Grazier Mervyn Schwarz warned of neighbour troubles a year before he was gunned down alongside his wife and her son

Cattle farmer Mervyn Schwarz was warned about a long-running feud with the neighbours when he bought his $10m cattle station, but he believed he “could handle it”.

Slain cattle farmer Mervyn Schwarz was warned about a long-running feud with the neighbours when he bought the 30,000ha Sutherland Station – but said he believed he “could handle it”.

Fresh details have emerged of the slaying of the Schwarz family, including that the only surviving member was shot in the stomach as he fled the executions of his mother, brother and stepfather to hide in the bushes.

Little more than a year after Mervyn was given the warning about his newly purchased home, the 71-year-old, his wife Maree, 59 and her 35-year-old son Graham Tighe were dead, gunned down at the front gate of the neighbouring Shannonvale Station after they were invited over to talk through a prolonged and bitter boundary dispute.

The only family member to escape was Ross Tighe, who police allege saw his brother, mother and stepfather gunned down as he ran into the bush.

The young father was shot in the stomach as he allegedly ran for his life, telling police he hid in bushes before running and hiding in bushes again as gunshots continued to ring out.

Despite his critical injuries, Ross managed to drive 40km in a red farm ute to another property to raise the alarm.

Maree and Merv Schwarz.

Police will allege the family were shot on Thursday morning at close range with a rifle after being invited to Shannonvale, in Bogie, in the Whitsunday region, to discuss the dispute.

Their neighbour Darryl Young, a well-known longtime local, has been charged with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.

He is due to appear in court on Monday.

Mackay Detective Inspector Tom Armitt on Friday said specialist officers were doing property clearances at Mr Young’s home when he was arrested.

The sign to ‘Flagstone’, which is the property to which Ross Tighe drove to get help. Picture: Greg Stolz

“We made contact with people on the property and we arranged for them to give themselves into custody,” Det Insp Armitt said.

When asked if it was civilised, he said “no”.

“It took a period of time for us to make contact with him,” Det Insp Armitt said.

Initially five people were taken into police custody with four later released. Mr Young is the only person charged over the slayings.

Residents of the small North Queensland farming community have described Mervyn, Maree and Graham as “the nicest people in the world” who were “admired by many”.

They bought the picturesque North Queensland property in May, 2021, for $10 million.

The Sunday Mail has been told the previous owners of Sutherland Station sold up because of the stress of constant arguments with the Youngs.

The property is believed to have had at least three owners who had trouble with the neighbouring station.

Darryl Young, a well-known longtime local, has been charged with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder over the deaths of Graham Tighe and Maree and Mervyn Schwarz.

Members of the Young family would take to social media to accuse people of stealing their cattle, with Shannonvale’s lack of border fencing often resulting in animals wandering off.

Nearby residents also spoke of having to veer off the road if Darryl was approaching and that he’d said he would derail a previous owner’s attempt to sell Sutherland Station.

“Merv and Maree and Graham were the nicest people in the world,” one local said.

“They didn’t deserve this, that’s for sure. They were really lovely people.”

The man, who asked not to be named, said Merv had owned large rural properties over many years and had not been shaken by reports of troubles with the neighbours.

Shooting victim Ross Tighe miraculously escaped.

“He wasn’t arrogant about it,” the man said.

“He would have dealt with different neighbours and found different ways of handling these situations.

“He said `I’ve done my research … I think I can handle it’.”

One neighbour told regional news site the Country Caller he was warned a couple of weeks ago that he was “marked”.

Another said he and other landowners armed themselves and “battened down” after the slaying, fearing they too could be shot.

“He (the gunman) had nothing to lose … I battened down,” he said.

“You could say I had a range of weapons – two pistols, a .410, a .30-30, a .243, a .222 and about 2000 rounds. If it went on into the night I was going to sit off the house and wait.”

Bowen locals said they were shocked by the shootings.

“It’s a massive shock,” fisherman Wayne Teakel said.

“I was out at sea when it happened and when I came back in and heard it was Darryl, I couldn’t believe it.

“I used to work with him in the mines. He was a machine operator out there who could operate any machine. He was a very handy man.

“I never knew him outside of work, but he’s very well known in the area. He has a lot of relatives around.”

A Bowen crop picker, who did not want to be named, said he knew Mr Young who “seemed like a pretty quiet fella”.

People living at a Bowen home linked to Young told journalists to leave the property.

Mr Young’s Bogie cattle farm remained a taped-off crime scene, with police continuing to come and go.

The owners of a property 40km from the scene of the slaughter, to which the badly wounded Ross Tighe managed to drive his ute, said they were “not interested” in talking to media.

Originally published as Grazier Mervyn Schwarz warned of neighbour troubles a year before he was gunned down alongside his wife and her son