Oatlands Golf Club: Heartbroken dad’s final plea for child crash victims
The Abdallah family offered to pay for 40 golf scholarships in a failed bid to convince Oatlands Golf Club to permit a permanent memorial to their four dead children on the perimeter of the course.
NSW
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The Abdallah family offered to pay for 40 golf scholarships in a failed bid to convince Oatlands Golf Club to permit a permanent memorial to their four dead children on the perimeter of the course.
Oatlands Golf Club did not respond to a heart-wrenching letter penned by grieving father Danny Abdallah before rejecting new designs for a permanent memorial to honour the spot where the bodies of Abdallah children Sienna, 8, Angelina, 12, and Antony, 13, and their cousin Veronique Sakr, 11, were thrown in last year’s tragic crash.
As revealed by The Sunday Telegraph, the club’s board dismissed proposed designs without first consulting its members on the basis they were too elaborate and would unduly remind neighbours and first responders of the tragedy on a daily basis.
The club remains open to a memorial on its land provided it is only four stone plinths 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 hedge.
In the letter Mr Abdallah expressed the importance of a meaningful memorial to provide his family closure and somewhere to quietly reflect on their loss.
“From the heart of a father, yearning to honour the children we lost that day, I appeal to your own experience of compassion and humane self,” the letter read.
“Approving and actioning this proposal I believe will be a message of peace, love and forgiveness to our neighbours, family and friends.
“It will finally bring some closure to all who have been affected by this tragedy within our caring Oatlands community.
“I visit the site regularly to reflect and pray and although I would have loved something more, I appreciate the land is private property and do not want to overly intrude on its use.
“I have been assured that the proposed design will not in any way adversely impact on members interests or the playability of the golf course.
“My hope is that early in the new year we can remove the makeshift memorial for my children including the photos, table, chair and relics and replace it with a peaceful and serene garden for the local morning or evening walker to stop by as they currently do and have a quiet moment.”
The Abdallah family did not receive a response from the board and was not told of the board’s decision to reject the designs.
In the letter, Mr Abdallah offered to pay for four junior golf scholarships each year for the next 10 years as a show of good faith, and reiterated his offer to pay for a tall fence along the course boundary along Bettington Rd to allay any concern of mourners being hit by stray golf balls.
City of Parramatta Council has also offered to cover the cost of public indemnity insurance over the small parcel of land that encroaches five metres into wooded rough in the furthest reaches of the 12th hole.
“The Council has agreed to lease, design, build, maintain and insure the land and commemorative garden in memory of the four little angels that we lost that day,” the letter read.
“Where possible, my family and community have attempted to create some ‘good’ out of this tragedy.
“As my children enjoyed their sports and one day may have even been members of Oatlands, I’d also like to donate four junior development programme memberships for the next 10 years.
“This is something I know my children would have supported and appreciated.
“These (junior development programme) memberships could help enlist 4 new junior members who otherwise may not have joined the Oatlands Golf Club.
“Perhaps it will also create some good out of this tragedy and help 40 young athletes realise their dreams.”
The Oatlands Golf Club and Abdallah family declined to comment.
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