Kyah and Nadene McBride: Hunter Valley bus crash victims at laid to rest by survivor Graham

The husband and father of two women killed in a horror wedding bus crash has said his final goodbye to them at a celebration of their life. 

Graham ‘Banger’ McBride lost his wife Nadene and daughter Kyah in the bus crash that was travelling from a wedding in Greta on June 11.

Kyah’s boyfriend Kane Symons, a footballer from Tasmania, was also killed in the crash. Mr McBride was one of 25 injured.

At the outset of the ceremony on Monday, Mr McBride rose from the pews, facing away from the guests, and quietly reflected in front of the girls’ caskets.

He lit a candle for his wife and only daughter and stood in silence for a moment before the ceremony began.

‘So now’s the time to say goodbye to my girls and the people who have passed in this tragedy,’ he said while choking back tears at the close of the service.

A single white dove was released in honour of each of the ten victims, a tribute to Kyah who once told her father that when a white feather crosses your path it represents the soul of a loved one looking out for them.

‘As I move forward from this moment today, each step I take on his path of recovery is to honor my girls,’ Mr McBride said.

Among those injured in the Hunter Valley bus crash is the husband and father of two women who were killed in the weekend wedding disaster. Nadene ‘Nads’ McBride (right) and her daughter Kyah McBride (left) are pictured with Graham ‘Banger’ McBride

Above, family and friends gather to mourn Kyah and Nadene McBride, at their joint funeral service 

Banger McBride crouched down and inspected floral arrangements for his wife and daughter, ahead of the service commencing 

‘Nads and Kyah have kicked so many goals in their life, now it’s time to kick goals for Nads and Kyah.’

At the end of this speech and with the help of family friend and former deputy editor of the local paper, Alex Tigani, Mr McBride raised a Singleton Roosters premiership cup in honour of his girls.

‘This one’s for you girls,’ Mr Tigani said.

Mr McBride also made a point of reminding the guests of heroic efforts of the first responders and thanked them for their efforts to save his family’s lives.

‘I’d like to give a heartfelt thank you to the first responders who found an unimaginable scene that night,’ he said.

‘If it was not for those responders, I would not have been here today.’

Nadene’s older sister Helen recalled seeing the young couple together for the first time and said their love resembled that of her parents.

‘I was amazed at the love they had for each other and they reminded me of her parents,’ she said.

Hundreds of loved ones – including many who attended the wedding – gathered at the Singleton AFL Ground for the celebration of life ceremony, while hundreds more watched a live stream from across the country.

It is the final service held in honour of the 10 crash victims.

‘Standing here and looking out at all the red, the whites, and the Crows colours – how much love can two girls bring,’ Nadene’s younger sister Leoni said.

‘They’ve left a massive hole in our hearts.’

Her sisters remembered her as a ‘never leave anyone behind’ kind of person, one that danced on tables at parties and would sing happy birthday over the phone to loved ones back home each year without fail.

The McBride women have been remembered as a cornerstone of the local sporting community, a legacy that has seen hundreds of tributes flow in from members of the national AFL community.

Guests have been asked to wear team colours in honour of two sporting clubs that mother-and-daughter poured their heart and soul into over the years – the Singleton Roosters and the Adelaide Crows.

Hundreds of loved ones – including many who attended the wedding – gathered at the Singleton AFL Ground for the celebration of life ceremony

Nadene’s older sister Helen recalled seeing the young couple together for the first time and said their love resembled that of her parents

The McBride family has been heavily involved in the Singleton Roosters Australian Football Club, where Kyah was a star player and Nadene her coach. Kyah and Nadene are pictured 

McBride family hail from the small South Australian town of Leigh Creek. Kyah and Nadene are pictured 

The McBride family hail from the small South Australian town of Leigh Creek and made the move to Singleton with their only daughter Kyah.

More than 400 people are viewing the live-stream of the service, as friends accumulated over the years and loved ones who remain in their hometown tuned in from across the country.

In lieu of flowers, guests are encouraged to make a donation to the Hunter Valley Bus Tragedy Fund which has already raised more $1 million to provide support to the victims and families of the crash.

Husband and wife Andrew and Lynan Scott, Zach Bray, Dr Rebecca Mullen, Angus Craig, Tori Cowburn and Darcy Bulman were all killed during the crash.