Family, friends of Pheobe Bishop to lay slain Bundaberg teen to rest at funeral
Pheobe Bishop was last seen alive on the morning of May 15 at Airport Dr in Bundaberg, where she was due to fly to Brisbane and then to Western Australia to visit her boyfriend.
The 17-year-old was declared missing after she failed to check in to her scheduled flight – sparking a massive search effort that lasted weeks.
It ended in tragedy when police confirmed human remains discovered in the Good Night National Scrub Park outside of Gin Gin on June 6 were Pheobe's.
Pheobe's housemates Tanika Bromley, 33 and James Wood, 34, have been charged with the teenager's murder. They are also facing two counts each of misconduct with a corpse.
The teen's family and friends will gather to lay her to rest later on Monday afternoon prior to a private cremation at the Springfield Gardens Crematorium in Elliott Heads.
The funeral notice for Pheobe – affectionately known as 'Nanny McPhee' – states she was 'late of Gin Gin and formerly of Windsor, New South Wales. Beloved daughter of Kylie and Ray, Kevin and Stacey. Dearly loved sister of Jamie, Jesse, Kaylea, Ruby-Leigh, Aybel and sister-in-law to Janay. Loving aunty to Tallullah. Much loved niece, cousin and friend to many'.
Pheobe's family have requested donations to the teen's GoFundMe page – which has amassed more than $8000 – in lieu of floral tributes.
Messages on the funeral notice pay tribute to the free-spirited girl, who is being remembered for being 'forever 17.'
One woman, known only as Ashley, wrote: 'My sincerest condolences to Kylie and family. Sending so much love and strength to everyone. May your beautiful soul rest in peace Pheobe!'
Holly Morton said she would 'forever cherish' their memories together, writing Pheobe would 'truly will be missed by those that knew you and now the world'.
'Thank you for being the human you were … Missing you more the ever Phee,' her message continues.
Others offer condolences to Pheobe's mother Kylie Johnson and her siblings.
In a message on June 28, Allison Schultz and Kaylee-Jayde Wallace wrote: 'Kaylee-Jayde and I (Allison), send our love and deepest heartfelt condolences to Kylie and Ray and all the family. May she always fly with the butterflies!'
A woman known as Shayna wrote: 'To Phoebe's family, I'm so very sorry for your loss, I hadn't known her but she seemed like such a beautiful young girl. I'm glad you're able to put her to rest, so she's able to be at peace.'
Heartbreak for 'perfectly unique' daughter
Monday's private service follows weeks of tributes from a community left in mourning at the teen's sudden death.
In a statement on Monday, Ms Johnson told the ABC the family was 'devastated' they had to navigate the tragedy.
'This is absolutely everybody's worst nightmare, however, we promised to get Phee home and give her a send-off that Phee would approve of and that's what will happen,' Ms Johnson told the network.
Floral tributes across the Gin Gin and Bundaberg regions emerged in the wake of Pheobe's disappearance – including outside the house she was living in with Mr Wood and Ms Bromley.
A candlelight vigil was held in Bundaberg on June 9, with attendees adorning flowers, candles and decorations around a large tree.
Paying tribute to her daughter, Ms Johnson said she never expected a situation like that would happen to her.
'Now, unfortunately, we know that she is not going to come home to us,' she said.
'I have no words that could ever, ever describe what the last three-and-a-half weeks … it's just weighed us down.'
She recalled her daughter always being her 'perfectly uniquely' self, saying she was 'glorious'.
'Phee was more than glorious,' she said.
'She was compassionate, she was caring, she was resilient, she was relentless at times.'
