Now every time they pass the unmarked bend on their way to Collinsville from Bowen in north Queensland’s Whitsunday region, they will be reminded of the deaths of Marie and Mervyn Schwartz, along with Marie’s son Graham Tighe.
A solitary bouquet of flowers has been left on the corner of Peter Delemothe Street and Normanby Street – the only way in and out of the isolated site.
The 77km dirt track is a mobile phone black spot and the vast expanses of space between properties make for a quiet journey.
Warning signs line the first properties on the street. They read: “Do not enter”, “Retreat” and “Entry by invitation only”.
But even these faint signs of civilization fade within 15 minutes, replaced by the strong smell of dung, herds of cattle and the odd kangaroo.
The winding, gravel one-way road through Bogie Creek that leads to the scene of an alleged mass murder is a “spooky” drive at the best of times, locals say
Graham Tighe’s wife had recently given birth to a second child, relatives say
On Friday afternoon, longtime property owner Darrin Young was charged with three counts of murder.
The tiny locality — made up of about 207 people — spent Thursday night waiting with bated breath for news of a suspected gunman on the loose.
Only a few hours earlier they had learned that their neighbors had reportedly been shot dead at close range.
No further details were available at that stage, but in a community as small as Bogie and nearby Bowen, people are talking. Concerns have been raised about an ongoing feud between the Schwarz family and Mr Young.
“As soon as the inspector announced this morning that they had taken the person into custody – the suspect, I think – a huge sense of relief came over the area,” Whitsunday councilor and former Bowen mayor Michael Brunker said.
Before the announcement, there were fears that the alleged gunman was hiding among the vast bushland that connected each of the properties.
A solitary bouquet of flowers has been left on the corner of Peter Delemothe Street and Normanby Street – the only way in and out of the isolated site
Faint signs of civilization fade within 15 minutes, replaced by the strong smell of manure, herds of cattle and the odd kangaroo
Maree and Mervyn Schwarz died of gunshot wounds, along with Maree’s son Graham Tighe.
Tensions were at an all-time high as the isolated region was locked down. It is understood that residents mainly communicate via radio – particularly when on the road.
With no phone reception for hours in either direction, what little police information was able to slowly trickle out into the community.
“It’s a miracle the boy was able to get help,” local resident Michelle said over lunch on Friday. “What about those windy roads and an alleged gunshot to his stomach.
“It’s eerie down there.”
Ross Tighe, a new father in his 30s, reportedly traveled 45 minutes to a neighboring property for help after he was shot in the abdomen. He had allegedly just seen his older brother Graham, 35, his mother Marie Schwarz, 59, and his stepdad Mervyn Schwarz, 71, all shot.
It seems he sought out neighbors at Flagstone Cattle Farm 40km away. A man at the property said he would not comment on the incident, adding that his family was “very close” to those involved.
Maree Schwarz’s brother-in-law Greg Austen said Ross (pictured) is a strong man
Photo: One of the Schwarz-Tighe family properties, located on Sutherland Street
People living in the Bogie area started leaving flowers on the property on Friday morning (pictured)
The drive between the two properties is not an easy one, although Mr Tighe has likely made the journey countless times since his family acquired the $10 million, 29,000 hectare property in May 2021.
The Schwarz family property is about 70 kilometers down the narrow winding Normanby Road, strewn with rocks and gravel and lined with dried-up creeks.
Kangaroos and huge herds of cows litter the road and cross the road at their leisure, causing a nervous traffic – particularly around blind bends.
It’s easy to see why police said they were faced with “tough” conditions during the early stages of the investigation on Thursday.
Forced into unfamiliar territory, first responders had to scour dried creek beds and overgrown ground for clues.
They then made contact with five people who were later taken to Bowen Police Station for questioning.
Darrin Young has been charged with three counts of murder and will spend this weekend in jail before appearing in court on Monday
The only cars seen on the road on Friday were unmarked police vehicles traveling between the property and nearby Bowen
“The crime scene is about 2.5 hours from Bowen and 1.5 hours from Collinsville,” Acting Superintendent Armitt told reporters Friday.
