Palace Backpackers fire 25th anniversary: Childers remembers

The sister of one of the victims of the 2000 Palace Backpackers fire has made an emotional return to Childers to honour her lost sibling, as memories of the 15 people who died at the hands of a mass killer remain raw.

It’s a Saturday night much like any other in Childers. At the pub a group of men reminisce about an old bar that has since closed down, and how much the small Queensland town has changed in 25 years.

Robert Long, the man who was charged with intentionally lighting the fire that killed 15 on June 23, 2000 gets brought up.

One man says he never met Long but knew of him; he says he stole his brother’s lunch.

The men agree in various ways that Long was always a “bad seed”.

Down the street, a buzz of energy radiates from the ISIS Cultural Centre, which 25 years ago was the home base for the emergency response efforts in the wake of the Childers backpacker fire, in which 15 people lost their lives.

Tonight, it hosts the second public performance of The Palace, a musical commemoration of the darkest of days in the town.

The scene of the fire at The Palace Backpackers Hostel at Childers on June 23, 2000. Picture: Anthony Weate.

Among the audience is the family of Claire Webb, who have travelled more than 16,000km from England to be here to mark the grim anniversary.

Claire died, along with 14 other backpackers in the fire Long was later convicted of starting. Her sister Karen said Claire was at the hostel to collect her wages. She had plans to visit K’gari with her friends the following day.

Childers victim Claire Webb at 16. Picture: Supplied

The performance itself opens with string ensemble made up of students from Childers State School and Isis State High School, supported by Topology, a Brisbane-based music collective.

Behind the scenes of The Palace rehearsals. Director Rod Ainsworth says the aim of the production was to commemorate the town’s efforts in the aftermath of the tragedy. Picture: Supplied

The names of all 15 victims are listed on the back of The Palace program.

A minute’s silence is observed, and 15 chimes ring out; one for each life lost.

Director Rod Ainsworth and composer John Babbage behind the scenes. They say everybody living in the region at the time remembers where they were when they heard the news. Picture: Supplied

Before intermission, emotions run high and Karen begins to shout “Childers killed my sister”. She is escorted out visibly distraught.

Away from the cultural centre, after regathering herself, Karen says she had just gone numb and started to shake.

A copy of the poem Karen Webb says she put up around town but was taken down less than a day later.

She says she can’t remember what she said, only that she still holds a lot of rage over her sister’s death.

Wearing a yellow shirt covered in photos of Claire, a ring – the only thing she has left of her sister – Karen says the victims and survivors have been “let down”.

“It could have been completely avoided,” she says.

“None of it makes sense.”

Childers Backpacker Fire murderer Robert Long.

In preparation for her return to Australia, Karen printed and laminated poems she said she wrote to process the grief of losing her “twin soul”.

She says she hung them up around town but was shocked to see they had been taken down a day later.

Tearfully, she says “it’s as if she was never here”.

Karen first visited Childers in the days after Claire’s death.

She says she ran into the charred remains of the Palace hostel in search of her but was stopped by emergency services.

The whole second floor had been destroyed.

“You start losing parts of them every year,” she says.

“Nobody realises it’s really just a start of a life sentence of dealing with this.

“She’s always going to be part of Childers.”

On Sunday, a day before the 25th anniversary, Karen plans to travel to K’gari with her young daughter, just as Claire had wanted to.

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Originally published as Palace Backpackers fire 25th anniversary: Childers remembers