Six bikies and a 15-year-old girl were killed in the Milperra massacre on Father's Day, 1984 (pictured). Ron Stephenson who led the police investigation into the shoot-out stated in 1994: "In the middle of it all, the pub staff were still selling beer. One of the 20 injured had his arm chopped off by a machete as two rival bikie gangs, the Bandidos and the Commancheros, invaded the carpark in Beaconsfieid Road at 1.55 pm. [21] It stars Callan Mulvey, Matthew Nable, Susie Porter, Maeve Dermody, Anthony Hayes, Todd Lasance, Luke Ford, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, Damian Walshe-Howling, Nathaniel Dean and Luke Hemsworth. Subscribe here: http://9Soci.al/chmP50wA97J Full Episodes: https://9now.app.link/uNP4qBkmN6 | The Father's Day Massacre (2014)Bravery. The screenplay was written by Greg Haddrick, Roger Simpson and Jo Martino. 'We literally had our backs to the wall, nowhere to run, when they approached us. 8. So we went. Year should not be greater than current year. Before the two gangs met at the Viking Tavern Eaves tried to convince the Comanchero 'supreme commander' Jock Ross they would be out-numbered. The fighting continued for at least 10minutes, while police helicopters circled overhead, with members of the public fleeing to the tavern and nearby properties as soon as the shooting started. At the time, the 'Milperra Massacre' court case was one of the largest in Australian history, with a total of 43 people charged with murder. Top podcast episodes. From the Archives, 1984: The Milperra bikie massacre. I mean, those sorts of weapons can do some terrible damage. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Moving into the corporate world, Eaves became head of programming at Sky Racing World and Sky Ringside, where he helped stage world title fights. The other dead were men. [16] As a result of the massacre, the New South Wales Firearms and Dangerous Weapons Act 1973, which allowed registered owners the right to carry firearms in public, was subsequently amended to require "a good reason for the issue of a [firearm] licence". Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Several mothers said they had gone to the sale in the hope of finding a Father's Day present for their husbands. But like most admirable qualities, these can be carried to excess. Fifteen more machines arrived, racing past the sales tables and through the crowds. Colin "Caesar" Campbell has criticized the series for a lack of consultation with those who were there, its incorrect chronology of events, errors in motives and the portrayal of "lazy stereotypes".[22]. Oops, something didn't work. [8], The court case following the "Milperra Massacre" was at the time one of the largest in Australian history. That matter is still before the courts and Eaves is vigorously defending charges including predatory driving and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Two Bandidos and four Comanchero were killed. Were working to restore it. 'It hasn't cost me any friendships or anything like that. I felt that there had to be some explanation for the marked and perplexing difference between their behaviour in other contexts. 6. 'As patriotism can lead to jingoism and mateship can lead to cronyism, so bikie club loyalty, it seems, can lead to bikie club war. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. The battle took place amid a group of innocent bystanders who were enjoying a family day out at a motorcycle swap-meet in the tavern carpark. [2] He is pictured in Hyde Park in December 1988 while on bail, 'I guess I got to take that out of it. More than two years later, on 12 June 1987, the jury delivered 63 murder convictions, 147 manslaughter convictions and 31 of affray. Any member found guilty of selling, distributing or using hard drugs will be thrown out. A need to belong and enjoy a close relationship and bond with others can be readily understood. From age eight or nine wanted to join the army. 'Some of the guys were there, just a handful of them, and most of them were drunk,' he said. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). 9. Twenty-one more were convicted of seven counts of manslaughter and sentenced to terms ranging from ten to 14 years. He seemed to be firing in all directions, " the man said. Throughout the sentence hearing, I sought a greater understanding than I was able to obtain of the nature of the clubs and the relationship between their respective members. Melville was released in January 1989, while Eaves, White and Parker were freed in July that year. 'Whereas this opened up my eyes and since then I've gone on to make lemonade from lemons. Here I was armed with a shotgun facing a very angry man with a shotgun he had obviously used; it was not something I could walk away from. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. He is pictured while on bail at Christmas in 1987 with his sister Vanessa who married Comanchero 'supreme commander' Jock Ross, One of the bikies killed at Milperra is pictured lying over his dead brother at the Viking Tavern. "It was out with a gun and into it. "He had blood pouring from the side of his head when he started shooting," Wayne said. Seven people were killed: six motorcycle gang members and a fourteen year old female bystander, Leanne Walters.Video - The Milperra Massacre, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. She wasn't even doing anything," he said. The Milperra Massacre, Milperra bikie shoot-out[1] or Father's Day Massacre[2] was a gunfight between rival motorcycle gang members on 2 September (Father's Day in Australia) 1984, in Milperra, a south-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales. To me they were just a bunch of blokes and Jock was a big brother figure to me. We came from all walks from life optometrists, engineers, clerks and blue collar workers and all had our reasons for being there (in a motorcycle gang). I used to have this habit that after I've known someone for some time and they know me I might disclose it to them. 5 The Milperra Massacre Photo credit: The Daily Telegraph In 1984, the Bandidos expanded into Australia. The New South Wales Firearms and Dangerous Weapons Act . Two Comancheros had died from shotgun wounds, another two Comancheros died after being shot with a Rossi .357 Magnum rifle, two Bandidos died from shotgun wounds and a 14-year-old bystander, Leanne Walters, also died after being hit in the face by a stray .357 bullet. [12] Solicitor Christopher Murphy acted for the Bandidos' members charged over the incident. 