Australia's prime minister Anthony Albanese has spent the better part of the last fortnight defending his decision to declare today a national day of mourning.
At an official memorial service at Canberra's Parliament House, he has argued the whole nation can reflect upon the Queen's life.
There were relatively few members of the public in Canberra for the memorial.
But almost 600 dignitaries were estimated to be in attendance at the official service, including former prime ministers Scott Morrison, John Howard, and Paul Keating.
Many of the dignitaries laid floral tributes at the centrepiece of the service - a 1954 painting of the Queen by eight-time Archibald Prize winner Sir William Dargie.
A group known as the Waridjuri Echoes escorted the official party into the Great Hall to begin the service and an elder conducted a formal Indigenous welcome to country.
But that was little comfort to the crowds gathered in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne for their own mourning service.
Among the protestors was also federal Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe.
The services held by the protestors were not for the Queen - this was about what they say is the ongoing impact of colonisation.
Wayne Wharton is from the Kooma Mudday mob.
He says the monarchy in Australia needs to go.
This protest organiser of an Abolish the Monarchy march in Melbourne says it has been almost impossible to watch Australians grieve for a Queen who represents so much heartache for Indigenous people.
