Hume’s Sri Lankan community is rallying behind two teenagers orphaned last week when their parents were killed in a car accident while returning from a holiday to Uluru.
Roxburgh Park couple Felician Fernando and Udeni Ratnayake were part of an extended family tour group travelling along the Stuart Highway near the South Australian town of Coober Pedy two weeks ago.
Reports suggest a tyre blow-out caused their minivan, with eight people aboard, to crash and roll several times.
Mr Fernando, 46, died at the scene. His wife, 45, died in hospital a week later.
Teachers and classmates from their children’s primary and secondary schools paid tribute to the couple, who had strong links with school communities and neighbourhoods.
“You couldn’t say a bad word about this family,” said Geoff Porter, Hume councillor and a teacher at Holy Child Primary School.
“They were beautiful people.”
Cr Porter said he taught the couple’s son, Ryan, 13, last year before he graduated to year 7 at Penola College.
Ryan’s sister, Michelle, 16, is in year 10 at Pascoe Vale Girls College.
Council colleague Chandra Bamnusinghe, a member of Hume’s Sri Lankan community, said there were more than 1000 Sri Lankan families between Craigieburn and Roxburgh Park.
“For more than a week, people have been gathering at the family home bringing food and supporting the family,” she said.
The teenagers’ uncle, Damian Fernando, said the response of the Sri Lankan community and others from Hume had been “fantastic”.
“This has been a very bad time for the world,” he said. “Help is needed and it’s going to come.”
Mr Fernando, who works in both Sri Lanka and Australia, said he would base himself with his niece and nephew for the next few months to help sort out their finances and schooling.
He said offers of help would be much appreciated. He can be contacted on 0433 363 482.