'We went down to the back of the car park where there was a six foot fence and they weren't there,' he said. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. There was a problem getting your location. He is yet to enter a plea to any of the charges. 'It is not possible to sit looking at these men for more than a year, as I have done, without feeling that there is more to them than the popular image of bikie gang members,' Justice Roden said. Glen Eaves (pictured) has lost jobs due to his presence at Milperra as a 22-year-old and missed out on being hired for more. As Sergeant-at-Arms, he ordered Ross to face charges of breaking one of the ten club rules. It is unfortunate that so many of them have chosen to play no part in the sentence hearing, although years of their lives are at stake. Members of that gang had been dissatisfied with the dictatorial leadership of its 'supreme commander' Jock Ross, who ran the Comanchero like a paramilitary organisation. 'Now, Jock was a strong leader,' he said. Glen Eaves was just 22 when he was present at the 1984 Milperra bikie massacre; He did not injure anybody, helped to save others and tried to stop the bloodshed ; The Comanchero and soldier was sentenced to life in prison for seven murders; Those convictions were reduced to manslaughter and he was released in 1988 Clive Small charts the tensions back to the infamous Milperra massacre in 1984, when six bikers were shot dead in a pub car park in Sydney, while a teenage girl was killed in the crossfire. He was very pent-up; you could see the anger and emotion in his eyes. Milperra Massacre file.Detectoves lead bikie gang member into campsie police station early today. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Try again later. The woman said she looked around to see people screaming in panic and running in all directions. Mr. Campbell was represented by Mr Greg Woods QC. Police were interviewing 400 people, some at the floodlit scene of the killings, and collecting an arsenal of weapons. The Milperra Massacre, also known as the Father's Day Massacre, refers to a battle between Bandidos MC and Comanchero MC in the suburb of Milperra, Sydney on Sunday 2 September, 1984, which was Father's Day in Australia. The Waco incident will not tarnish their image, Sher said. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. An advertisement for a British motorcycle club swap meet was placed in a few local press releases, to be held at the Viking Tavern, with a scheduled start at 10 am on Sunday, 2 September 1984. My best friend committed suicide 20 years ago. Translated titles: Masacre de Milperra donde Bandidos MC / Commancheros MC involucrados en tiroteos mortales Milperra-Massaker, bei dem Bandidos MC / Commancheros MC an tdlichen Schieereien. The involuntary discharge was the catalyst for pitched battle involving fists, guns and other weapons. I hid behind a bike for a while and when the shooting stopped I took off without looking back". [2] or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Eaves was standing next to his car near the tavern wielding a shotgun as the Bandidos entered the car park, which was filled with a crowd of about 500. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. He did not want to be there that day and tried to stop it. Eaves would be one of 31 bikies to spend 14 months in front of a Supreme Court jury sitting at Penrith in what was then Australia's longest-running criminal trial. 'How they stuck together and how they would give their life up for what they believed in,' he said. Try again later. Bandidos vice president Mario "Chopper" Cianter was shot twice in the chest with a shotgun and died instantly. Among the dead was a 14-year old girl who was selling raffle tickets at a family barbecue-market day when she took a shotgun blast full in the face. 'And so I think that without that horror I probably wouldn't have achieved the things I've done on a global level and on a personal level. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. He would try to establish himself in new jobs before criminal background checks were completed. Many customers near the entrance to the tavern were ushered inside where patrons were lying on the floor. 2. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Sorry! Eaves was released in December 1988, returned to custody briefly during a High Court appeal and let go again in July 1989, hoping he could get on with his life. Eaves was not going but that Fathers Day morning a group of Bandidos rode past his home at Westmead. Greg James QC was Juniored by a number of Juniors including John Korn, Kenneth Rosin, Andrew Martin and Philip Young. Truth about Covid care home testing row: Timeline lays bare what was said, by who and when. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Illustration from the Sydney Morning Herald, September 3, 1984. September 21, 1984. . Some were moving into the Norseman bar of the Viking to hear a band, The Lads. No matter what Eaves does in life - he volunteers his time for disaster relief with a veterans' organisation - he is dragged back to the car park of the Viking Tavern in south-western Sydney where six bikies and a teenage girl were shot dead. ', Eaves enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts Communication at the University of Technology, Sydney. Six of the Milperra massacre bikies convicted of seven murders were sentenced to life in prison while three others received terms of 18 or 20 years. With 31 accused, each by law able to reject 20 jurors without giving a reason, 1,500 jurors were called up and housed at the Penrith Leagues Club to await selection. Seven people were killed: six motorcycle gang members and a fourteen year old female bystander, Leanne Walters. But like most admirable qualities, these can be carried to excess. 'Now I know what Lindy Chamberlain felt like,' he said from the dock. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Bystanders ran screaming from the carpark and people started falling beside cars. The first day of selection saw only five jurors accepted from 208 presented, the following day it was found that two were ineligible with justice Roden dismissing all five and ordering that jury selection begin again. [11], Ross received a life sentence for his role in the violence. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Try again later. The Milperra Massacre, Milperra bikie shoot-out or Father's Day Massacre was a firearm battle between rival motorcycle gang members on 2 September (Father's Day in Australia) 1984, in Milperra, a south-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales. The Comanchero were already at the Viking Tavern when the Bandidos arrived. Eaves undertook a Doctorate of Create Arts scholarship at Perth's Curtin University of Technology, which he did not quite complete due to problems with funding. The shootout had its roots in an intense rivalry that developed after a group . September 21, 1984. . You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. 'I said, "Don't go, there's a heap of them going down there".'. There . Justice Adrian Roden Q.C. They were just at the wrong place at the wrong day'. She copped it in the chin. Four other members of the Comancheros gang received life sentences for murder and 16 Bandidos received sentences of seven years for manslaughter. ', Glen Eaves (pictured) is an award-winning filmmaker who has run a pay TV network and completed three university degrees. Learn more about merges. 5. 0 cemeteries found in Leppington, Camden Council, New South Wales, Australia. "We are running out of cars to take the weapons away," said one ballistics officer who had just loaded a dozen rifles plus baseball bats and machetes into the boot of his car. That spectre emerged again early last year when Eaves was arrested after a traffic incident allegedly got out of control and media learnt of his past. On September 2, 1984Comanchero members were planning to go to the Viking Tavern at Milperra for what was advertised as a motorcycle swap meet. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Any member found guilty of not helping another member who is in genuine trouble, not bulls*** trouble, will be severely dealt with. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Telephones ran hot as about 20 Comancheros arranged to go to the swap meet where they would wait for 30 or so armed Bandidos to arrive. The Bandidos pulled up in a group at the western end of the car park and after distributing guns and other weapons, moved to confront the Comancheros president. Any member found guilty of screwing another member's Real Ol' Lady or taking advantage of a rift between them for future 'conning up' will be thrown out. 'Minutes later seven lay dead - four Comancheros, two Bandidos and a 15-year-old girl.'. Any member found guilty of divulging Club business to anyone not a member, unless directed by the President, will be severely dealt with. The Milperra massacre's originslay in a split in the Comanchero ranks a year earlier. A member of the British Motorcycle Association, a social club, was close to tears as he told of seeing the mutilated body of the girl. He was distracted by the presence of members of a rival club the Mobshitters and went to the back of the tavern to ensure they were not going to get involved. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. The massacre had its beginnings after a group of Comancheros broke away and formed the first Bandidos Motorcycle Club chapter in Australia. He is pictured with his sister Vanessa at Christmas in 1987. They hid behind cars and they hid behind walls while others just ran. 8. 'They rode in and saw us,' Glen Eaves remembered. Any member found guilty of screwing another member's Real Ol' Lady or taking advantage of a rift between them for future 'conning up' will be thrown out. Find Milperra Massacre stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. 'And what it was drawing in those days was a lot of young, disenfranchised young guys that didn't have a father figure,' Eaves said. On September 2nd, 1984 (Father's Day in Australia, which is why this event is also known as the Father's Day Massacre), members of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club turned up at Comanchero MC member Glen Eaves's house and advised him that they would be at the Viking Tavern, in the suburb of Milperra, later in the day, where a motorcycle parts . If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. It was the first shot of the Milperra Massacre, on Father's Day 1984, outside the Viking Tavern, and within minutes two more of Snake's five brothers, John "Whack" Campbell and Colin "Caesar" Campbell, would be gunned down. 10. Eaves was shot dragging Ross and another wounded man to safety. He would be one of 31 bikies to spend 14 months in front of a Supreme Court jury sitting at Penrith in what was then Australia's longest-running criminal trial. A man grieves over his brother, one of the dead. "For no reason. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. They don't mellow, either. Another motorcyclist said: "People hid wherever they could. 'We didn't do it not just because we were tight but because we didn't have anything to give up, we didn't have anything to admit that we were guilty of,' he said. The two clubs, the Bandidos, and the Comancheros, were once under. 'He gave me the sort of attention that a father never gave me.'