KELLIE STEELE stood up as the casket holding the body of her husband, Federal Agent Brice Steele, was carried from the RAAF aircraft.
Mrs Steele was the only one standing, but she was not alone in her grief. The families, friends and colleagues of the five Australians who died in last week's air crash at Yogyakarta Airport surrounded her.
All had gathered yesterday morning at Canberra's Fairbairn air base to see their loved ones returned home.
In a sombre ceremony, federal police carried the five caskets holding the bodies of the Australian Financial Review journalist Morgan Mellish, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade official Liz O'Neill, the AusAID official Allison Sudradjat, and Mark Scott and Federal Agent Steele of the Australian Federal Police. A lone drummer accompanied the bearer party.
The caskets were draped in Australian flags, while those of Federal Agent Steele and Federal Agent Scott were also covered with the police flag, their caps on top.
Families spent a few minutes with the caskets before they were taken to the Kingston Forensic Centre to formalise the repatriation.
Ms O'Neill's husband, Wayne Adams, wheeled the couple's nine-month-old daughter, Lucinda, across the tarmac in her stroller. Mrs Sudradjat's family placed a photograph of her on her casket, before covering it with flowers.
Mrs Steele had to be supported as she walked away from the casket, pausing to look back as she returned to her seat.
A piper played Amazing Grace.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer, was emotional as he hugged the mourners. On Tuesday he described the crash as the worst event, "by a big margin", in his 11 years as minister.
Other federal ministers, the Leader of the Opposition, Kevin Rudd, and the Governor-General, Michael Jeffery, were at the ceremony.
Once the repatriation process is complete, funerals will be held.
Mrs Sudradjat will be buried today after a private funeral service at Canberra's mosque, while a memorial will be held tomorrow morning in the Great Hall of Parliament House.
Also tomorrow, a Mass for Ms O'Neill will be held at St Canice's Church, Elizabeth Bay, at 10am, followed by a private interment.
Ms O'Neill's family has asked that donations be made to the Jesuit Refugee Service instead of floral arrangements.
Federal Agent Steele's funeral will be in Brisbane on Monday and Agent Scott's in Canberra on Tuesday. But the details of their funerals have not been finalised.
A memorial service for Mr Mellish, who would have turned 37 yesterday, will be held at St Andrew's Cathedral in Sydney next Wednesday at 10am, followed by a private cremation.
Agence France-Presse reports: Indonesia has appointed a new air transport chief, an official said yesterday, a week after the airliner disaster that killed 21 people.
The move comes amid pressure for better air safety in Indonesia after last week's accident and a crash on New Year's Day in which 102 died.
Budhi Muliawan became the new head of air transport on Tuesday, said a spokesman, Dody Sofilin.
Mr Muliawan and Indonesia's embattled Transport Minister, Hatta Rajasa, were to make
an unscheduled inspection of the international airport in Jakarta later yesterday, the spokesman said.
The appointment came after a senior expert from a transport taskforce set up by Indonesia's President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, said air safety had hit a "low point".
"There is still room for improvement," the expert, Oetarjo Diran, said on Tuesday after submitting an interim report to Dr Yudhoyono.
SMH
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