Sydney
(ANI):
Heath
Ledger's
father
still
remembers
his
late
son
as
a
simple
boy
on
his
skateboard
riding
through
the
streets
of
New
York
with
a
canvas
bag
slung
over
his
shoulder.
Kim
Ledger
paid
a
touching
tribute
to
his
son
through
a
message
read
out
by
Australia's
Consul-General
in
New
York
John
Olsen,
at
the
G'Day
USA
Australia
Day
Ball
in
New
York.
"Heath
is,
and
always
will
be,
an
Australian," wrote
Mr
Ledger,
who
arrived
to
US
to
escort
his
son's
body
back
to
Perth.
"He
adored
his
home.
His
last
two
weeks
with
us
over
Christmas
in
Perth
were
just
bliss.
"Heath
did
not
become
an
actor
for
the
fame
or
fortune.
He
loved
his
craft
and
he
loved
helping
his
friends.
He
loved
chess
and
skateboarding
too.
My
image
of
Heath
in
New
York
is
him
with
his
skateboard,
a
canvas
bag
and
his
beanie.
"That
was
Heath
to
me,"
he
wrote.
The
crowd
present
at
the
event
was
filled
with
chills
and
tears
at
the
speech
and
later
when
a
minute's
silence
was
observed
in
his
honour,
reports
News.com.au
Meanwhile,
it
is
believed
that
the
'Brokeback
Mountain'
star
may
have
died
due
to
natural
causes.
The
autopsy
reports
have
failed
to
find
the
cause
of
Ledger's
death
though
the
police
believe
he
died
from
an
accidental
overdose
of
prescription
drugs.