For the NSW police officers meeting the body of Constable Glen Humphris at the border at Albury, it was an honour to be asked to escort him to his final resting place.
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Constable Humphris was one of the four Victorian police tragically killed in a truck crash in Melbourne.
He was farewelled at a funeral in Melbourne on Friday before Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton led a procession up the Hume Freeway on Saturday for the first leg of a journey to Newcastle.
They stopped at Hovell Tree Park in Albury for a formal, but moving repatriation ceremony attended by officers from both sides of the border and Constable Humphris' partner.
A guard of honour was formed by officers in the different shades of navy blue, who saluted the hearse as it drove through, led by NSW police on motorbikes.
Although Constable Humphris served in Victoria, NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Jeff Loy said the force was proud to escort him back to Newcastle. "We're much appreciative of the trust that's been endowed upon us for this task," he said.
"At the NSW Police force here we don't just share a border with the Victoria Police, we share a lot of duties.
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"We also share the pride, the passion and the spirit of policing and we really feel the pain when officers are lost. This whole incident, and in the last week for the Chief Commissioner has been an exceptional week for Victoria Police and very difficult.
"But it also highlights the dangerous, difficult and challenging job that policing is - we both share that."
He was presented with the constable's hat and an Australian flag to take on the journey.
"It's been a very proud and humbling moment to be part of a ceremony where we've just done a handover and a change of convoys," Chief Commissioner Ashton said.
"I want to convey my appreciation to NSW Police, not only for the show of support they've given us as colleagues in Victoria over the past week, but also for now agreeing to take on this responsibility."
Chief Commissioner Ashton was touched by officers along the Hume freeway and highway, for hundreds of kilometres either side of Albury, who paid tribute to Constable Humphris, saying he had "never seen anything like it before".
"At practically every juncture there were officers lining the freeway saluting as the hearse went past," he said.
"It was not something that was requested, members decided to do that of their own initiative.
"It was very humbling to see and I think it just shows how this tragedy has touched the whole force."
