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A police officer has braved surging floodwaters to rescue three people trapped in a car in the New South Wales Hunter.

Emergency services were notified that three people were trapped in a car on a flooded causeway along Lyons Road, Bingleburra, around 9.30 this morning.

A police officer found the car submerged about five metres from dry land.

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The officer used a rope as a safety line to dive into the floodwaters to reach the car.

"With the assistance of a 51-year-old woman – who was holding onto the outside of the vehicle – the senior constable pulled a four-year-old boy through the window of the car and brought him safely to land," NSW Police said in a statement.

He then went back into the water to save the woman whose foot had become trapped by a rock.

"In order to rescue a 44-year-woman still inside the car, the officer used a winch attached to his police vehicle to stabilise the submerged car," NSW Police said.

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The brave officer then dived into the water for the third time to help the woman out of the car.

The two women and little boy were uninjured but were treated at the scene by paramedics for shock.

The police officer has been praised by his colleagues for his efforts and bravery in saving the trio.

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It comes as weather conditions and flooding are expected to worsen in the NSW Mid North Coast, Northern Rivers and north west over the next 24 hours.

Major flood warnings are already in place with rainfall totals expected to exceed 100mm in some areas.

Authorities are pleading with residents not to drive across flooded roads as almost 50 rescues have already been carried out.

Protests have erupted across the country on the National Day of Mourning for the Queen's death, with thousands of demonstrators calling for end to the Monarchy.

More than 1000 demonstrators marched in Melbourne's CBD from Birrarung Marr to Parliament House holding Aboriginal flags and banners.

"Off with his head, off with the King," protesters chanted.

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At one point, protesters poured red paint on to the Australian flag, their hands, and the outside of the office of the British consulate.

Protestors cheered as they burned an Australian flag outside the Brisbane British consulate, while others groups of demonstrators shut down parts of the city.

In Sydney, hundreds gathered outside the Town Hall, and in Marrickville in Sydney's Inner West, a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II was painted over with the colours of the Aboriginal flag.

Similar protests occurred in Adelaide and Canberra.

A man was marched out of Government House in Adelaide after holding up a sign and yelling "abolish the monarchy".

He signed the same phrase in a condolence book inside and has been banned from Government House for 24 hours as a result.

First Nations protestors were communicating that it was their own day of mourning, with them mourning the existence of the monarchy.

One protestor in Melbourne told 9News "Today is about reflecting on the pain and trauma that the monarchy has bought to our country", referencing the colonisation of Australia.

"When is anybody going to mourn the deaths that we lost… everybody… my ancestors… who's mourning that?"

First Nations woman Sarabi Gristwood told 9News in Sydney: "We've been asking for a day of mourning since they made January 26 so-called Australia Day. But eight hours after the Queen's death, they can make this day a day of mourning."

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Australia has bid a final farewell to Queen Elizabeth II today with a National Day of Mourning to be marked in Canberra.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, and premiers and chief ministers had an official service at Parliament House with a minute of silence.

Governor General David Hurley paid his respects to Queen Elizabeth, admitting he was caught off guard by his emotions.

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"The passing of the Queen, while we knew it to be inevitable, has still struck with an impact that has exceeded any expectation here in Australia, in the United Kingdom and, indeed, across the globe," Hurley said.

"Amongst the sadness though it is also a day of reflection and celebration, a day to recognise what it means to have lived in the second Elizabethan age, to ponder what lessons we can and should draw in the months and years to come.

"History will remember few like Queen Elizabeth II."

Hurley said he could not pretend to a special relationship with the Queen, but that she had been a "reassuring presence" in his life.

"I had not thought that I would be emotional, but I was. She was my Queen," he said.

However, he also acknowledged that the reaction to the death of the Queen has not been one of universal mourning.

"In considering the unifying role Her Majesty played, I'd acknowledge that her passing has prompted different reactions for some in our community," he said.

He said many First Nations Australians had a view shaped by the colonial legacy of the country.

"That is a journey we as a nation must complete," he said.

Meantime, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailed the moment of silence for Queen Elizabeth II as a "moment of national unity".

"We gather today – around our nation – to offer Australia's thanks for an extraordinary life dedicated to service, faith, country and Commonwealth," he said.

"Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was the longest-serving monarch in the history of a centuries-old institution.

"Her reign spanned more than half the life of our modern Federation.

"And we proudly honour her memory today on a continent home to the world's oldest continuous culture – paying respect to traditional owners and elders past, present and emerging."

He said the Queen had represented "more than the monarchy".

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton also spoke, and emphasised the global changes over which Queen Elizabeth II presided.

"Succeeding her father, aged just 25 years old, Elizabeth inherited an empire in decline and a country crying out for national meaning in a changing world," he said.

"She didn't look back on empire, indeed she looked with pragmatism, committing herself to championing the Commonwealth.

"That equal partnership of nations and races, as she described it, built on friendship, loyalty and the desire for freedom and peace."

He said Elizabeth II had been a monarch who "tirelessly served the people".

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The centrepiece of the service was artist Sir William Dargie's "wattle portrait" of the Queen, painted when she was newly-crowned in 1954.

It shows the Queen wearing a golden gown, garlanded with wattle flowers.

There was also performances from singer Anthony Callea and the Australian Girls Choir, which sang for the Queen during her 2011 Australian tour.

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Today is also, of course, a public holiday, with an attendant impact on daily life.

At Bondi Beach a guard of honour was held, while others commemorated the day with high tea.

Like Australia Day, most retail stores were open, including supermarkets, cafes and pubs.

However, public holiday trading hours could apply in some areas. Banks, post offices, schools and childcare centres are closed.

Some elective surgery procedures have also been cancelled.

Double demerit points will apply from today in New South Wales, while public transport will run on a reduced timetable in Queensland.

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