On Tuesday, Yosuke Kanno and the five other people who died in the tragedy were remembered at a state memorial service held in front of family, dignitaries, emergency services and members of the public at the Royal Exhibition Building.

Junpei Kanno, Mr Kanno's brother, travelled to Melbourne with his family for the tribute, the fourth time they had been to the city since his death.

Through a translator, Mr Kanno spoke of how his brother had always been interested in travel and had come to Melbourne to study English after working as an occupational therapist in Japan.

At the time of the attack, he was considering applying for a postgraduate course in Melbourne: "So he must have liked this city."

He described Yosuke as a friendly person, who had many friends back in Japan and had made others in his new city as well. They were still mourning his loss, he said.

Mr Kanno stood on the stage in front of a pile of rainbow-coloured paper cranes, a symbol of hope and healing in Japanese culture.

A thousand of them were made by the family of another victim, Matthew Si, who loved origami.

Behind him was a drawing of the manna gum, or Eucalyptus viminalis. Its smouldering leaves represent cleansing for the people of the Kulin nation.

"I keep asking how could such an incident happen? My brother came home with horrific damages, scars and wounds all over his body," Mr Kanno said.

"I don't know if I can accept the death of my younger brother, my only sibling."

One after another family members took to the stage to share their memories, thank yous, tributes and, of course, their grief. They did it beneath the great dome of one of Melbourne's grandest old buildings, as light streamed in on a perfect January day.

Among the murals were four latin mottos ??? dei gracia (by the grace of God), dude sapere (dare to be wise), benigno numine (with benign power) and carpe diem (seize the day). Perhaps they offered some meaning amid the darkness.

Kurt and Emily Mudie were the first of the family members to speak about the "most amazing person" they knew, their 22-year-old sister Jess Mudie.

"She would never ever fail to put a smile on my face and I loved doing anything with her," Jess's twin Emily said.

She remembered watching television with Jess ??? period dramas, home shows and crime shows??? as well as "ranting about whatever book we were reading".

Older brother Kurt said his sister was an incredible person whose happiness and confidence projected on to all those around her.

"Jess's sheer determined hardworking attitude and huge heart were inspiring," he said.

"I don't know where she is and it pains me to not hear her talk back but I know she's always around, listening, watching over and taking care of us all."

Tony Hakin choked back tears as he spoke about the loss of his 10-year-old daughter Thalia, who was killed while walking in the city with her mother Nathalie and sister Maggie.

It was the last day of the school holidays and the three of them were on their way to a magic show when Thalia and Nathalie were hit.

He wanted people to know about the bravery of his surviving daughter and wife, who woke up after three days of being unconscious to find out Thalia was dead.

"She was the heart and soul of our family, this cowardly act has shattered our lives," he said.

"We had a beautiful daughter, a gift truly from heaven.

"Ten years old with a smile that could melt a frozen heart and a bright future in front of her."

In a video tribute, Melinda Tan, the wife of Matthew Si, said what started out as a sunny Friday afternoon "ended up in horror and tears".

She said she had to adjust to a new life that would always be missing a loving husband and father.

"The memory of today remains strong and the pain of losing Matt will never disappear," she said.

"His time with us was cut short. He was only 33 and was always running home to our daughter Aria.

"That day he dropped her off at childcare and never same back."

Sophie Rowell from Melbourne Symphony Orchestra played Partita for Violin No. 2 by Bach as a musical tribute to Mr Si, who was an accomplished violinist.

Matthew Bryant, the father of three-month-old Zachary, spoke alongside his wife Nawwar.

He said that even in his short life, his son experienced a lot, celebrating Christmas with his family and meeting relatives in Malaysia.

"Zachary was perfect but he was too perfect for this world," he said.

"We keep strong to our faith and find comfort knowing he is in heaven, the best of places."

The final victim of the attack was 33-year-old Bhavita Patel. Photos of her and the other five killed were shown during the event.

Premier Daniel Andrews spoke of the inconceivable carnage that hit the heart of the city that day.

"To that one single act of evil, we responded with countless acts of empathy, compassion and most importantly, love," he said.

"I believe there's no greater testament to the spirit of this state."

Some in the crowd who were witnesses or part of the emergency services response said the day still weighed heavily on them.

"We were in the station and watched everything happen," said Olivia, 28, who was part of the police response.

The woman declined to give her surname, saying she had come to the memorial not in a professional capacity.

"I'm more affected than I thought. When Flinders Street happened, it hit home."

She praised the strength of the victims' families, some of them speaking publicly for the first time.

"I don't know how they did that," she said.

While more than 100 members of the public gathered to pay their respects, a large portion of the seats set aside remained empty.

After the tribute, the footpaths where the car tore through Bourke Street was as bustling with people as ever.

It has been a year since the attack and perhaps Melbourne wishes to move on.

For those at the Royal Exhibition Building, it will take a long time yet.