“The distance between the two properties is 45 minutes by car and it is a 3km drive from the front gate to the property house.
“At that particular point in time we had no idea who or where the shooter was and obviously we had to push forward on the scene very mindful of our own safety and at the risk of officers being shot.”
The only cars seen on the road Friday were unmarked police vehicles traveling between the property and nearby Bowen.
Detectives have set up an exclusion zone at the top of Shannonvale Road – around 10km from the entrance to one of the properties at the center of the dispute.
Mr Brunker said it was beyond belief that a dispute over something as trivial as boundary lines could have triggered such a devastating series of events.
Graham Tighe (pictured left) leaves behind a young family, including a young boy who was recently ill
Maree Schwarz, who died Thursday morning, is pictured with one of her grandchildren
“In the 1800s people were shot for claiming gold. If you made a wrong claim, you got shot and that was the Wild West,” he said.
“Today you might have a punch in a pub, but certainly not to this extreme.”
Mr Brunker said ownership disputes were not necessarily uncommon at Bogie given the rugged nature of the terrain.
It’s almost impossible to build fences, but everyone in the area knows their neighbors and can generally resolve differences fairly quickly.
“This is an extreme event,” he said.
Photo: The entrance to the Schwartz-Tighe property on Friday morning. Flowers are seen at the gate
The Schwarzes owned several farms throughout Queensland. Pictured: The Bogie couple’s estate which they shared with her son Graham
All Thursday afternoon and into Friday, nearby towns were abuzz with innuendo. A barmaid at one of Bowen’s three pubs noted that she had heard “different versions of the same story from almost every person” she had served.
“I don’t think there’s anyone yet who can say for sure what happened. We’re all guessing a little bit based on what we’ve heard in the past,” he said.
“It’s a real tragedy though. I think we all feel it.’
Detectives will allege that Mr Young, 59, invited his neighbors to meet on the boundary of their adjoining farms in the early hours of Thursday morning.
When they arrived, he allegedly pulled out a rifle and shot them at close range.
Maree Schwarz’s brother-in-law Greg Austen, a councilor at Isaac District Council, told Daily Mail Australia the neighbors could not agree on where the boundary between their two farms should be.
“When we first heard something happened, we thought they were playing silly buggers in Collinsville,” he said.
“They were an honest Christian family. They were a bush family who worked seven days a week and drank beers on Sundays, attended events, very welcoming and respected in the community. Just a normal Australian family.
“Graham had a young family – they had a son who was taken to Brisbane for being a fraud. He is the first boy born to carry the Tighe family name. I estimate that Graham only spent three days with his son.
HOW INJURED FATHER CAN SOUND MASS SHOOTING ALARM
Young father Ross Tighe reportedly alerted authorities to the critical situation while suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The injured man was able to go to another home – which police said was “many, many kilometers” from where the alleged shooting took place on a remote property – and contacted authorities. He was taken to Mackay Base Hospital to undergo emergency surgery and is now in intensive care in a serious but stable condition. He was able to be interviewed by police Thursday night. Ross’s uncle Greg Austen, a councilor on Isaac District Council, said he had shown incredible courage. “Ross has two girls but they are fine. I haven’t spoken to him yet because it’s about three hours away, but we’re going there,” he said. “Ross is a very strong young man. “To witness what unfolded in front of him and then to be able to walk back to the car shows real resilience and I’m sure he won’t forget it for the rest of his life.” Detectives said Ross was “able to tell police that he had allegedly been shot and that three others (were also shot). “We believe the man was able to retreat from the area. He was fleeing the scene.’ “Initially when the man spoke to us he was obviously in a very distressed state and there was some confusion as to where the shooting occurred. “We were able to conduct investigations on our own based on the minimal information that was provided and we had to update the location as to where the incident occurred based on the crime scene that we located.” After searching the area where the injured man was found, police deemed the location safe “and a further exclusion zone was established at a property along…
