Speech by Emilie Owens (on behalf of many of Odette's friends)

Detts was our sister. More than a friend, the years that we spent together shaped each and every one of us into the people we are today, and the people we will become in the future.

We will remember Detts as someone who lived each day to the fullest. Though we would often sigh and roll our eyes when, for the fifth time in an hour she would exclaim "this is the best day of my life", we knew that she cherished every second she spent with the people she loved. She never wasted a moment: she was always, always busy because she could never say no to anyone or anything and she was so eager to experience everything she could. Despite the fact that she was always so busy, everything she did, she did with fierce commitment and passion: music – be it violin, orchestra or singing; drama; soccer and study; were all juggled with amazing (though sometimes precarious) precision, to ensure that time spent with family and friends were never compromised. She even managed to party with commitment, on several occasions her enthusiastic dancing resulted in the dislocation of her infamous knee, but even this didn’t stop her and she would continue to dance on one leg!

It is hard to think of one story to tell about Detts. Having been pretty much inseparable since we met in Year 7 at age 12, all memories I have of growing up are entwined with hers. I know that all of her old friends here today will remember the High School dramas of Telopea, Narrabundah College drama productions and overseas travels which were a production in themselves. Those who met her later will remember study (or procrastination) sessions at the Nash and the Chifley libraries, road trips, music festivals and many a house party.

We are lucky to have such a close circle of friends, who are more a family than a friendship group. Though in the last few years we have been spread across the country and across the world, we have remained close and the loss of Detts has left an absence that will be felt for the rest of our lives. Though we grieve now, we must always remember that Detts looked at life as an adventure, and though hers ended too soon, she made the most of every minute.

A friend of Odette’s, Janek, has shared these thoughts with me:

"I can remember talking to her about death because I was worried about dying. She told me that there is no point in wasting your life worrying, and you might as well get on with life and enjoy every moment that you can, because life is beautiful and magic. Who could argue when life brings such people as Odette into our lives? She told me that when someone dies they are not dead; their memory will always live on in the people that knew them. She told me that a person can change others that they know for the better, and if they die then their death is not in vain as they have helped change people – and therefore the world."

So Detts will always be with us. She will be there each time we celebrate a birthday, a wedding, at every party; there each time we laugh, cry, tell a bad joke, eat a cashew, or trip over in some stupendous fashion. Her indomitable optimism, her warmth and kindness; her joie de vivre; her beauty and vivacity are a reminder to us all of what it is to live life with passion and a true generosity of spirit.

She would not want to be remembered at one point in time, but in thousands; in the beautiful details in which she took such joy. And so her spirit will shine in our eyes, and we will carry her love in our hearts forever. We thank Jill and Garrett for having and raising such a wonderful daughter and Odette for her friendship and the memories we will always cherish.

Sony by Yen Nguyen (as sung at Memorial on 28 March 2008)

Sing, sing through the rain.
Don't feel no pain. Sing

Put, put out the flames.
Please be kept safe. Sing.

There will always be blossoms for you.
I'll be trying to find my way through,
and I know that we'll meet again soon...

Swim, swim far away,
To your Swan Lake,
and hear the sound of waves,
Speaking your name,
and all that you gave. Sing.

There will always be blossoms for you.
I'll be trying to find my way through,
and I know that we'll meet again soon...

Speech by Selene

And to you Odette, I want to say, thank you.  You have blessed our lives with your spunk and flair. Your unmistakable laugh and unreliable knee. You believed in us more than we believed in ourselves and dared us to dream big. Thank you for demanding we live each moment to the fullest - even when we groaned of aching feet that had been walking 12 hours and cried desperately for water and a nap -  You’d say:

“Get up! Come on!
There’s a beautiful amazing world out there!
Hey… Let’s run down the streets and sing!”

Message from Fiona Blee

You’ve given me two gifts.
The first was showing me how fantastic life can be.
The second was showing me how quickly it can all be taken away.
You had compassion to rival your mother and your father’s sense of humour.
You gave everything you had to everyone around you.
You recognised what was special to those you cared about and you helped them to celebrate.
You cared about the little things.
You were a quiet achiever. Destined for happiness and great success.
You loved fully. Never holding back.
You were truly beautiful.
You made the most of every day. You were everywhere at once.
You saw the world in a unique light.
You took nothing for granted.
And I’ll never forget your laugh.
You still shine so bright in this dark world.

Speech by Anna Whitelaw

Dettie lived across the road from me in Rivett when I was growing up. I was born four months after her so I suppose you could say she knew me all her life. We grew up together, and I thought of her more like a sister. We believed we would be bridesmaids at each others’ weddings and godmothers to each others’ children.

The poem I will be reading was left in a envelope by an English soldier killed in Northern Ireland for his parents, and while it was originally thought to have been written by him, it remains anonymous.

Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.

I met you on only four occasions and yet these were all meetings of great intensity.

Culturally, musically and politically… you spoke with such intelligence and deep feeling, and I could not help but be immediately under your spell! I knew from the first moment that I was in the presence of a rich and complete person for whom sharing was a fundamental value, and joie de vivre, which was always visible on your beaming face, was a real religion. I know that you really loved Lyon, and being from Lyon myself, I can assure you that my city also loved you. I hope that these few words may reach you in your resting place and find you at peace. From the depths of my heart, I embrace you, Odette.

Speech on behalf of Lyon friends

We, Odette Upstill's friends here in Lyon, were able to know Odette for only two months. Two months is not a long time. Yet friendship does not depend on the quantity of time that people spend together, but rather on its quality. Whenever Odette was with us she was someone you always took notice of. It was especially her passion for music that we found impressive.

But music was not the only subject we talked about together. It was clear that Odette really enjoyed having the possibility of spending time with students from various countries and continents. She was open and inquisitive and it was plain for all to see from her questions that she was genuinely interested in foreign cultures.

The last evening we talked with Odette she explained to us that the Australian Government and Parliament had formally offered an apology to Aboriginal peoples. As she told us this she was visibly touched by this heartfelt gesture that we will keep this image forever in our memories. Odette, thank you so much for your friendship. We will never forget you!

Her death, which came sixty years too soon, has made us extremely sad. Words fail us, and we can only express our sincerest sympathies to Odette's family and friends in Australia.

In the end, we have found a line from The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, a writer who was himself from Lyon.

"And when your sorrow is comforted (time soothes all sorrows) you will be content that you have known me. You will always be my friend. You will want to laugh with me. And you will sometimes open your window, just like that, for the pleasure of it."

Speech on behalf of the 'Lyon Girls'

We are truly happy to have known you. We spent unforgettable moments with you. Whenever you came into a room, you lit it up like a ray of sunshine. Your glow illuminated our hearts. Being with you was always a pleasure. We have such fond memories of you: of when you sang to us in front of the Opera House, of the Bambis, of the night before the test when you taught us "all about Napoleon" as you sat eating cheese, of your passion for France and the colour green, of your Elvis coat, of the conversations we had with you, of your friendship, of your birthday party and the day after…of breakfast, cleaning up and pancakes in the sun.

You remain in our hearts