Bondi terror attack victim Peter Meagher's brother sends out poignant message at funeral

Wednesday, 7 January 2026 17:01

The 61-year-old was a highly decorated police detective as well as a loving family man and pillar of the Randwick rugby club.

The brother of Bondi terror attack victim Peter Meagher has used his eulogy to deliver a poignant message to the NSW Premier Chris Minns and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on gun reform.

The 61-year-old was a highly decorated police detective as well as a loving family man and pillar of the Randwick rugby club.

"Every text message, WhatsApp and voicemail from Peter begins with 'hi darling' and ends with 'I love you'," his wife Virginia said at his funeral today.

Peter Meagher has tonight been laid to rest, remembered for his extraordinary life of service.

Meagher was working as a freelance photographer capturing Hanukkah celebrations at Bondi before the terrorists opened fire.

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Michael Fitzgerald said he was a man who "believed in justice, and believed in good".

Today, during his funeral service in St Mary's Cathedral, Peter's brother, David, used his eulogy to send a strong message about gun reform.

"Gun reform alone will not solve hatred or extremism, but an antisemite without a gun is just a hate-filled person," he said.

"An antisemite with a gun is a killer.

Peter Meagher, a former police officer and Randwick Rugby volunteer and manager, was working as a freelance photographer at the Hanukkah event when he was shot during the Bondi Beach terror attack.

"The killer on December 14 had six legally acquired high-powered guns.

"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?"

Meagher referenced the rushed reforms through state parliament in the wake of the attack that claimed 15 innocent lives before asking friends to remember his brother for the life he lived rather than his death.

"But if you do think about how his life ended, perhaps reflect on what can be done to prevent it from happening to someone else."

The call to lawmakers was made shortly before Peter's coffin was saluted by the federal and NSW police commissioners, and blessed by the prime minister and premier.

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.