Birds In The Bush, 99 Byng Street, Orange (2026)

23/03/2026

TRIGGER WARNING this post contains stories/facts concerning domestic violence. Please engage in self-care when reading this post.

11
March 19 (Banksia Grove): Around 9am, police responded to reports of a woman found unresponsive at a home. Despite paramedics’ efforts, the 42-year-old died at the scene. Clinton Turner (47), believed known to the victim, was later arrested and has been charged with manslaughter.

10
March 12 (Logan): Police were called after a man covered in blood was reportedly hit by a car. He was identified as Blake Seers (39). At his nearby home, officers found his partner Kate Paterson (38) and her one-year-old daughter deceased with stab wounds. Seers remains in hospital under police guard and has not yet been questioned. No charges have been laid and investigations continue.

9
February 20 (Reservoir): Emergency services responded to reports of a woman struck by a car. Melonie McKay (53) was declared dead at the scene. A neighbour, Luke Rainey (44), was arrested and has since been charged with murder.

8
February 8 (Albany): Police attended a home after reports of an unresponsive woman. Erika Coyne (69) was found deceased. Her son, Lloyd Mitchell (50), was located with critical injuries and initially treated as a suspect. He was later hospitalised in an induced coma and died on March 6. Police now consider the case a double murder.

7
February 19 (Bellbird Park): Police attended a property following disturbance reports and found Katherine Sanowski (42) deceased. Investigators believe she died weeks earlier. A 34-year-old man known to her was found nearby and taken to hospital; he is yet to be interviewed. A homicide investigation is ongoing.

6
January 28 (Geelong): A 49-year-old woman from Springvale was found unresponsive at Eastern Beach. Despite assistance from lifeguards, she could not be revived. A 53-year-old man, believed known to her, was later arrested in the CBD and charged with murder.

If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, chat online, or text 0458 737 732. Thanks to Counting Dead Women Australia (Destroy The Joint) for the information.

27/01/2026

TRIGGER WARNING this post contains stories/facts concerning domestic violence. Please engage in self-care when reading this post.

5
January 24: At about 6.30am police were called to a home in Wollert after a 77-year-old woman was found unresponsive. She was declared dead at the scene. An 80-year-old man known to the victim was arrested and charged with one count of murder. No names have been released and nothing further is known.

4
January 22: After discovering the body of Sophie Quinn (see report #3) police attended a nearby home in Lake Cargelligo, where they found the body of 50-year-old Nerida Quinn, Sophie’s aunt, who also died of gunshot wounds. Kaleb McQueen (19) was injured and taken to hospital in a serious condition. Police are searching for Julian Ingram (37).

3
January 22: At about 4.30pm emergency services were called to reports of a shooting in Lake Cargelligo. Police found Sophie Quinn (25) and a friend, John Harris (32), unresponsive in a car. Despite treatment, they died at the scene from gunshot wounds. Ms Quinn was pregnant. Police later attended a nearby home where they found the body of Nerida Quinn (see report #4). Police are searching for Sophie Quinn’s former partner, Julian Ingram (37).

2
January 18: At about 11.17am police were called to a home in Gordonvale (FNQ) and found the body of an unnamed woman (35) with significant head injuries. Her cousin, Jackiah Allen (29), was taken into custody after negotiations and charged with one count of murder as a domestic violence offence.

1
January 12: Police attended a home in Buccan at 2.30am on January 12, where Velvet Pesu (46) was found dead with serious injuries. She was the carer for the homeowner, Wael Alfar (39), who was not present. He was arrested near Kempsey NSW later that day following an alleged high-speed pursuit and charged with driving offences. Queensland Police have issued an extradition warrant for him to face a murder charge.

If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, chat online, or text 0458 737 732. Thanks to Counting Dead Women Australia (Destroy The Joint) for the information.

23/01/2026

We honour the lives of Sophie Quinn (25), her unborn son Troy, Sophie’s Aunt Nerida Quinn and friend John Harris shot and killed today at Lake Cargelligo, Central West NSW.

Our thoughts are with Sophie’s friend, Kaleb Macqueen (19), also shot and fighting for his life.

The alleged gunman, Julian Ingram (37) remains at large, armed and dangerous. Ingram was out on bail for domestic violence related charges. An apprehended violence order (AVO) was in place to protect Sophie, her family and friends from Ingram.

We stand with the community of Lake Cargelligo who deserve to be safe and free.

29/12/2025

TRIGGER WARNING this post contains stories/facts concerning domestic violence. Please engage in self-care when reading this post.

51.
December 28: Just before 5am emergency services were called to a Quakers Hill home after reports of a disturbance. An as-yet unidentified woman (38) was found dead inside the home after suffering stab wounds. A 30-year-old man, believed to be her partner, was found on the footpath suffering stab wounds and was taken to Liverpool Hospital in a critical condition, where he later died. A 47-year-old man, believed to be an ex-partner of the dead woman, attended Blacktown Police Station a short time later and has been charged with 2 counts of murder. No names have been released and nothing further is reported at present.

50.
December 21: Police were called to a reported domestic assault at a home in Northfield, Adelaide. There they found 36-year-old Supriya Thakur unconscious, and despite efforts to revive her, she died. Her husband Vikrant Shirikrishna Thakur (41), who was arrested at the scene, has been charged with murder.

49.
December 18: After the body of an as-yet unnamed 88-year-old woman was found in a home in Fern Bay, NSW, the woman's son, Thomas Andrew Tapley (61), turned himself in to police and has been charged with her murder.

48.
December 06: A call to NT police at about 10.30am led them to find an unresponsive unidentified woman (27) in a town camp south-east of Darwin. Health workers weren't able to revive her, and she was declared deceased. On Tuesday 16 December police charged her male partner (27) with murder. No further details have been reported to date.

