Nearly five years after a freak wind event lifted a jumping castle into the air at Hillcrest Primary School in Tasmania, killing six children and injuring three others, a long-awaited coroner’s inquest has wrapped up its first week of hearings in Devonport. Georgie Burt, whose 12-year-old son Zane Mellor died in the December 16, 2021 tragedy, is hoping the proceedings will force long-lasting safety changes and improved protocols across Australia.
Inquest Examines Safety Standards and Police Response
The first week of the inquest explored multiple facets of the tragedy, including the setup of the inflatable equipment by operator Taz-Zorb, relevant national safety standards, and whether the education department bore any responsibility. Police evidence presented during the hearings indicated that the jumping castle was anchored with pegs at only four of its eight attachment points, while an accompanying Zorb ball barrier used pegs at six of 32 points. Veteran constable and lead forensic investigator Dean Wotherspoon told the inquiry that star pickets and pegs were readily available in the back of a Taz-Zorb trailer at the school, and stated his professional opinion that the castle was insufficiently tethered.
Taz-Zorb operator Rosemary Gamble was previously accused of criminal workplace safety breaches and found not guilty in 2025. The presiding magistrate ruled that while Ms Gamble could have taken additional steps regarding the castle’s anchorage, those measures would not have changed the outcome because the sudden “dust devil” wind event was impossible to predict. Counsel assisting the coroner Maree Norton noted during opening submissions that Ms Gamble had successfully operated equipment at previous school celebrations and maintained a policy against running the castle if winds were forecast to exceed 25km/h, whereas the Bureau of Meteorology forecast called for light winds of 15 to 20km/h by evening. Witnesses also testified that the morning weather was calm and virtually windless, though lawyers for the families and Ms Burt maintained that the school oval was a known windy location.
Did You Know? The jumping castle was lifted 16 metres into the air by the wind event before landing 60 metres away on the school oval, where classmates had gathered to celebrate the end of the school year.
Hospital Care, Emergency Response, and Family Grievances
The inquest also scrutinized the chaotic immediate aftermath, detailing the frantic efforts of more than 40 paramedics, aeromedical personnel, police, and hospital staff who responded to the scene. Ambulance Tasmania boss Nicole Ashworth and state forensic pathologist Andrew Reid both indicated that nothing more could have been done to change the outcome, stating that alternative medical or surgical interventions would not have saved the children. Tasmanian Health Service executive Paula Hyland explained that identification issues involving the victims temporarily hampered the flow of information to parents, though she maintained this did not impact the emergency care delivered.
Ms Burt testified that she rushed to the school, failed to find Zane, and was redirected to Mersey Community Hospital, where she was told he had died but could not view his body because it was being transported. She later learned her son had passed away directly on the school oval and was unable to see him until three days later at a funeral home. Tasmania Police Assistant Commissioner Adrian Bodnar issued a formal apology to Ms Burt on Friday for barring her from the school oval while other victims’ families were allowed entry, and lead investigator Const Wotherspoon admitted that police “could have done better,” pointing to a confusing initial chain of command and improper packaging of some evidence exhibits.
Future Hearings and Calls for Reform
Legal representatives for the victims’ families have requested that school staff be compelled to give evidence, arguing it may be their final opportunity to obtain answers after feeling shut out by the school on the day of the tragedy. Greta Chen, a lawyer representing the state, countered that some staff members are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and have already provided sufficient answers through formal statements. The coroner is currently assessing this request as the inquiry prepares for subsequent hearings scheduled for November and February.
Ms Burt emphasized that recent jumping castle incidents in other states—such as an early September event in Victoria and New South Wales where five children were hospitalized after winds picked up inflatables—underscore the urgent need for tighter nationwide standards. “I hope for better protocols. I hope for law change. I hope people can have a really good look,” Ms Burt said outside the court, adding that she believes complete emotional closure is impossible for parents who have lost a child.
Frequently Asked Questions
What caused the Hillcrest Primary School jumping tragedy?
The tragedy was caused by a freak “mini-tornado” or “dust devil” wind event on December 16, 2021, which lifted a jumping castle and other inflatable equipment 16 metres into the air.
How many children were killed and injured in the incident?
Six students from Hillcrest Primary School—Addison Stewart, Chace Harrison, Zane Mellor, Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones, Peter Dodt, and Jye Sheehan—were killed, while three other children sustained serious injuries.
What is the purpose of the ongoing inquest?
The long-awaited inquest is examining the jumping castle’s setup by operator Taz-Zorb, national safety standards, potential education department shortcomings, and the emergency and police response to help inform future safety reforms.
What steps do you think authorities should take next to improve safety standards for inflatable amusement equipment?
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