Tributes flow for alleged Conondale murder victim Chris Gwin
Chris Gwin is being remembered as a “lovely” man who was a former Greens hopeful and committed Buddhist, as a small Sunshine Coast town reels from his violent death.
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A small Sunshine Coast hinterland community is reeling after the alleged violent murder of a “quiet” and “loving” retired teacher aide.
Chris Gwin, 69, was allegedly stabbed to death at his Conondale home on May 11, but his body was not found until May 13.
Conondale residents and those who knew Mr Gwin have paid tribute to the former teacher aide, revealing he had once been a political hopeful for the Greens and was a devout Buddhist up until his death.
Greens party co-founder Drew Hutton, who stepped away from the party in 2009, said Mr Gwin ran for the Senate ballot in the 1998 federal election and had run in two state elections for the Glass House electorate.
Mr Hutton described Mr Gwin as a “really nice man” who was “very caring”.
“He had a great deal of inner peace,” Mr Hutton said.
“He was active on a number of local issues … he was knowledgeable about a whole range of issues.”
Mr Gwin was an office bearer for the Maleny branch of the Greens party, Mr Hutton said, and was one of the early members of the Queensland Greens after the party was formed in 1992.
He said Mr Gwin was also a well-known Buddhist.
Friend and library manager at the Eudlo Chenrezig temple, Hilary Tilton, said Mr Gwin was a regular visitor to the temple.
“(He was) very quiet, very thoughtful, intelligent, a very positive person,” she said.
She said he had movement issues and walked with a limp and carried a cane.
Ms Tilton said Mr Gwin would often join her and her friends for coffee before the teachings at the temple started and could be often found helping in the temple’s library or in the art studio making sculptures or painting.
He was interested in going to teachings with the Tibetan teachers who lived at temple.
She said she had come to terms with the news of his alleged murder, but it had taken her “some time” to reach this point.
“He was such a positive figure and he was well liked by everybody,” she said.
Gordon Halliday, who lived in the same housing development as Mr Gwin but said they did not run in the same social circles, described him as a “lovely” and “honest” but “very quiet” man.
“He lived a very solitary lifestyle … I would occasionally see him if there was a community event happening, he might be there,” he said.
Mr Halliday said news of Mr Gwin’s alleged murder sent shockwaves through their community, especially for some new residents who had moved into the development shortly before the alleged murder.
Conondale general store owner Ashley Hamilton said Mr Gwin was a peaceful man who “got on with life” and was always willing to help others.
“He was always dedicated to everything and willing to get involved,” he said.
Mr Hamilton said Mr Gwin was the librarian when his children had attended Conondale State School and he said Mr Gwin would often visit the store for lunch.
The store owner said the small town was in shock following the incident.
“They just can’t believe that’s it’s happened,” he said
“It’s blown everyone away I think.”
Mr Hamilton said in such a small town, residents were mostly away from the “riff raff” and the usual crimes they dealt with were the occasional stealing offence.
“It does make you think ‘you can’t leave your door open anymore’,” he said.
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