Childers fire: 25 years on lost honoured in powerful musical
The people behind a powerful play honouring the 15 lives lost in a Childers backpackers hostel fire have shared their connections to the tragedy days out from the 25-year anniversary.
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On Monday June 23, 2025, it will be 25 years since tragedy ripped through the small town of Childers and 15 lives were lost in a horrific fire at the Palace Backpackers, changing so many lives forever.
The hostel in the heart of the township straddling the Bruce Highway was set alight by disgruntled fruit picker Robert Paul Long, who remains in jail for his crime.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, survivors described the generosity of the Childers community, who rallied to support “the kids” with home cooked meals and accomodation in the wake of one of Australia’s deadliest incidents.
Twenty-five years on, the warm spirit of Childers’ residents efforts has culminated in a production, The Palace, created by Bundaberg-based writer and director Rod Ainsworth, in collaboration with composer John Babbage of Brisbane ensemble Topology.
“The criminal [Robert Long] has not been named” Mr Ainsworth said.
Ahead of the 25th Anniversary the director, and creator of the play said they wanted to commemorate the town’s efforts in the aftermath of the tragedy.
On Wednesday, less than a week out from the performances' premiere showing, Mr Ainsworth said the Childers fire was something everybody in the region remembers.
Seated alongside Christa Powell, Founder and Creative Director of Topology, John Babbage, Composer of The Palace and Co-Artistic Director of Topology, and Childers resident and lead vocalist, Sue McCloy, Mr Ainsworth said everybody living in the region at the time remembers where they were when they heard the news.
For the director, he was driving to work in Bundaberg when he heard the news on the radio.
“I almost had to pull over,” he said.
His connection to the tragic tale extends to his late father-in-law, who he said was closely connected with farming in the region at the time.
“He was involved with a lot of the backpackers” at the time of the fire, he said.
What struck him most about his father-in-law’s retelling of the events was always the generosity of spirit that poured out from the small town.
He said he was most interested in capturing the impact “that kindness had on people 25-years later”.
“One of the characters [in the show] says, ‘I lay on the floor with her all night, and I’ve still got a buggered knee’.”
Connectedness is a prevalent theme in the performance.
Lead vocalist in the show Sue McCloy said being part of the commemorative production was not something she wanted to miss out on.
While working in Canada as a sonographer, Ms McCloy said a woman came in for an appointment and immediately recognised her Australian accent.
The woman said “you probably don’t know where this place is, but I was in this fire in Childers”.
Ms McCloy, who grew up in the region, and said her parents woke to the commotion of the fire on June 23, 2000, hopes the performance will bring the community closure.
The production, named for the hostel at the centre of the tragedy, The Palace, takes the form of a 50-minute song cycle.
It is being delivered in partnership with Bundaberg Regional Council and Arts Queensland and supported by the Regional Arts Development Fund.
The Chamber of Commerce is a presenting partner.
First-hand testimonies of the traumatic experience will be woven together through spoken word, original music and song.
Composer John Babbage said he deliberately wove symbolic musical elements into the productions score.
The number 15, to honour the lives lost in the fire is a recurring theme.
Mr Babbage said he chose to write the music in 15/8, a time signature in music which means that there are 15 eighth notes (quavers) in each measure.
“For some of the melodies... the notes from that spell out the word Childers”
“Palace was another word” he used for other pieces.
The Isis Cultural Centre in Childers – the same site that became a refuge and support hub after the fire in 2000– will also host the performances.
Event Details
Date: Saturday, June 21, 2025
Times: 1pm and 6pm performances
Length: 50 minutes
Venue: Isis Cultural Centre, 49 Churchill Street, Childers
Tickets: $25
A private performance will also be held on the anniversary date, Monday, June 23, as part of a Bundaberg council-led commemoration.
Robert Long, 62, the man convicted of starting the fire, made a fresh bid for freedom to the parole board in May 2025.
At the time of the blaze, 88 people were staying in the hostel; 15 travellers from England, Netherlands, Ireland, Korea, Japan and Australia, died.
In 2020, the 62-year-old Long made his first appeal for early release but was rejected.
Community members, family of victims and survivors all signed a petition against his release.
Long’s latest bid comes just weeks before the 25th anniversary.
A decision is yet to be released to the public on Long’s second submission.
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