Six children among Australian MH17 victims
Their names were Mo and Evie and Otis Maslin, Piers and Marnix and Margaux van den Hende.
Aged just eight, 10, 12 and 15, they are the youngest of the 36 victims of MH17 that Australia is grieving.
They were among the 83 children, including three babies, killed on the Malaysia Airlines flight over eastern Ukraine. Children made up a quarter of the 298 people on the flight, most likely shot out of the sky by Russian-backed rebels.
Mo, 12, Evie, 10, and eight-year-old Otis Maslin had been travelling home to Perth for the start of the new school term with their grandad Nick Norris, while their parents Anthony and Rin Maslin stayed on in the Netherlands to enjoy a few extra days.
The van den Hendes children and their parents Hans and Shaliza Dewa were flying back to their Melbourne home from an extended holiday in the Netherlands with Mr van den Hendes’ family.
The young friends of these children have already begun mourning their deaths.
In the van den Hendes’ community of Eynesbury near Melbourne, classmates, teammates, co-workers and friends gathered yesterday to remember the family.
“It’s just a huge hole,” Andrew Mackenzie, from Bacchus Marsh Grammar, told reporters.
Teammates from the Melton Phoenix soccer club told a gathering of hundreds they were “broken-hearted” at the loss of Piers.
Marnix, a local swimming champ, was also described as a really good friend, artistic, kind and bright, while Margaux left an impression on those around her with her sense of humour.
“She was really funny and she had a really imaginative personality,” a friend told the gathering.
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Candles were lit and coloured balloons released to remember each family member.
At Evie and Otis Maslin’s school, Deanmore Primary in Karrinyup, principal Jeanette Metcalf and lead school psychologists have been preparing for students to return on Monday.
Prestigious private boys school Scotch College, where Mo had attended since last year, has organised an assembly for Tuesday to offer students support.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Education WA said counselling would be available to students, staff and the wider school community.
Victorian Premier Denis Napthine said schools would have counsellors on hand to help the children cope.
“… We have a team of people who are able to work with schools and with school children to be able to deal with these tragedies,” Dr Napthine said.
“Because we know that you need to provide counselling early, and ongoing support to prevent these tragedies becoming even worse.”
Least 37 Australian citizens and permanent residents have died in the Mh17 disaster
VICTORIA: 17
AVNON, Itamar
The 27-year-old Dutch national was a student at Melbourne’s Swinburne University, living in Windsor. He had been visiting his family in Amsterdam and attended a wedding in Israel. He was on his way back to Australia to resume his business studies.
DAVISON, Francesca “Frankie”
DAVISON, Liam
The Toorak College (Mt Eliza) teacher and her husband were on board the flight. Ms Davison, 54, had taught at the school for 28 years and also worked with disadvantaged communities in Sri Lanka. Liam, 57, was an award-winning novelist, teacher and keen cyclist. They leave behind two children, Milly and Sam.
GRIPPELING, Marco
IT security consultant, 48, and Dutch national from Melbourne. His wife, family and friends are devastated by his loss. His wife, Angela, had been holidaying with him but reportedly took an earlier flight back to Australia.
LEE, Gary
LEE, Mona
Gary and Mona Lee, from Glen Iris, had been on a European holiday which included a cruise. Gary, a retiree, had run a Chinese restaurant while his wife Mona, who was a schoolteacher. The couple had moved to Melbourne from Malaysia in the 70s. The couple have two daughters, both doctors, who live in Melbourne.
MAHLER, Emiel
TEOH, Elaine
The couple, both 27, were on their way to a wedding in Malaysia. Ms Teoh, originally from Penang in Malaysia, and Mr Mahler, a Dutch national, lived in Melbourne where they worked in the finance sector. (It’s understood that Ms Teoh, as a Malaysian national, wouldn’t be included in the Australian death toll.)
MENKE, Gerry
MENKE, Mary
Gerry Menke and his wife Mary owned an abalone pearl company in Mallacoota and have been described as a “beautiful couple”. The business recently won a prize at the East Gippsland Business Awards.
RIZK, Albert
RIZK, Maree
The husband and wife from Sunbury, north of Melbourne, have two children, James and Vanessa. Albert and Maree were returning to Australia, after a month-long holiday in Europe, and reportedly had been trying to change their flight to avoid a long stopover in Kuala Lumpur. Mr Rizk was a director of the local Raine & Horne real estate branch.
VAN DEN HENDE, Hans
VAN DEN HENDE, Piers
VAN DEN HENDE, Marnix
VAN DEN HENDE, Margaux
DEWA, Shaliza
Hans van den Hende, his wife, Shaliza Dewa, and their three children Piers, Marnix and Margaux lived at Eynesbury, west of Melbourne. Piers, 13, played soccer at Melton Phoenix, and club president Steve Fuller found out about the family’s death early on Saturday morning.
