Family and friends of rugby league legend Arthur Beetson are arriving at Redcliffe's Dolphin Oval for his private funeral service.
Beetson, who hailed from country Roma, began his rugby league career with Redcliffe before going on to play for Queensland and Australia.
The first indigenous captain of any national sporting side and one of only seven rugby league immortals, Beetson died on the Gold Coast last Thursday after suffering a heart attack.
As mourners walked down alongside the Dolphin Oval football field where a marquee was set up for the funeral service, a white casket sat in the tunnel leading to the dressing room
Draped on top were an aboriginal flag, a football and Beetson's prized possession, his maroon No.11 Queensland jumper.
Many of Beetson's team-mates who spilled blood for Queensland in the first Origin game in 1980 attended Friday's service, including Wally Lewis, Gene Miles and man-of-the-match Chris 'Choppy' Close.
One of his toughest on-field opponents, English halfback Tommy Bishop was among those paying their respects, along with a host of former Australian greats, Gorden Tallis, John Sattler, Ron Coote, Brad Fittler, Graham Eadie, Sam Backo, Greg Oliphant and Wally Fullerton-Smith.
Also there was Michael Cronin - his former Parramatta team-mate - who was the victim of Beetson's clip across the head in that first Origin clash, an incident that is seen as the moment Origin came to life.
Some members of Beetson's 1975 Sydney Roosters premiership side - including dual internationals John Brass and John Peard - were among the many league luminaries attending the closed funeral service.
More recent legends of the game turned up to pay their respects including retired Queensland and Australian captain Darren Lockyer and Australia's longest serving Test forward Petero Civoniceva.
A public memorial service will be held for Beetson at Suncorp Stadium, or Lang Park as it was known when a 36-year-old Beetson led out the Maroons for the first ever Origin game.
The Nine Network will televise the service live and relay it onto big screens at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
