Phyllis Pitchford, known to many as Aunty Phyllis, was a respected Tasmanian Aboriginal elder, and mentor, a poet and an author.

She was an advocate for Aboriginal and women's rights, and was placed on the Tasmanian Honour Roll of Women in 2008 for her services to Aboriginal Affairs and the Arts. So how can we, in return for her great service to the community, honour her memory?

That is the question being asked by the Tasmanian Aboriginal community, after a fundraiser was started by her family to pay for her funeral.

While it is not the responsibility of the state government to pay for an individual's funeral, there are cases where a public ceremony can be held.

These state funerals are generally offered to ministers, chief justices, governors and so on - and the costs are met by taxpayers. But there have been state funerals for non-government officials, including media tycoon Kerry Packer, broadcaster Peter Evans and racing driver Peter Brock. Steve Irwin's family was offered one, but declined.

There is a major precedent for offering state funerals to citizens who contribute greatly to their community.

And while the concept of a state funeral does not represent traditional Aboriginal burial culture, there are examples of elders being honoured through such ceremonies across Australia.

In just two examples - an Aboriginal Rights pioneer became the first Indigenous woman to be granted a state funeral in Queensland in 2017. And last year in NSW, a state funeral was held for an Indigenous land rights activist. So the question is not whether Aunty Phyllis should be honoured, but rather how she is honoured.

If a state funeral is the answer, there needs to be discussion between the state government and the Aboriginal community about what that ceremony should look like.

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