A family of five from Eynesbury have been remembered as beautiful, bright and fun-loving friends in a public outpouring of grief in the community they had decided to make their home.
About 700 people gathered at the historic Eynesbury Homestead on Sunday afternoon to remember the lives of Shaliza Dewa, Johannes van den Hende and their children Piers, Marnix and Margaux.
The family was returning from holiday in the Netherlands, where Johannes, know as Hans, was born, when they boarded the doomed flight MH17.
Students from Bacchus Marsh Grammar, which all three children attended, stood alongside 15-year-old Piers’ soccer team mates from Melton Phoenix Football Club, and members of the Melton Swimming Club, with whom 12-year-old Marnix swam.
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Members of the Eynesbury community who had never met the family laid flowers and lit candles in respect and in an attempt to make sense of the disaster.
The crowd was told the family had moved to Australia in 2007 and lived in Caroline Springs before moving to Eynesbury three years ago.
They had no family in Australia, but family friend Sharon Lee read a statement sent from Ms Dewa’s family in Malaysia. ”It’s heartening to know that our daughter and sister and family were thoroughly welcomed into your community and country,” it said.
”Hans and Shaliza always spoke glowingly of the glass of wine, the cold beer and the cuppa they shared with many of you.
”Piers, Marnix and Margaux always spoke positively of their awesome Aussie mates and the fun adventures they had.”
Members of the audience were invited to share their memories of the family.
A friend of the family spoke of meeting Shaliza when she first lived in Australia, as an exchange student at Cato College in Elsternwick in the 1980s, which is now part of Wesley College, and of the ”radical spiky hair” she had at the time.
”It is some comfort to know that our beautiful friends are together and always will be,” she said.
School children remembered Margaux, aged eight, as having an ”imaginative personality” and Marnix as being an ”inspiring artist”.
A school friend of Piers said he was a ”down-to-earth kid” who always had a positive outlook on life.
Craig Coonan, a colleague of Hans at Innovia Security in Craigieburn, remembered the Dutchman as a man of integrity.
”He was quietly spoken, but highly intelligent and full of integrity. He’s going to be really missed.”
A white balloon for each of the family members was released at the end of the vigil.
Andrew Mackenzie, Bacchus Marsh Grammar assistant principal, said a massive hole had been left in the school.
”In a school of 1800, the three children who will not be with us tomorrow will create huge holes in the lives of those immediate classrooms and immediate friends,” he said.
Mr Mackenzie said the school would be offering support to students, as well as attempting to explain to them the political events that contributed to the disaster.
Elsewhere in the city, congregations paid tribute to the 298 victims and floral tributes continued to gather at Princes Bridge.
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