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QUEENSLAND: Seven
BAKER, Wayne
BAKER, Theresa
The couple were aged 55 and 53, respectively. They have two sons, aged in their 20s. The Bakers were based in Buddina on the Sunshine Coast but also lived in Darwin. They recently retired and had been travelling around Europe for six weeks.
GUARD, Roger
GUARD, Jill
Toowoomba couple and doctors Roger and Jill Guard, were returning to Australia after holidaying following a medical conference. Roger Guard was director of pathology at Toowoomba Hospital, while Jill Guard worked as a GP. Both were well-regarded in the Toowoomba and Queensland health communities.
HORDER, Howard
HORDER, Susan
The Brisbane couple, both 63, had been travelling in Europe. They have three sons – living in Melbourne, the Sunshine Coast and London – who are on their way to in Brisbane in the wake of their parents’ deaths.
SIDELIK, Helena
The Gold Coast woman, aged in her late 50s, was reportedly travelling home from a friend’s wedding in Europe, according to the Gold Coast Bulletin. She had moved to Burleigh from Melbourne four years ago. It’s been reported she was originally from Adelaide.
WA: Eight
NIEVEEN, Dafne
Dutch citizen Dafne Nieveen worked as a language teacher in Perth, the city she’d called home for four years. A friend on Facebook said the 37-year-old “touched so many people with her beautiful heart”.
MASLIN, Mo (12)
MASLIN, Evie (10)
MASLIN, Otis (8)
Grandchildren of Nick Norris. Parents Rin Maslin and her husband Anthony Maslin had stayed behind in Amsterdam while Mr Norris brought the children home in time for the new school term.
MAHADY, Edel
The Irishwoman, 50, was returning to Perth for start of school term at Good Shepherd Catholic Primary School, Kelmscott where she worked as an administrator. Her husband and children were not on the flight, according to the Irish Independent newspaper.
NORRIS, Nick
Nick Norris was the managing director of management consulting firm Collaborative Systemic Change Pty Ltd. Survived by daughter Kirstin, who is in the Navy and living in Sydney, son Brack, daughter Rin Maslin, another child and wife Lindy, a Murdoch University professor.
RYDER, Arjen
RYDER, Yvonne
Albany local and Department of Agriculture and Food employee Arjen was travelling with his wife Yvonne. Her sister Anne Trudgeon told Perth Now she’s lost a “beautiful” sister and brother in-law.
NSW: Five
CLANCY, Michael
CLANCY, Carol
Retired Wollongong couple Michael and Carol Clancy, believed to be in their 60s, are understood to have been on the flight following a three-week European holiday. A neighbour and close friend of the Kanahooka couple, Gail Leila Rhind, said Mrs Clancy’s former husband told her the couple had been killed.
O’BRIEN, Jack
Jack O’Brien, 25, was on his way home to Sydney after a seven-week European holiday. Family members said they were devastated his life had been cut short so suddenly. “He was loved so much,” the family said in a statement. (It is not yet clear if Mr O’Brien is an Australian citizen or permanent resident)
ORESHKIN, Victor
Victor Oreshkin, believed to be in his 30s, was returning home after a five week trip to Europe. He is believed to be of Russian background. According to his church’s pastor, Mr Oreshkin was a religious man who was involved in church ministry. “He was really loved by everyone so it was a big shock for all of us,” Mr Minchenko told AAP. “He was a really big part of the church so we really feel for his parents as well as for Victor.”
TIERNAN, Philomene
Sister Philomene Tiernan, 77, a nun who taught at Kincoppal at Rose Bay, was among those killed. Among those paying tribute were Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull. “Many women incl (sic) my wife Lucy & daughter Daisy were inspired by the love of Sr Phil Tiernan RSCJ,” he tweeted.
ACT: One
DERDEN, Liliane
Mother of two Liliane Derden, 50, from Hall in Canberra’s north. Ms Derden worked for the National Health and Medical Research Council, whose staff expressed deep sadness at the loss of a valued colleague and friend.
NT: One
BELL, Emma
A young Homelands teacher aged in her 20s, joined the staff at Maningrida College early last year. She was spending the school holidays in Europe before returning to the Northern Territory for the new term beginning next week. She grew up in Lithgow in NSW.
*The NT government was initially claiming the Baker couple, who are based in Queensland, in the territory toll
(**DFAT’s official Australian toll remains at 28 known citizens and nine permanent residents)
(Sources: Government advice, media reports, family members, Malaysia Airlines passenger manifest. Some of the victims may not be Australian passport holders)
