Solemn Lindy Chamberlain arrives at ex-husband Michael's funeral - as friend reveals he died without the 'closure' of an apology for being accused of baby Azaria's murder

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Rest in peace: Dozens of mourners gathered to pay their respects to Michael Chamberlain, who died last week to leukemia complications aged 72

Michael Chamberlain - who fought a bitter, decades-long battle to prove his baby daughter Azaria was snatched from his car during an Uluru camping trip - was still looking for closure before he died.

Mr Chamberlain's defence lawyer and friend, Stuart Tipple, says there were two things on the 72-year-old's mind when he spoke to him the day before he died in hospital of leukemia complications last Monday.

'He did want an apology from the Northern Territory and it still hasn't been received,' Mr Tipple said outside Avondale College Church in Cooranbong near Lake Macquarie, NSW, ahead of Mr Chamberlain's memorial service on Monday.

'The other thing he really had his heart set on was being able to place a plaque at (Ayers) rock,' Mr Tipple said.

Mr Chamberlain and his former wife Lindy made headlines around the world in 1980 when their nine-week-old daughter Azaria was taken from a tent during a family holiday at Uluru.

The young couple were ultimately charged and then exonerated over Azaria's death, sparking one of the most polarising and long-running legal sagas in Australian history. 

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In mourning: Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton (pictured) is seen being escorted into the memorial service for her former husband Michael in Cooranbong, north of Sydney

Ms Chamberlain-Creighton and her former partner Michael were subjected to enormous scrutiny and speculation in the 1980s, after claiming Azaria was killed by a dingo

Aiden Chamberlain - the son of Lindy and Michael - was among the dozens of mourners to gather at Avondale College Church on Monday

The order of service featured pictures of Michael Chamberlain with his family and motor vehicles

Dozens of mourners gathered at the service at Cooranbong, near Lake Macquarie north of Sydney. The stage is pictured being set before the service

Wooden logs and a motorbike - symbols of the outdoors Mr Chamberlain loved - were featured at the service

A Holden Torana - similar to the one Azaria was taken from - appeared at Michael Chamberlain's memorial service

Lindy shielded her face with dark sunglasses and bowed her head respectfully as she arrived at her former partner's memorial service. 

She and their three other children - Aidan, Reagan and Kahlia - were among dozens of mourners to gather for the service.  

Mr Chamberlain's second wife Ingrid and their daughter Zahra were also at the ceremony but aren't expected to speak. 

The family laid Mr Chamberlain to rest at a private funeral last week, Mr Tipple said, adding that he was still in shock over the death.

A motorbike, symbols of Mr Chamberlain's love of the outdoors such as wooden logs and a chainsaw, as well as a picture of Uluru were placed inside the church for Monday's service.

Michael Chamberlain went on to forge a successful career as a writer and academic after Azaria's death.

The former Seventh-day Adventist pastor also become a carer for Ingrid in recent years after she suffered a debilitating stroke in 2011.

While Azaria's death had defined much of Michael Chamberlain's life, he was leaving behind a legacy as a passionate fighter for justice, Mr Tipple said.

'I'm amazed at how he was able to maintain his dignity and how he still saw the good in the world and the good in people,' he said.   

Michael and Lindy Chamberlain hold a photograph of their baby daughter, Azaria Chamberlain, on the steps of the Alice Springs Courthouse following an inquest in 1980

Michael and Lindy Chamberlain are pictured together in an undated filed photo

MIchael and Lindy were subjected to enormous scrutiny and speculation after claiming their daughter was killed by a dingo in August 1980.

Ms Chamberlain-Creighton spent more than three years behind bars after being wrongfully convicted for the infant's death in 1982.

Michael was convicted of being an accessory after the fact to baby Azaria's murder and was handed a suspended sentence.

The pair were exonerated by a royal commission in 1987. But their marriage became troubled and the couple divorced in 1991. 

Ms Chamberlain-Creighton rushed to be with her children  after Michael's death to leukemia complications last week. 

Asking for privacy, she said her partner's death was 'unexpected', she was 'deeply grieving' and needed some space. 

'I am on my way today to support and be with our children,' she said in a statement.  

Mr Chamberlain, 72, died at Gosford Hospital, New South Wales, on Monday night after suffering complications from acute leukaemia