But never have all those aspects gelled as they did with Tim Fischer's state funeral.

Prime ministers present and past, Scott Morrison, John Howard and Kevin Rudd, were there along with governors-general of today and yesterday and more Nationals MPs than you imagine respond to an RM Williams catalogue sale.

Albury mayor Kevin Mack, wearing his ceremonial chain, chinwagged with Mr Rudd, while former federal treasurer Peter Costello reflected with political pals.

The funeral was catholic in both senses of the word with former Labor federal science minister Barry Jones among the speakers and vicar general Father Tony Percy offering a final blessing.

"We were both regarded by our colleagues as idiosyncratic, the coded name for weird," Dr Jones said.

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He lauded Mr Fischer's endless curiosity and willingness to put the public interest above vested interests.

Past Liberal senator and fellow former ambassador Amanda Vanstone said he had an "almost galactic range of interests", with her eyebrows once raised at him reading a trashy magazine.

"(He said) he needed to know what young people were thinking, what Powderfinger were up to, before I knew what Powderfinger was," Ms Vanstone said.

Best man Bill Baxter also had a magazine tie-in, recalling Mr Fischer's 1984 election flyer and its picture of him paddling bare-chested.

"He's written across the top of the copy he gave to me 'Cleo mate of the month' and in brackets underneath he's got 'next month's features Bill Baxter'," Mr Baxter said.

Bridesmaid to Mr Fischer's wife Judy Brewer, Sandy Venn-Brown touched on his sons Harrison and Dominic's feelings about their remarkable father.

Harrison said his dad was five people in one, a father, soldier, politician, author and diplomat with the first role the most important.

Dominic said he wanted his father remembered as a humble man who always wanted to help people.

Boree Creek was in Mr Fischer's blood and Mudgegonga and North East Victoria in his heart, Ms Venn-Brown said.

Mrs Brewer's cousin Ruth McGowan said Mr Fischer's "gift to us was to make us feel special; he made you feel as though you mattered".

Brother Tony Fischer had the final word, describing his younger sibling as a normal kid, prone to dreaming.

Though that lad could not know he would fill a theatre thanks to his life's deeds.

Yet that's exactly what happened for Timothy Andrew Fischer AC, a one-off production.