Tributes flow for former Liberal politician Bruce Baird at Sydney funeral

A funeral service has been held at Sydney's St Andrew's Cathedral to farewell respected former Liberal politician Bruce Baird, who passed away suddenly at the age of 84.

Mourners from across the political spectrum attended the service, including the Baird family, former prime minister John Howard, former attorneys-general Phillip Ruddock and George Brandis, former NSW premier Nick Greiner, opposition frontbencher Natalie Ward, and former 2GB host Chris O'Keefe.

The Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Kanishka Raffel, began the ceremony, noting the diverse range of attendees.

"There are people here from across the wide spectrum of Bruce's engagement and contribution," he said. "He was esteemed and appreciated by the swimming community, by church friends, by humanitarian co-workers, by political colleagues on both sides of the aisle, by members of his electorate, friends, family."

The service was led by senior minister Bruce Clarke, who shared a personal anecdote about swimming with Baird at Manly.

"He was a remarkable man, intelligent, hospitable, caring, a man of strong convictions, yet with a very warm and generous heart, who always extended his arm out to help others and to include them and to care for them," he said.

"He was quite remarkable in the way he would welcome people in, particularly refugees."

Baird's daughter, Julia Baird, described her father's sudden death on October 2 as feeling like an "eclipse", leaving his family shocked.

"It feels like an eclipse, when your father dies. Everything suddenly black, then sore eyes and the world cast in another kind of light," she wrote.

Julia Baird remembered her father as a "fit, extroverted" man who loved ocean swimming and had many friends.

"He taught the three of his kids to be bold, to step with certainty and to dream big, 'You go for it', he'd say."

Former politician Julie Bishop paid tribute to Baird, recalling their friendship which began in 1998.

"It's said that in the world of politics there are no permanent friends and no permanent enemies, just permanent interests," she said. "Well, I consider my friendship with Bruce to be an exception to that rule and I treasured it."

Baird was remembered as a "true parliamentarian" with a "wonderful heart" whose contributions to NSW and Australia were "extraordinary".

He served as the federal member for Cook in the Sutherland Shire from 1998 to 2007 and was later appointed as the chair of the Refugee Resettlement Advisory Council in 2008.

In 2010, Baird was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia.