Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Communications) Share this | Hansard source

I endorse the comments of the foreign minister and I acknowledge, as parliament did yesterday in this debate, her efforts and her role in dealing with this tragedy. But I want to confine my comments today to a local resident of Greenway who was unfortunately one of the lives lost on MH17. In the aftermath of the MH17 tragedy I was very saddened to learn that a member of our community, Stanhope Gardens resident Ms Gabriele Lauschet, was amongst the victims. I wish to pay tribute to Ms Lauschet's memory and convey my deepest sympathy to her son and the rest of her family. Ms Lauschet, a German national, had been living and working in Australia with her son since 2000.

Until this tragedy, Australians were able to observe from a distance the conflict that has been taking place in Ukraine. That is no longer the case as our community struggles now with the reality of it having claimed one of our own. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of all the victims of this terrible tragedy.

The local media in Greenway rightly focused on the life of someone who was obviously a very special person. Ms Lauschet—as I said, from Stanhope Gardens—had just got engaged. She had been a preschool teacher at the German International School at Terrey Hills since 2000. It has been said that she will be remembered as a much-loved and caring teacher.

She was 47 years old and she had become engaged to another member of the school staff, business manager Mr Andreas Schaaf, in February. They lived together with Ms Lauschet's adult son, Tim. So Tim lost a mother, and Andreas was denied a life with the woman he loved and planned to spend the rest of his life with.

Originally from the West German town of Aachen, Ms Lauschet had been in her native country visiting her mother while on holidays, and had planned to return to Sydney before the start of the school term the following Monday. She was travelling on a German passport. Her German International School colleagues returned to school, with students due to start the term that Wednesday.

As further reports from our local media indicated, Ms Lauschet had, as well as her 23-year-old son, a twin sister who lives in Brisbane.

An ABC News online report carried comments from the principal of the school:

Principal Erhardt Seifert said she would be missed.

"[She was] always joyful, very optimistic that something she can spread around the children so everyone around her also feels the same way," he said.

"Lots of children will be touched by this, at the last graduation we had quite a few children who went with her from preschool through to the whole school so once the children come back, it will be really hard because every class has some connection to Gaby."

In a report from the Rouse Hill Times, her neighbour Peter Arnold said that Ms Lauschet was a lovely woman. The report goes on:

"She would spend every spare holiday going to visit her mother," Mr Arnold said.

He said the teacher was a gentle woman.

"She was the kindest, sweetest lady you could ever meet," …

"The tragic thing is she just got her back garden done while she was away and the sad thing is she will never get to see it."

The report goes on to quote from Principal Seifert:

German International School Sydney principal Erhard Seifert said there was “devastation” at the school following the news.

“Still sometimes disbelief because you feel like she will come in any minute ... you can’t believe she is dead,” Mr Seifert said.

Mr Seifert said Ms Lauschet was “like a second mother” to her students.

May Ms Gabriele Lauschet rest in peace and may her family be comforted by the efforts and the thoughts of all Australians.

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