The township that 'triumphed over evil'

I recently watched my two granddaughters run along the Aramoana mole, squealing as gulls swooped low over them.

Then climbing sandhills and running freely into the gentle surf.

What a beautiful, tranquil spot.

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But 30 years ago that tranquillity was shattered when David Gray unleashed unimaginable terror. How could those two girls ever comprehend the true horror of such an event?

My memories of the night are easy to recall and remain fresh in my mind. For many of my police colleagues, and residents of the seaside township, their memories will be even more seared into the consciousness such was the magnitude of Gray’s rampage.

Like most police staff I was called back to work in the early evening of November 13. Initially, my role was to help set up the operation until commanders could take over. From then on, I was to respond to the intense media avalanche over the night and all the next day. It was unceasing.

But my job was easy and safe, and the memories I have remain profound, including being in the senior sergeant’s office and hearing the call come in that Sergeant Stu Guthrie had been shot dead. I’d been talking to Stu in my office only a couple of days earlier when he called in to seek advice on a matter. Having to contact staff to return to duty and relaying news of Stu’s death, knowing some were his closest mates — that was hard. Harder still was taking phone calls from distraught residents desperately wanting information about missing loved ones who were caught up in the mayhem.

Perhaps I became attached to this historic event through writing the book, Aramoana: Twenty-two Hours of Terror. Some people had misgivings about there being a book. I understand that. What happened was raw and probably still is. But as the police media liaison officer I could see that some facts were being badly distorted or exaggerated. Even dark chapters in our history need to be accurately recorded. Action by locals and police should be preserved so we never forget. And, more importantly, we need to learn the lessons of an Aramoana.

Most mass shootings end relatively quickly but at Aramoana, with plenty of cover for the gunman to hide, the search went on for 22 hours and, in this respect, sets it apart from similar atrocities. When researching for my book, I spoke to more than 70 people, many residents and many frontline police officers. And from that frontline comes what is essentially the legacy of Aramoana bravery and resilience on a grand scale. Like Constables Terry Van Turnhout and Dave Weir, who risked their lives trying to save resident Chris Cole, only to be shattered to hear he didn’t survive; or Detective Paul Knox and Constable Nick Harvey who rescued 3-year-old Stacey Percy from the back of a ute where people lay dead around her. Before carrying out the rescue, those two police officers, lightly armed, entered Gray’s crib knowing full well he may be inside. They had to be certain he wasn’t as they, and Stacey, would have been easy targets. These actions take extraordinary courage and exemplify what being a cop is really about.

Then there is a community which showed amazing resilience, compassion and bravery, such as Helen Dickson going to comfort a dying man while in the back of her mind she worried about her own son who had run to the fire in the Holden house, only to come face to face with Gray. Or residents, stoically accepting that amid the chaos, their township had to be closed down for days as police carried out a complex set of scene examinations. I don’t have room in this article to acknowledge all of the acts of bravery and compassion displayed throughout this ordeal and in the weeks and months following, but there were many.

I was privileged to meet many of these locals; some of whom I could say became friends and I vividly remember this awful event; but my involvement was meagre compared to them and the many police who went into that front line.

So how should Aramoana be remembered? As the place where a lone man was able to exact terror and mayhem on a community, or that same community coming together with resilience and fortitude to heal the hurt and maintain Aramoana as a place of beauty? As I watched my granddaughters run along the beach I sensed that those who love this part of New Zealand have triumphed over evil. We don’t forget the night of November 13, 1990 and we certainly don’t forget those who died. And neither should we. And we should do what we can to avoid Aramoana being defined by tragedy. Two young girls laughing as they leapt down sandhills is testament to that.

 - Writer and former police officer Bill O’Brien wrote the book Aramoana: Twenty-two Hours of Terror , which was later filmed as Out of the Blue. He was responsible for handling media inquiries from throughout the world as the tragedy of Aramoana unfolded.