Family’s tribute to murdered son
Tauri Litchfield: the water mad sportsman will come back to Cape Paterson, the place he loved most.
THE sister of murdered former Leongatha Secondary College student, Tauri Litchfield, said her brother would be brought home to Cape Paterson.
“He can’t be away from that coastline. He always thought it was home, even when he was wandering. We’ve all thought that. It’s home, it’s part of our soul,” Kirra Litchfield told The Star.
Tauri, 28, was attacked on Sunday, March 17, after leaving a hotel in Mandurah, Western Australia, about 5.30pm.
He was savagely beaten in the street about an hour and a half later and left for dead. He later died of his wounds in hospital. Initial media reports assumed that he had come to the aid of a 17-year-old girl, attacked nearby. But police are keeping
tight-lipped about the investigation.
“The only comment we can provide is that it is an ongoing investigation,” WA Police told The Star.
The Litchfield family has already established a fund in Tauri’s name, with donations to be used to “give disadvantaged young people the opportunity to pursue their own passion in water sports”.
Kirra, speaking from WA, said the trust was established “as a way for Tauri’s girlfriend Lisa to celebrate his life in a way that is meaningful to her and meaningful to the way he lived his life”.
“Water sports were Tauri’s real love. The trust will be designed to help kids embrace passion over violence. We really want to get across how senseless Tauri’s death is and how big the ripple effects of something like this are,” she said.
“I don’t know what’s going through people’s heads, but clearly they don’t think about the consequences. Actions like these have huge consequences. Everyone, including the perpetrators, are affected. But they just don’t think.”
Despite the horrible circumstances surrounding Tauri’s death, Kirra said the people of Mandurah – a tourist mecca about 70km south of Perth – had rallied behind the Litchfield family.
“I’m so blown away by just how shocked people are. Even the police say things like this just don’t happen here. This is crazy. The police have been really fantastic,” she said.
Kirra said she and her water loving brother often fought as kids, but “when we got our mid-teens something went click and it all changed”.
“He became one of my closest friends, and he always had my back. Sometimes he was a little bit overprotective, but I always knew he was rock solid,” she said.
“Whenever I needed someone to fall back on Tauri was always there. He was loyal, kind and generous. He had a big, booming laugh. And all my friends adored him. He would charm the pants of anyone. He was so charismatic, charming, playful and enthusiastic.
“Tauri was loved by so many people at home. He was at Newhaven College, then moved to Leongatha Secondary College. He was involved in about 15 billion types of sport. He was phenomenally good at sport.”
Tauri was into everything, playing footy for the Tarwin Lower Football Club, constantly surfing and battling the waves again as part of the Wonthaggi Life Saving Club.
“He played tennis, he played squash and he was involved in lots of team sports. He did judo. Mum was always running him places. I don’t even know how she managed to keep up with him. I would have been urging him to slow down,” she said.
“He was such a high energy person. He was bouncing off the walls.”
Tauri is survived by sister Kirra, brother Rhys, mother Kerry and father Clive.
- To find out more about the trust, visit the website: taurilitchfieldtrust.org
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