David Polson was one of the first 400 men in Australia to be diagnosed with the virus in the 1980s and took-part in dozens of drug trials throughout his treatment.
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00:00It was the soundtrack to his final weeks, the music of his favourite opera star, Maria
00:08Callas.
00:09He enjoyed a few G&Ts and Verve Clicquot, usually just on a mouth sponge, but only the
00:15day before he died, at about six in the morning when a nurse was looking after him, he asked
00:22her very clearly for a gin and tonic in a glass.
00:27From the grave, David Poulsen played stage manager.
00:30All of the music you will hear today was chosen by David and specified in his will.
00:35David confronted his mortality at just 29, when he was one of the first diagnosed with
00:40HIV AIDS in Australia.
00:42This little voice said to me, no, no you are not going to die.
00:47So determined to live, he took part in 28 drug trials.
00:51The advances from which have brought HIV AIDS within our control.
00:55The work led to a drug treatment called PrEP, which stops people contracting HIV.
01:00David was awarded an AM for his service.
01:03He had the ability to get things done, to translate that vision into reality.
01:08Giants of media and law paid their respects.
01:11The Premier even read a verse from the musical Wicked.
01:14We are who we are today because we knew you.
01:17Guests wore a touch of red in recognition of David's contribution to HIV research.
01:22He was the first queer advocate to have been honoured with a state memorial.
01:26His final gift was Q-topia, Sydney's first queer museum, which he helped found.
01:31I think it's incredibly powerful that his dream of Q-topia was something that he got
01:35to see within his lifetime.
01:37David was 70.