If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, chat online via its website, or text 0458 737 732.

Thanks to Counting Dead Women Australia (researchers from Destroy The Joint) from whom we get our information.

15/12/2025

Hope and peace always triumph over hatred and violence.
🕊️

Whilst we struggle to understand unspeakable violence, we see the heroes. 43-year-old father of two, fruit shop owner, and Muslim man, Ahmed al Ahmed disarmed one shooter, and saved countless lives. Despite being shot twice, the footage shows Ahmed holding the rifle, then gently resting it against a tree.

We may never understand those who choose violence, but we understand why Ahmed chose to put the gun down. 🕊️

Violence has no place in our society. 💛

14/12/2025

When Birds flock together, Christmas shopping gets easy 🎄

Our limited-edition Christmas colours have landed with Sage Green Blokes for Birds tees, Pink and Red Blokes for Birds tees and Every Bird Counts tee selling hot via link in our bio. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.

Our earring, brooches and bag or key chains make perfect teacher and coach gifts, all still on sale.

Shop with heart this Christmas and help us make the invisible visible 💛

12/12/2025

TRIGGER WARNING this post contains stories/facts concerning domestic violence. Please engage in self-care when reading this post.

47.
December 05: Police conducting a welfare check at a Montague Bay home about 2.30pm found the body of an unidentified woman. A 33-year-old man with no fixed address was arrested Friday night and charged with murder. His relationship to the victim is unknown.

46.
November 07: Emergency services were called about 6.30am to a head-on crash in Doomadgee. A 30-year-old woman died at the scene; a 10-year-old girl later died in hospital. Three other children were seriously injured. A 28-year-old man, the second driver and the woman’s partner, was arrested shortly after. He has been charged with two counts of murder (domestic violence), three counts of attempted murder (domestic violence) of a child, and breaching a domestic-violence order (aggravated).

45.
November 06: On 31 October, an 86-year-old woman—unofficially identified as Marcia Chalmers—presented to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital with serious injuries after an alleged assault at her Glebe home. Police say her gardener, Jason Easson (53), assaulted her about 8.30am before leaving. He was charged with reckless grievous bodily harm and stalking/intimidation. After she died on November 6, the charge was upgraded to manslaughter. He remains in custody.

44.
October 04: At about 12.30pm police attended a home in Melbona, responding to a call from a family member who reported finding the body of Irene Selmes (84) in her bedroom at the house she shared with her son and daughter-in-law. A post mortem examination revealed that Ms Selmes had suffered significant injuries prior to her death. After extensive investigations Rebecca Weslowski (50), Ms Selmes’s daughter-in-law, was arrested on November 13th. She has been charged with murder (DV) and remanded in custody.

If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, chat online via its website, or text 0458 737 732.

Thanks to Counting Dead Women Australia (researchers from Destroy The Joint) from whom we get our information.

04/12/2025

The Birds have no words to describe how we feel right now 🥹💛so we’ve borrowed from the best…

“2025 NSW Volunteer Team of the Year
NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards Winners - Birds in the Bush Team

The nine members of the Birds in the Bush Volunteer Team create safer communities for women and children in rural and regional areas by advocating for better services and raising community awareness about the impact and causes of domestic and family violence. The group shares a large volunteering workload including organising events, fundraising, community collaboration, designing and selling merchandise, and social media advocacy – helping to raise $422,000 to support domestic violence initiatives across the region.” - The Centre of Volunteering.

03/12/2025

Birds flying high, you know how I feel
Sun in the sky, you know how I feel
Breeze driftin’ on by, you know how I feel
It’s a new dawn
It’s a new day
It’s a new life for me,
And I’m feeling good.

Birds in the Big Smoke… Watch this space. 💛

28/11/2025

When Birds flock together, good things happen!

Introducing Birdbrains; a unique education program empowering your community through education. This collaboration between Birds in the Bush and reframED exemplifies how the Bush does it better.

And while the world marks the 16 Days of Activism, this is part of our every day, 365 days a year activism. It’s the work you might not always see, but Birds are always getting done.

24/11/2025

TRIGGER WARNING this post contains stories/facts concerning domestic violence. Please engage in self-care when reading this post.

43.
November 06: On Friday 31 October 2025, police were informed that a woman, unofficially identified as 86-year-old Marcia Chalmers, had presented to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, in a serious condition following an assault. Police allege that at 8.30am the same day Jason Easson (53), employed as the woman’s gardener, had assaulted her at her home in Glebe before leaving the premises. Easson was later arrested and charged with reckless grievous bodily harm and stalking/intimidation. At about 2.45am on November 6th Ms Chalmers died in hospital. Easson has now been charged with manslaughter and remains in custody.

42.
October 31: At about 7.30pm police officers were called to Kearsley, near Cessnock in the Hunter Valley, after reports that gunshots had been heard, and a woman injured. The woman, unofficially identified as Rhukaya Lake (39), was found dead after suffering gunshot wounds, with attending officers describing the scene as "horrific and traumatic". A child who had been at home at the time was found physically unharmed after walking to neighbours looking for help. Ms Lake’s partner, Christopher McLoughney (37), was arrested Ms Lake’s partner, Christopher McLoughney (37), was charged with murder after being arrested at nearby Bellbird the following night following a tip-off from a member of the public.

If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, chat online via its website, or text 0458 737 732.

Thanks to Counting Dead Women Australia (researchers from Destroy The Joint) from whom we get our information.

Birds In The Bush

23/03/2026

27/01/2026

23/01/2026

29/12/2025

15/12/2025

14/12/2025

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04/12/2025

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28/11/2025

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