Golf club rejects pleas for memorial to four children killed in crash

Oatlands Golf Club has unequivocally ruled out a memorial for the Abdallah children and their cousin after they were killed near the course.

The families of four young children killed in a horrific car crash have been denied a lasting memorial at the site of the tragedy.

Oatlands Golf Club has unequivocally ruled out a memorial for Abdallah children Sienna, 8, Angelina, 12, and Antony, 13, and their cousin Veronique Sakr, 11, whose lifeless bodies were found on the edge of the Sydney golf course.

The families have been devastated by the club’s decision to knock back the memorial, which would have only encroached a few metres into heavily wooded rough along the perimeter of the 12th hole.

The proposed location for the memorial. Picture: Supplied

“We are devastated by the decision of the Oatlands Golf Club board,” the Abdallah and Sakr families and the family of two surviving victims told The Daily Telegraph in a joint statement.

“We love our children dearly and we will always grieve the loss of our beautiful kids. Our proposed commemorative garden simply honours our children, Antony, Angelina, Sienna and Veronique .”

For the second time this year the club’s board dismissed a set of designs drawn up by Parramatta Council without first consulting its members on the basis they were too elaborate and would unduly remind neighbours of the tragedy.

The latest pared-back design consisted of a small bench and four sunken sandstone boulders.

Leila and Danny Abdallah with their surviving kids, Liana 11, Alex 6 and Michael 4. Picture Rohan Kelly.

The board has said it would consider the installation of four stone blocks no larger than 50cm high and 40cm wide — which are the specifications for temporary roadside memorials set down by Roads and Maritime Services — and a “small area of grass or small hedge”.

The children’s families had hoped the club would compromise on a design with more meaning, given they still go to the crash site regularly to reflect and pray.

“As of March 2021, all concepts submitted by Parramatta Council on behalf of the families have been well outside the scale of what had been communicated as appropriate,” Oatlands Golf Club general manager Sam Howe said in an email to members.

Antony Abdallah, 13, one of of the Oatlands crash victims.

Sienna Abdallah

“The board and management recognise the terrible tragedy caused by this accident, while at the same time recognising our responsibility to the club and its members.

“In light of there being no support from the families for a memorial that the board has deemed appropriate to take to the membership, the board has decided to close negotiations.”

The decision came a week after the Abdallah’s home at Telopea was broken into by an unknown man who stole a bag of their belongings.

11-year-old Veronique Sakr, who also died in the crash.

Negotiations had been jointly led by Liberal MP Geoff Lee and Labor MP Jihad Dib, who were both furious with the decision made by the club’s board.

“I can’t comprehend why the directors will not support a memorial,” Mr Lee said.

Mr Dib said he doubted the board was ever serious about allowing a memorial.

“Somehow every person in Australia has been affected by this tragedy, except the board of the Oatlands Golf Club,” he said.

“I implore the club to work with the families and council and meet their social obligation but it seems they just don’t care.”

Grieving father Danny Abdallah had even offered to pay for four junior golf scholarships each year for the next 10 years as a show of good faith, which was never accepted.