. Now 57, Eaves has been charged with predatory driving, driving furiously to cause bodily harm and assault occasioning actual bodily harm after an alleged road rage incident in Sydney's inner-west. 'Jock got shot in the head and the lungs. 9. Ross failed to appear at the first two meetings and after arriving at the third, simply announced that the club would be split into two chapters and walked out. 1984 gang gunfight in Milperra, Australia, Comanchero Club Rule 4: "Any member found guilty of screwing another member's Ol' Lady, or taking advantage of a rift between them for future conning up, will be thrown out". A system error has occurred. The onetime soldier was also the youngest bikie at the Milperra massacre in 1984 and has seven counts of manslaughter recorded against his name, Eaves is constantly dragged back to September 1984 and the car park of the Viking Tavern where six bikies and a teenage girl were shot dead. 3. It is proper to have regard to the totality of the criminal conduct of which each had been convicted and then sentence accordingly. Eventually some 1,000 jurors were presented before 12 were found acceptable to sit on the case. We have all paid a terrible price and we will never be allowed to forget it or escape from itMilperra changed everything. A career highlight was his three years as director of pay television at TransACT in Canberra, with responsibility for the operations and strategy of its 52 channels. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. The army stuck with Eaves while he was in prison, re-signing him to three more years service while he was at Long Bay on remand. Eaves grew up in Parramatta, in Sydney's west. He is still married to Eaves's sister Vanessa. 'It's just crazy. sfn error: no target: CITEREFNSW_Parliament1995 (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFHarveySimpson1989 (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFBrown2001b (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFKennedy2009 (, Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of disasters in Australia by death toll, "Google Maps location of Bandido clubhouse", "Google Maps location of Comanchero clubhouse", "Bikie war between the Bandidos and Comcheros left seven dead at the Milperra Father's Day Massacre", "From humble beginnings to starring role in a city's history", "1% One Percenters Search for a Screenplay", "1984: Seven killed in Sydney Biker Shootings", "The Comanchero; Brutal Scot Who Steered His Band of Misfit Bikers into Australia's Bloodiest Massacre", "Yanking My Chain: Bikie Blasts Milperra TV Series", "Police Fear Milperra Massacre Could Be Repeated", "Milperra - The Spark That Started the Bikie Violence", "Ex-Boxer Bandido Lacked 'Killer Instinct' Jury Told", "Full Day Hansard Transcript (Legislative Assembly): Ambulance Officer Peer Support Program", 118th General Hospital (United States Army), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Milperra_massacre&oldid=1142231501, People murdered by Australian organised crime, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Articles needing additional references from July 2012, All articles needing additional references, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from July 2012, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2012, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. 'It was just a very difficult time,' Eaves said. A 20-minute battle waged with guns, baseball bats and knives killed two Bandidos, four Comancheros and an innocent bystander, 15-year-old Joanne Walters. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. September 12, 1984. Credit:Bruce Miller. Tensions rose steadily, but things boiled over when two Comancheros defected to the new club and burned their old colors. Drag images here or select from your computer for Leanne Walters memorial. "I was standing in the driveway with my bike when I saw eight or nine Bandidos ride up," said a member of the British Motorcycle Association. 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The Milperra massacre's origins lay in. Absolutely crazy.'. 'A fierce loyalty and a propensity for violence, which rightly or wrongly typify the popular image of such clubs are clearly indicated by the almost intimidatory appearance adopted, and the emphasis on strength and power to be found in man and machine alike. Former prisoners who had done their time needed to be given another chance. Eaves had only been in the club for a few months before tensions between the Comanchero and Bandidos exploded in bloodshed. US firms waiting in the wings read to pump 'billions Parents' fury as schools STILL won't tell them if they are closed tomorrow as teacher strikes continue. They knew it was going to happen and both gangs were prepared for the fight. 'I thought, "Oh my god," Eaves said. 'They've pulled up, got out of their cars, off their bikes, charged straight at us and then I just heard gunshots.'. 'My heart and soul's with the army,' Eaves said. What actually happened before all hell broke loose has never been told before due to the code of silence even among enemy clubs. In 1992, Ross was the last to be released after serving five years and three months. By 'As stupid and as naive as it sounds that's exactly what happened. Some are in their thirties and forties, have no significant prior convictions and have good family and work backgrounds. After realising he'd been caught off guard and not having had the chance to set up a formal battle plan, Jock Ross ran from the back of the tavern holding a machete in one hand and a pick handle in the other. Glen Anthony Eaves was just 22 when he played a major role in the greatest bikie outrage in Australian criminal history, in which six gang members and a teenage girl were shot dead. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. It is not possible to sit looking at these men for more than one year, as I have a done, without feeling that there is more to them than the popular image of bikie gang members. Eaves's son was 11 when he learnt of his history last year. We are no longer accepting comments on this article.