Homicide squad detectives have charged 63-year-old Ian Francis Jamieson with three counts of murder following a four-hour stand-off with police at Logan, near Wedderburn, in northern Victoria.
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Mr Jamieson, from Wedderburn, faced an out-of-sessions hearing at Bendigo Police Station late on Thursday night for the shooting murder of Greg Holmes, 48, his mother, Mary Lockhart, 75, and Peter Lockhart, 78, on Wednesday.
Detective Senior Constable Jason Wallace told the hearing Mr Holmes had contacted police at 8.20pm on Wednesday to report a disturbance.
He said when police arrived they could not locate Mr Holmes but found two campers. They then rang Mr Holmes' phone and heard it ringing in a nearby paddock.
Upon finding the phone, they located his body which had gunshot wounds.
Detective Senior Constable Wallace said police then heard a number of gunshots and left with the campers.
He said after he returned to the Wedderburn Police Station, Mr Jamieson phoned triple-0 and told police he had murdered three
people.
Police negotiated with Mr Jamieson for close to four hours before he surrendered around midnight.
A second body was found in a driveway and the third at the rear entrance to the house.
Mr Lockhart was well known in the community.
He was president of the Wedderburn Historical Engine and Machinery Society for several years until a couple of months ago.
The editor of the society's newsletter, Geoff Maxwell, said Mr Lockhart joined the club after he retired from farming.
"Peter was a very keen member of the engine club. They will miss what he did," Mr Maxwell said. "He was all right. If you got along with him, you were doing well, I think.
"I think the engine club was very good for Peter.
"Peter and Mary have been in town all their lives."
Peter Holmes served in Iraq as part of Operation Desert Storm.
Mr Maxwell was vaguely aware of a dispute, "but nobody ever dreamt it would be so serious".
Detective Superintendent De Santo said the arrested man had several registered firearms that were recently inspected by police and were found to comply with regulations.
Logan resident Rosie Camilleri said it was a big shock.
"It's a pretty quiet town here. Everyone gets along pretty well. "