It was standing room only at Ararat’s Alexandra Gardens on Tuesday, as hundreds farewelled lovable larrikin Harold ‘Bull’ Culling.
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The prominent Ararat cycling figure lost his battle with an illness last month.
Family and friends stood across the lawn at the oval end of the gardens to reminisce on his love of motorbikes, shearing, cycling and art as the sun shone across the massive crowd.
Stories shared offered an insight into Mr Culling’s sense of humour and his love of a joke across his 49-year life, spent mainly in Ararat.
Mr Culling’s wife Tanya spoke about his natural inquisitive nature that manifested from an early age, as he enjoyed taking things apart and putting them back together.
She spoke glowingly about her husband of 24 years, sharing memories of travelling across the state and finding people who knew Bull by name.
Mr Culling’s youngest daughter Alice, 17, paid tribute to her father, reading Theodore Roosevelt’s The Man in The Arena which prompted tears and a comforting hug from her older sister Chanelle.
Following the reading, Disturbed’s cover of The Sound of Silence gave people a chance to reflect on the life and memories Mr Culling will leave with them forever.
Good friend Mark Bond shared memories of a road trip to an AC/DC concert where a McDonald’s restaurant ‘moment’ prompted laughter from mourners.
Mr Bond started his tribute by taking a swig from a bottle of beer, which garnered a round of applause from the crowd.
Mr Culling attended Ararat West Primary School, continued his education at Ararat Technical School before embarking on a rich and rewarding working life.
The cycling fanatic pursued interest in the sport after Alice and younger brother Murray started to get involved.
In later years he was president of the Ararat and District Cycling Club and volunteered hundreds of hours to assist Team VIS at the national championships.
AC/DC’s powerful 1976 track Jailbreak played as the service ended.
Following the service, the hearse and about 60 motorcycles travelled to the Ararat Velodrome for a lap of honour before he was laid to rest at the Ararat cemetery.
From there, mourners gathered at the cycling club to have light refreshments and continue sharing memories of the unforgettable Ararat figure.