Organised by the Asbestos Diseases Society of Victoria, the private service was attended by about 300 people, including Ballarat asbestos awareness campaigner Julie Stafford, whose husband Bruce died from mesothelioma last

year.

Also from Ballarat, Liza Moran, diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma in 2002, was one of the guest speakers with many presentations backed by the University of Ballarat Choir.

The public face of the campaign against James Hardie, Bernie Banton, had been asked to be the keynote speaker but had been too ill to accept.

Mr Banton passed away early yesterday morning.

Peter Gordon, from the Slater and Gordon law firm, which has long supported the Ballarat Cancer Research Centre, shared his recollections of Mr Banton saying he embodied "the true Australian spirit".

"He did not fear authority," Mr Gordon said.

"It is fair to say that no-one articulated the case better or more succinctly than Bernie Banton.

"He became an enormous asset - and he loved it.

"We all owe him a great deal."

ADSVIC executive officer Leigh Hubbard told the audience asbestos was "not unfinished business".

"There are hundreds of thousands of homes throughout Victoria with asbestos and the governments need to do more," he said.

"This disease is here for a long, long time."

Mr Hubbard said it was time houses up for sale or rent, provided information on whether or not they contained asbestos materials.

During the service, about 100 people queued quietly to light candles and lay flowers in memory of those who had passed away.