Another vigil was held in Gin Gin a day earlier.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Northern Territory domestic violence prevention minister condemned by legal associations for criticism of coroner
Leading legal representatives have condemned the Northern Territory's minister for domestic violence prevention for what they have labelled a "bizarre and unwarranted attack" on the NT coroner in parliament. In handing down the NT government's response to a landmark coronial inquest into the domestic violence deaths of four Indigenous women, Robyn Cahill on Wednesday said Coroner Elisabeth Armitage's report "failed dismally to hit the mark" and called her recommendations "uninspiring". She also criticised Judge Armitage's "protracted" approach to the inquest, saying it led to "lengthy reports delivered in a manner seeming to lack the humility one might expect from an officer of the court". Ms Cahill said only a "small proportion" of the coroner's recommendations would result in a "new and innovative approach", claiming 24 of 35 recommendations were already in place. The NT has the highest rates of family and domestic violence in Australia, with a rate of intimate partner homicide seven times the national average. Domestic violence prevention advocates have already criticised the minister's comments, calling them hurtful, disappointing and distressing. In a statement, the NT Bar Association said Ms Cahill's comments amounted to a "bizarre and unwarranted attack" on the coroner and were "undermining of the independence of the role". "Such attacks by government ministers necessarily impact a coroner's ability to do their job without fear or favour and are destructive of public confidence," the association said. "Inquest findings and recommendations are made on the basis of the evidence given, much of which would have come from the relevant government departments." The Bar Association said ministers and governments were "always free to disagree" with a coroner's findings and could appeal to the Supreme Court, which was not done for this inquest. "However, for a Minister of the Crown to undermine the judiciary and the coroner in the way that occurred in parliament this week, violates the rule of law and ultimately does nothing to protect Territorians from domestic and family violence," the statement said. The Criminal Lawyers Association for the NT (CLANT) said it was "appalled" by Ms Cahill's comments in parliament "attacking the integrity and conduct" of the coroner. "This was not fair criticism. It was a personal, politically charged attack on a judicial officer who is unable to defend herself publicly," CLANT said in a statement. "These remarks represent a profound violation of the principles of judicial independence and the separation of powers which are fundamental to our democracy and enshrined in the Australian Constitution. "Judicial officers must be free to perform their duties without fear of reprisal or intimidation from the executive branch of government." On Friday, Ms Cahill defended her parliamentary comments and said she did "not accept" that they undermined the judiciary process. "The whole point of a coronial report, they are given to government for comment," she said. "So, I could say, 'If you don't want us to comment on it, don't give it to us and don't ask for a comment.'" Ms Cahill said she was disappointed with the coroner's recommendations, rather than the content of the report. "The recommendations don't actually reflect the evidence that's in that report." In an interview on ABC News Channel, Australia's Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner Micaela Cronin said Judge Armitage's investigation had involved "great integrity and a very systematic approach". "What I observed was the deep respect with which she did engage with those communities and families and the respect with which she was held by them," Ms Cronin said. Speaking about the inquest's length, which was more than two years, Ms Cronin said it was an "unusual and complex piece of work" that examined the deaths of four Aboriginal women. "[It's] an examination of where there have been failures in deaths and what we can learn from them," she said. "So the timeliness of it is not quite as important as it is to really learn deeply from what's happened."
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Glenn Thexton: Sentencing delayed for Melbourne lawyer found guilty of groping teenager
A Melbourne lawyer who groped a teenager while on a night out has delayed his criminal case after hiring legal representation at the last minute. Glenn Thexton, 46, was found guilty earlier this year of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl by grabbing her buttocks outside a kebab shop in the city's CBD on September 25, 2019. Thexton, who had self-represented in court, beamed into the Melbourne Magistrates' Court from what appeared to be a home office on Friday morning when he was due to be sentenced. But magistrate Andrew Waters said he'd been made aware an adjournment would be sought now that Thexton had hired legal representation. Barrister Victor Androu told the court that he'd only received instructions from Thexton 'last night or yesterday afternoon' and requested a short delay to file written submissions. Mr Androu told the court that he was only instructed to represent Thexton on the single issue of whether he would be registered as a sex offender. The move was opposed by prosecutor Matt Fisher, who said there'd been 'ample time' for Thexton to make arguments on the issue. 'It's a discrete point, it's relatively straightforward,' he said. 'It's a matter that continues to be protracted even if just for a short period of time.' Mr Walters told the court that he was 'well aware' of the history of the case, including that Thexton had been charged 'some 6 years ago now'. The magistrate said while he wanted the matter dealt with, the issue of sex offender registration was 'clearly of significant consequence' to Thexton. 'He has now only recently obtained lawyers to represent him on that discrete matter,' he said. 'I'm minded to give him the opportunity to have lawyers address the point.' Thexton's lawyers were given until August 6 to make written submissions and the matter is expected to return for judgment and sentence two days later. The former prominent legal figure claimed he had no memory of the incident and had previously flagged that he intended to appeal the conviction, The Herald Sun reported. Thexton was suspended from legal practice in October 2020, according to the Victorian Legal Services Board.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Man arrested after heroin found oozing from suitcase
A man has been arrested as he tried to enter the country after Australian Border Force officers observed an unusual substance oozing from his baggage. The man, 47, from South Australia, had been trying to enter the country via Adelaide Airport on Wednesday when Border Force officers targeted him for a 'full baggage examination'. As they were conducting routine baggage checks, officers noticed a 'black fluid' seeping from the handles of the man's suitcase that, upon being tested, was identified as heroin. About 500g of the substance, which appears to be mostly solid in supplied pictures, was uncovered from inside the handles of the suitcase. The man was handed over to the Australian Federal Police by Border Force and arrested. AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Simon Lalic said his officers were 'committed to disrupting all levels of the drug trade and stopping anyone trying to profit at the expense of our community'. 'Criminals are motivated by greed. They have no regard for the significant harmful impacts these illicit drugs have on our community,' Detective Lalic said. Australian Border Force Superintendent Jody Griswood said her officers were 'highly trained, experienced and alert'. 'They know exactly what to look for when selecting travellers and their baggage for further examination,' Superintendent Griswood said. 'This isn't an isolated case, and it's not based on luck. These successes happen across our airports every week.' The man fronted Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday faced with charges of importing a controlled substance, which comes with a maximum penalty of 25 years' imprisonment if convicted. He is due to reappear in court on September 23, 2025.
