Speaking to about 100 people at the Arts Centre, Mr Baillieu said the tragedy and destruction caused by the fires that killed 173 people was felt around the world.

He said while the physical impact of the disaster could be fixed, the emotional recovering was a slow and challenging process.

''We will never forget and never let go,'' he said, ''and support will be there.''

Mr Baillieu, who earlier marked the third anniversary at Callignee in the state's south-east, said he had noticed a more positive outlook in some affected communities he visited.

''There are more smiles than we've seen before,'' he said.

Former Victoria Police chaplain Jim Pilmer told the Melbourne gathering they could feel good about recovering from the grief of their loss.

''Change is a sign of healing and change is a sign of hope,'' he told the audience. ''Give yourself permission to recover.

''When we trick ourselves into thinking that the intensity of our grief is a sign of the depth of our love then we are preventing ourselves from … reaching out to the future.''

The message was repeated yesterday at a ceremony of remembrance in Healesville and on Saturday at a service in Kinglake West, which saw some of the most intense damage from the fires.

On Tuesday Marysville and Strathewen will take their turn to remember those who died in the disaster.