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On 7 January 2026, the funeral for retired police detective Peter Meagher, one of the victims of the Bondi Terror Attack, was held at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney.
Peter was photographing the Chanukkah by the Sea even when two men opened fire on those gathered in Bondi. He had taken up photography since his retirement from the police force.
“None of us should be here,” opened Father Richard Leonard at Peter’s service. He has known the Meagher family since he married Peter to his wife Virginia. “Peter’s life was taken suddenly, violently and far too soon. It feels wrong because it is wrong. And today the church does not pretend otherwise.”
The congregation was made up of friends and loved ones of the Meagher family, people of various faiths and politicians, including Governor-General Sam Mostyn, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and New South Wales Premier Chris Minns. Father Richard welcomed all to the celebration of Peter’s life.
“I especially want to welcome those who may not be Catholic. Long gone are the days, thank God, when anyone who is not a Catholic should feel anything but very welcome on this occasion and every occasion the church gathers for its prayer. I’d especially like to welcome our Jewish sisters and brothers, as Archbishop Fisher reminded us, within days of the Bondi Terrorist Attack, Jesus was a Jew, born of a Jewish mother, born a subject of the Jewish law, Mary and Joseph were Jews. Christians are children of the Jews. And so an attack on the Jews is an attack on all of us. “
He also welcomed other people of the world’s great faiths, including Buddhism, Muslim, Sikhism, and Hinduism.
David Meagher, the younger brother of Peter, was one of the eulogists. The editor of Gourmet Traveller shared many touching memories of his older brother, whom he called “The perfect big brother.” He described him as a gentle man with great compassion and care for his parents, family, wife and others.
“He did things by the book. And he believed that playing by the rules, whether it was in law enforcement or in refereeing, was the best way forward. He was our big brother, teacher, and protector.”
David described the “unfathomable” attack on December 12 as “unquestionably an attack on Jewish people.” A fact he says is not in dispute. However, when he heard a “very famous Australian” say that “This is not a gun problem, this is an anti-Semitism problem”, he questioned why it couldn’t be both.
“Just as we must ask why the killers did what they did, surely we must also ask how they were able to do it,” he said to the congregation. “The killer on December 14 had six legally acquired high-powered guns, which were used to kill fifteen people, including my brother. Under new laws, he would have been allowed to have four guns.”
“What can you do with six guns that you can’t do with four? Gun reform alone will not solve hatred or extremism, but an anti-Semite without a gun is just a hate-filled person. An anti-Semite with a gun is a killer.”
After the Port Arthur Massacre, Australia implemented massive gun reform. After the Bondi Terror Attack, the Government again promised to update our gun laws. New South Wales has already implemented new laws, the ones to which David is referring. In fact, if the killers had been farmers, they could legally own up to ten.
“My brother was a police officer for more than 30 years. He carried a gun every day of his working life, and he never drew it once. He was a cop, and even he didn’t need a gun. My biggest fear now about Peter is that in the years to come, when people think about him, he will be remembered mostly for the way he died.
So, if people must think of how he died instead of how he lived, David asked, that they ask themselves, “What can you do to prevent it from happening to someone else?”
Read about what the government is doing in response to the Bondi Terror Attack here.
If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, help is always available. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit their website.
