Brothers Doug and John Streeters of Natte Yallock. PICTURE: THE COURIER, STOCK AND LAND
THINGS are always heightened in small communities.
If there's a great footballer who came from a small town, then to the locals, he's the best footballer ever to play the game.
If there's an event held in a small town, then it will be a blockbuster.
Unfortunately then if there's a tragedy in a small community, it seems to hit so much harder.
John and Douglas Streeter are huge losses to their community.
The scene at their farm today, owned by their family for generations, couldn't be further from normal.
The tractors, grain augers and other machinery were joined by divisional vans, forensic vehicles and police tape.
Sheep on the farm, used to seeing the occasional wedge tail eagle, ran for their lives when television news helicopters began circling overhead.
The noise of the rotor blades echoed around the foothills of the Pyrenees ranges, just as the gunshots would have just hours before.
The questions of metropolitan journalists at the scene also left a ringing in many ears.
"A merino is a sheep, yeah?"
The family farm itself is a testament to the hard work of the Streeter family over the years.
Modern four-bay machinery sheds sit alongside dilapidated hay storage sheds, complete with missing iron and a 45 degree lean.
The heritage value in the old farm buildings, not used for decades, is tremendous, while the newer buildings replace their former functionality.
A neat fire break was visible dug around the edge of paddocks and all fences were upright and sound.
It's clear the Streeters were good farmers.
Equally clear is that they were good people.
As police continue to probe what happened in the garden of the family farmhouse on Thursday afternoon, a community will remember two men who were well known, respected and part of the fabric of the region.
So while some communities like to embellish their tales, this small town couldn't emphasise the tragedy of John and Douglas Streeter enough.
FULL COVERAGE: Brothers found dead at remote farmhouse
jordan.oliver@fairfaxmedia.com.au
