NZ volcano tragedy: Richards family were bonded in life, and together in death

Julie and Jessica Richards shared a mother-daughter bond that was as strong as it gets. When tragedy struck they were together.

Brisbane’s Julie and Jessica Richards were on an annual mother-and-daughter adventure when tragedy struck. They were among the victims of Monday’s White Island volcano eruption. Picture: Barbara Whitehead, sister of Julie Richards

A mother-and-daughter holiday was a yearly tradition for Julie and Jessica Richards.

The Brisbane pair had been waiting excitedly for months for their latest trip — a voyage to New Zealand on the giant Royal Caribbean cruise ship Ovation of the Seas to quench their shared thirst for the outdoors and adventure.

It was obvious to all who knew them that the two shared a bond as strong as a mother and daughter could have. And when tragedy struck, they were together.

On Wednesday morning, Julie’s brother Michael Eborn received the phone call from the New Zealand police he had been dreading ever since news broke of the White Island volcano tragedy.

Julie and Jess had become the first confirmed Australian victims of the eruption.

Authorities have named the pair as having been killed but the exact circumstances of their deaths remain unclear.

Family photographs always showed IT developer Julie, 47, and 20-year-old Jessica — studying veterinary science at the Univer­sity of Queensland — beaming.

Snorkelling in turquoise water when Jess was a teenager, goggles pushed onto foreheads to grin for a selfie, or red-faced and proud after completing an International Women’s Day fun run, it was clear they loved the outdoors, and adored each other.

Jess was a mad keen AFL player, playing with the boys on Park Ridge’s Under 11 boys before moving into the women’s competition at the age of 15.

Julie was never far behind, putting her hand up to help wherever she could. Always on the sidelines, she wore the hat of team manager, coach, water carrier, occasional goal umpire and even got her hands dirty to wash team jerseys.

There was nothing Julie would not do for Jess.

The club’s former women’s coach, Scott Stephens, coached Jess for four years and was friends with Julie off the field. “They were as tight as a mother and daughter could be,” Mr Stephens said. “They were best mates. Everyone who knew them, loved them. Julie was a brilliant computer scientist and Jess was studying vet science.”