatican," Sr Bernadette Mary said.

"It would have been a first for Australian wool...Robert wasn't a church man but he was very generous to give it."

Pallbearers, including Mr Peden's two sons, accompanied the coffin out of the venue to Fats Domino's, When the Saints Go Marching In.

Afterwards, hundreds gathered as the hearse with Mr Peden in his simple coffin, covered in a superfine fleece of wool, moved off.

His ashes will be scattered at Bullamalita, among his sheep.

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