PERTH, Australia -- (UPDATE) More than 500 mourners gathered Saturday to say farewell to Hollywood star Heath Ledger at a ceremony in his home town of Perth in western Australia, ahead of a private family funeral.

Ledger's former fiancée Michelle Williams and Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett were among those present to remember the 28-year-old "Brokeback Mountain" star, who was found dead in his New York apartment nearly three weeks ago.

Williams and Ledger's family arrived for the service in a convoy of four black BMWs escorted by police. The former couple's two-year-old daughter, Matilda, who arrived in Perth with her mother this week, was not seen.

Shortly before the ceremony Ledger's father Kim appealed for a massive media pack that has been outside the family home in Perth to respect the privacy of the actor's grieving relatives.

"It's a pretty sad time and we are finding it difficult to cope by ourselves," Ledger told reporters. "The funeral will be very, very private and there will only be 10 people there, immediate family and nobody else."

Blanchett, wearing sunglasses and pregnant with her third child, arrived in a white limousine and was joined at the service by fellow Australian actors Bryan Brown and Rose Byrne.

Ledger's ex-girlfriend, supermodel Gemma Ward, also attended, along with sports stars and politicians from Perth, where Ledger retained strong ties as his Hollywood career blossomed.

Reports said the ceremony began with a Aboriginal mourning song performed at a low drone on a digeridoo, a traditional wind instrument.

Ledger's ashes are expected to be laid at a family plot after a private funeral attended by just 10 of the actor's closest friends and relatives.

Mourners will reportedly attend a sunset wake overlooking the city's Cottesloe beach, one of Ledger's favorite surfing spots.

His family returned to Perth this week after holding a Hollywood memorial service in Los Angeles, a private family service in New York and visiting his Manhattan residence.

Ledger was seen as a rising star in Hollywood and his death on January 22 sent shockwaves through the film industry. His memorial service in Hollywood drew an A-list of mourners including Tom Cruise and wife Katie Holmes.

Kim Ledger said the family drew strength from the public expressions of grief they had received from around the world after his son's life was cut tragically short.

"We do really appreciate the outpouring and the emotional support from all over the world, suffice to say, we're luckier than most families. Most families in our position, our grieving position, don't have that kind of support," he said.

A toxicology report released Wednesday showed Ledger died of accidental intoxication caused by a cocktail of painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs.

He had revealed in interviews shortly before his death that he was having trouble sleeping during the filming of the latest Batman film "The Dark Knight".

Hailed as a natural talent, Ledger launched his career in Australian soap operas such as "Home and Away".

He gained the attention of US audiences in the teen comedy "10 Things I Hate About You", going on to appear in films as varied as Mel Gibson's "The Patriot" and the critically-acclaimed "Monster's Ball".

But his was his role as a gay cowboy in 2005's "Brokeback Mountain" that confirmed his status as a rising star, with his brooding performance winning comparisons to Marlon Brando.

But Kim Ledger said after his death that his son never sought the trappings of fame and remained a knockabout Australian even when he was being feted in the United States.

"My image of Heath in New York is him with his skateboard, a canvas bag and his beanie -- that was Heath to me," he said in a letter sent to an expatriate function held in Manhattan four days after the actor's death.