As a little girl aged five, Clementine played in the backyard of her Norman Park home.
Before the girl was born, her mother had invited friends over to the same backyard for a baby shower. Now, neighbours recall how the clever girl, affectionately known as Clemmie, used to play in a cubby house there.
On Monday afternoon, the bodies of eight-year-old Clementine and her mother, Dr Tiffany Wilkes, were found outside a sprawling Kenmore Hills property in Brisbane’s west.
Police believe the 54-year-old anaesthetist killed her daughter and herself.
The tragedy of the suspected murder-suicide stands in stark contrast to recollections of their earlier life.
Wilkes, according to a neighbour who knew them when they lived in the Norman Park Queenslander, doted on her daughter. But the pair had moved in recent years, leaving the home and its green gardens behind.
Somewhere along the way, things shifted within the family.
The 2.5 acre property where the bodies were found, on Tinarra Crescent in Kenmore Hills, was an Airbnb that had been rented out by Wilkes. It had been listed at $1000 per night, with a minimum five-night stay.
It was advertised as relaxing and private, backing onto Mount Coot-tha Forest, with an infinity pool, tall hedges along the property’s perimeter, and the security of automated gates. There was even the possibility of seeing kangaroos in the garden some evenings, the owners wrote.
The deaths shocked the quiet and peaceful neighbourhood in Brisbane’s leafy western suburbs, as detectives earlier this week roamed the streets looking for leads.
But so far, the school holiday tragedy has raised more questions than answers, including whether Wilkes had planned to murder her daughter when she booked the stay at the property.
Adding to the complexity of the case are reports Wilkes and Clementine had stayed in various hotels and Airbnbs in the months leading up to their deaths. Police went to the property for a welfare check after a call from a friend of Wilkes, who had received a disturbing email.
Wilkes had worked for Queensland Health for more than 13 years, and held multiple degrees across medicine, surgery, law, and arts.
News of the two deaths has been met with a mix of sadness and confusion, as neighbours wondered how this could happen to a little girl, and what mental state Wilkes was in. CCTV footage of the street from Sunday showed nothing out of the ordinary – just a woman taking out a bin.
In Norman Park, neighbours paint a rosy picture of the lives of Clementine and her mother before Wilkes sold the property for $1.3 million in 2023 to move elsewhere in the upmarket inner-Brisbane suburb.
One neighbour, who knew the pair before they moved, remembered the girl playing in the backyard. Her conversations with Wilkes were typical of neighbours, including plans to build a taller fence for more privacy.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, she recalls how Tiff, as she knew her, had adored her daughter – a jarring memory in the context of this week’s news.
“She really loved Clemmie,” the neighbour says, smiling sadly. “She loved her daughter, everything, you know, was for her. It was all about her.”
She looks to the backyard, describing Clementine as a cute little girl, with a lovely nature.
“I just remember when [Wilkes] had the baby shower, and she had all her friends over, and it was so lovely. And she was just a really good mum, adored her daughter.”
The pair had kept to themselves though, she says, and were quiet. She had fond memories of Wilkes helping her once, giving advice about a wrist injury.
“I just feel really sad … especially [for] Clemmie, as well. [Wilkes] was obviously in a pretty bad way,” she says.
“Clemmie was such a bright little child as well. I’m sad for her [Wilkes].
“Isn’t it awful when people think they don’t have anyone they can talk to?”
When the pair moved, Wilkes had told the neighbour she intended to stay in the area to ensure Clementine could attend school nearby.
Wilkes’ most recent movements are unclear, but she was listed as owning an apartment on Longfellow Street, about a 10-minute walk away from their previous Norman Park home.
At Wilson Park, walking distance from both properties, children on school holidays spent Wednesday riding bikes and swinging on the playground.
The scene is at odds with the tragic ending of Clementine’s life. Police are still continuing their investigations into how the pair died at the Kenmore Hills property, some 25 minutes’ drive away.
If you, or someone you know, needs support you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.
Support is also available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) and the Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800) for people aged 5 to 25.
