"Eddie's impact will be felt for generations to come," said a message posted on social media.

He was born in Germany and under the Nazis was sent to the Buchenwald concentration camp and later to Auschwitz, where his parents were murdered in the gas chambers.

Having narrowly survived, he moved to Australia during the 1950s, where he dedicated his life to teaching others about the dangers of intolerance.

"This is my message, as long as I live, I'll teach not to hate," he wrote in his autobiography, published last year to mark his 100th birthday.

Mr Jaku said he was the "happiest man" despite the horrors he witnessed in the concentration camps.

"Life is what you want it to be, life is in your hands," he said.

"You know happiness doesn’t fall from the sky. It’s in your hands. You want to be happy? You can be happy."

"You know happiness doesn’t fall from the sky. It’s in your hands. You want to be happy? You can be happy."

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said Australia had "Lost a giant".

"He dedicated his life to educating others about the dangers of intolerance and the important of hope," he said in a post on social media.

"May his story be told for generations to come."

The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies said he had been "A beacon of light and hope".

"He will always be remembered for the joy that followed him, and his constant resilience in the face of adversity," the Board wrote. 

"The world is a little less bright without him in it and we will always treasure the memories and stories we were privileged to have heard."

His memoir, called 'The Happiest Man on Earth', chronicled his extraordinary tale of survival. 

It described how towards the end of the war, Eddie Jaku escaped a death march from Auschwitz and hid in a cave in a forest, where he survived by eating slugs and snails. 

Eventually, he managed to crawl to a highway where he was rescued by American soldiers.

It was then that he decided that the best revenge would be to live and enjoy life.

He later married and went on to become a father and a grandfather.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Mr Jaku's life had been "An inspiration and a joy".

"Eddie chose to make his life a testimony of how hope and love can triumph over despair and hate," Mr Morrison said in a post on Facebook.

Story By | Tony Ibrahim