Reece Harding, 23, from the Gold Coast, was killed last month when he stepped on a landmine.

On Sunday, a crowd of about 500 packed a highly-charged funeral service held at the headquarters of the Kurdish Association of Victoria in Pascoe Vale.

Slogans of "Shahid Namirin" or "our martyrs never die" rent the air, as women chanted funeral cries.

Men, women and children formed a guard of honour as the flower-laden coffin, draped with both the Kurdish and Australian flags, was brought into the centre.

Two girls, each carrying a YPG or People's Protection Unit flag and the Australian flag, led the way.

They were followed by members of Mr Harding's family, including his father, Keith, and brother, Jordan, who both wore Kurdish scarves.

Mr Harding's mother, Michele, who was dressed in traditional Kurdish clothes, sobbed and struggled to walk as she accompanied the coffin carrying her son's body.

She broke into fresh tears as photos of Mr Harding as a baby were displayed in a slide-show.

Accepting a portrait of her son, Mrs Harding said she would continue to support his mission.

"I am forever indebted to you for bringing our son home," she said. "I want you to know that I will carry out what Reece was trying to do."

The two westerners, Rob and Siyar, who were injured in the same explosion that killed Mr Harding, have told Fairfax Media the Australian just wanted to do the right thing.

"He was here just because of the atrocities, he wasn't an adventure-seeker," Rob said. "He was literally here because he felt it was the right thing to do. He didn't even talk about it a lot. To him it was just self-explanatory why you'd want to fight ISIS."

Sîyar, 36, of Leeds, England, said Mr Harding's reasons for joining were the same as his own.

"Sick of seeing the murdering. The rapes, the slavery. Just the despicableness of who we're up against."

Kurdish Association of Victoria spokesman Deniz Ozer said the service was held in Melbourne at the request of the family who wanted to give the Kurdish people a chance to say good bye.

At the funeral ceremony, Kurdish leaders from around Australia paid their respects, calling Mr Harding a "hero" who died for the cause of freedom.

They pleaded with the Australian government not to target those Australians who chose to fight against the Islamic State.

Another spokesman, Mahmut Kahraman,​ said it was very important for the Kurdish community to pay their respects to Mr Harding.

"He took this action to defend innocent people and the rights of the Kurdish people … and other minorities being killed and butchered by one of the most barbaric organisations, the Islamic State," Mr Kahraman said.

"We need to pay our respects, not only the Kurdish community, but all people who believe in democracy and human rights."

Mr Kahraman said he understood the Australian government's stand against Australians fighting in foreign conflicts.

However, he said some people were compelled to fight against Islamic State.

"There are people who can't stand back any more and feel they have to do something," he said.

Mr Kahraman said he hadn't heard about any other Australian wanting to join the Kurdish forces.

He said Islamic State posed a threat to the entire world. "This Islamic State needs to be stopped," Mr Kahraman said. "This is such a dangerous ideology. If we don't stop them, then democracy and our rights are under threat all over the world."

The Lions of Rojava group, who support Kurdish efforts to defeat Islamic State, have posted on Facebook that Mr Harding joined the YPG or People's Protection Unit in May.

It is illegal for Australians to fight for the Syrian Kurdish militia, but Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said there is a moral distinction between them and Islamic State.

Mr Harding's body will be returned to the Gold Coast for a family service on August 1.

He is the second Australian to die fighting with the YPG forces in Syria. Ashley Johnston was killed near the Syria-Iraq border on February 24.