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A brave woman has fought off a man who stabbed her multiple times during an attempted daylight robbery at a Melbourne tobacco store.

The 59-year-old was working alone when she was confronted by the knife-wielding man, who demanded cash and cigarettes.

She grabbed a stool to defend herself, however he quickly overpowered her and held the blade to her throat, threatening to stab her in the body.

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The worker then reached for a baseball bat, but was not able to use it.

Her daughter told 9News the man held her mother on the ground and covered her mouth and nose.

"She could feel that he tried to cut her ten times," her daughter said.

The man then made another attempt to get into the cash register, but the woman refused to open it, and he fled empty-handed.

Despite suffering stab wounds to her hands and back, the woman still chased after her attacker before she was helped by strangers.

Police have since charged a 36-year-old man from Carlton, who has been taken into custody.

An inquest into the horrific murders of Queensland mother Hannah Clarke and her three children has heard of her bravery in their final moments.

It's been just over two years since the Brisbane mother, 31, and her three children, Aaliyah, six, and Laianah, four, and her son, three-year-old Trey, were killed in the most horrendous of circumstances. 

Ms Clarke was getting them ready to go on the school run when they were ambushed by her estranged husband, the children's father Rowan Baxter. 

READ MORE: Hannah Clarke's family detail her heroic last act

He doused them in petrol, set them alight, and they passed away that day. The 42-year-old then died by suicide.

Today, on the first day of the inquest, a neighbour of Ms Clarke described her as "amazingly strong", as she tried to stop her estranged husband attacking.

"Call the police, he's trying to kill me, he's put petrol on me," the neighbours who heard the tragedy said they heard Ms Clarke yelling, on day one of evidence.

Other witnesses will include counsellors and police, who helped Hannah during the breakdown of her marriage, and a support worker who took a call from Baxter just 16 hours before he did the unthinkable.

CCTV footage, which shows Baxter at a hardware store buying the jerry can used in the attack, will also be shown at the inquest.

The coroner will be examining whether anything could have been done to address the escalating violence Ms Clarke was experiencing.

Outside, her parents Lloyd and Sue Clarke, who have since dedicated their lives to preventing domestic abuse, described their daughter and her grandchildren.

"They were young, vibrant… beautiful people… she loved her children," the couple said.

Mr and Mrs Clarke have been instrumental in raising awareness about coercive control, which includes behaviour such as emotional, mental and financial abuse, isolation, intimidation, sexual coercion and cyberstalking.

Coercive control is set to become a criminal offence in Queensland within the next 18 months. 

Ms Clarke's parents have previously said Baxter used methods of coercive control on their daughter and they want to make sure that their family tragedy can help other victims.

"I'm nervous about it, but also I want to give Hannah a voice," her mother said.

"We're just hoping that, you know, we can work out where the system let Hannah and the children down… and that they can put new procedures in place and move on, so people won't have to go through this terrible thing," her dad added.

The inquest continues.

Readers seeking support for domestic violence can call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732).

If you are in immediate danger call Triple Zero (000).

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One of the two bodies found in a remote dam in Queensland on Saturday has been identified by police as 51-year-old Darryl Smith.

The Kingaroy man was found floating in the Gordonbrook Dam in South Burnett, bound to the body of a woman, who is yet to be formally identified.

Police are appealing for information about Mr Smith's movements after his white Holden commodore Station Wagon was located at the dam on Saturday.

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It's believed that the vehicle was parked at the dam since at least Sunday March 13.

A group of mates on a boys weekend were camping on the banks of the dam when a kayaker found the bodies about 3.30pm on Saturday afternoon.

Camper Gene Knight said the kayaker told them what he'd found.

"He said, 'I just found two dead bodies up there'," he said.

"It's pretty chaotic."

Queensland Police have said they are not considering the involvement of a third party in relation to the deaths.

Investigations are ongoing.

Senator Kimberley Kitching has been remembered as a "true warrior" and as a loving and devoted wife following her sudden death.

A service has been held this afternoon at St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne after the Victorian Labor Senator died on March 10 from a suspected heart attack, aged just 52.

Senator Kitching's funeral began with a statement read on behalf of President of the Senate, Slade Brockman, who was unable to attend the service.

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In the statement, Senator Brockman said he perceived one of Senator Kitching's greatest strengths to be her commitment.

"Kimberley was a true warrior for the Labor cause," the statement read.

"Kimberley was an exemplar of a Senator."

Senator Kitching's husband of more than 20 years, Andrew Landeryou, told the service that when his wife died in her car she had just purchased a pie for him for a bakery she knew he liked.

"Other than call me, I think it was the last thing she did," he said.

She had also just bought a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne for a dinner party the couple was planning to go to that night with friend.

Mr Landeryou spoke of his wife's self sacrifice and loving nature, saying she saw wrong and tried to rewrite it.

"Moral courage – she had it, not enough of us do," he said.

Mr Landeryou said his wife's moral judgement was vastly superior to the "cantankerous cabal" who opposed her internally.

"She deserved so very much better," he said.

Mr Landeryou said he was angry that he did not protect his wife.

However, he noted the vast majority of the Labor Party had supported and encouraged her.

READ MORE: Family and friends farewell Shane Warne in private funeral

Following Senator Kitching's death, reports emerged she had felt she had been bullied by internal and external political figures.

Late last week, fellow Labor Senators Penny Wong, Kristina Keneally and Katy Gallagher issued a joint statement to deny the accusations.

"Our priority at this time has been Senator Kitching's husband, Andrew, her family and her loved ones. Their grief is profound, their loss immeasurable," they said.

"Out of respect for them, and for Senator Kitching, we have not responded to allegations that have been made, despite them not being true.

"The allegations of bullying are untrue. Other assertions which have been made are similarly inaccurate."

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Labor frontbencher and close friend Bill Shorten read a eulogy for the "Senator with a spine".

"The passing of this remarkable woman leaves a great hole," he said.

"To know Kimberley Kitching was to be dazzled and comforted by her warmth and serene intelligence.

"I knew she would be good, but I could never have guessed how good – how successful and prescient Kimberley would be as a Labor Senator."

Senator Kitching was sworn in as a Senator in 2016, and was included in Labor leader Anthony Albanese's shadow ministry as the Shadow Assistant Minister for Government Accountability after the 2019 election.

Politicians from all parties and levels of government attended the funeral today, including Mr Albanese, former prime minister Tony Abbott, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and Defence Minister Peter Dutton.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Opposition Leader Matthew Guy were also in attendance.

Mr Shorten described the funeral as having led to "the most eclectic gathering" the cathedral had seen in years.

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