Ernie Bridge loses mesothelioma fight

LEGAL ACTION: Former Labor MP Ernie Bridge was suing the State Government and companies owned by Australia's two richest woman over mesothelioma he contracted. Source: PerthNow

MINISTERIAL DAYS: Mr Bridge, a father of four, WA's first Aboriginal MP and the first indigenous Cabinet minister in any Australian government. Source: PerthNow

FORMER Labor MP Ernie Bridge has died, just weeks after launching a legal fight against the State Government and two of Australia's richest women after he was diagnosed with mesothelioma.

Mr Bridge, 76, was a State member for the Kimberley between 1980 and 2001.

He believed he was exposed to asbestos fibres and dust during visits to Wittenoom during his terms.

As a minister from 1986 to 1993, Mr Bridge oversaw the closure of Wittenoom's mines and government services.

At the time of his death, Mr Bridge was suing the Shire of Ashburton, CSR Limited, Midalco, Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting and Angela Bennett's Wright Prospecting.

The former Labor MP lodged a writ in the WA Supreme Court seeking damages for contracting malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis, pleural disease and respiratory degeneration.

The father of four was WA's first Aboriginal MP and the first indigenous Cabinet minister in any Australian government.

Former Attorney General Jim McGinty, who worked for 10 years with Mr Bridge in Parliament, told ABC Radio this morning that his friend's passing was "very sad".

"He was a general all-round good bloke and loved by both sides of politics," Mr McGinty said.

"The Liberals, when he was a minister, wouldn't attack Ernie because they liked him and he would simply handle it in a very easy going, relaxed sort of way.

"I remember one occasion when he got out his guitar and sang a song in the Parliament to make a particular point about the speech he was giving at the time.

"You can't help but love people like that - he didn't have a mean bone in his body."

Mr McGinty said Mr Bridge was passionate about improving conditions in remote Indigenous communities, becoming the president of the Shire of Halls Creek aged 23.

"He then went on and did a number of tremendous things for Indigenous people in Western Australia, and he, I think very much a role model that's paved the way for others to step up.

"And it wasn't always easy for Ernie, he was a Royal Commissioner into what was really a dark episode in Western Australia's history and that was the treatment of Aboriginal people at Skull Creek by the police.

"I think that Royal Commission led to a significant change in the way in which policing of Aboriginal people was conducted across the length and breadth of the country."

Recently, Premier Colin Barnett expressed his distress at learning that Mr Bridge was unwell.

He told reporters: "He might be from the opposite side of politics but Ernie has a huge following around the state.''

Former WA premier Peter Dowding said recently Mr Bridge had visited asbestos-affected areas such as Point Samson, Roebourne and Wittenoom many times while he was an MP.

"Even the Point Samson school camp building had asbestos in it because it used to be used for storing the asbestos before it was shipped out,'' Mr Dowding told Fairfax Radio last month.

Lawyer Simon Millman, who was representing Mr Bridge, said prior to Mr Bridge's passing that his firm had run hundreds of cases for asbestos victims from the area.

The number of people filing for compensation showed no sign of dropping off, he said.

Leave a tribute to Ernie Bridge below
 

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Tragic mystery of Kyhesha-Lee's death

Toddler Kyhesha-Lee Joughin who was found dead at her Petrie home. Source: The Courier-Mail

SHE was daddy's little girl, a bright and bubbly three-year-old who never stopped smiling.

But Kyhesha-Lee Joughin's family was left in shock when the toddler's lifeless body was found at her Petrie home north of Brisbane at the weekend, unrevivable despite her father's desperate CPR attempts.

Police and forensic teams descended on the Old Dayboro Rd apartment about 3pm on Saturday, establishing a crime scene.

As police scientific officers swept the unit and its windows for fingerprints, the family scrambled for answers.

Dad Matthew Williamson, who looked after Kyhesha-Lee full-time, was dedicated to his daughter, with a tattoo of her name on his left arm.

The little girl's first word was "Dad", a sign of her devotion to her father, Kyhesha-Lee's uncle and Matthew's brother Jarrod Williamson told The Courier-Mail.

The distraught father has spent the past two days shell-shocked and barely able to talk, his brother said.

On the day the little girl should have been opening her Easter eggs, her uncle said the family was devastated by the mystery of her death.

Jarrod Williamson said his niece was "the most gorgeous girl around".

Kyhesha-Lee with her dad Matthew Williamson.

As the family came together to support each other yesterday, Kyhesha-Lee's uncle said they were desperate for answers.

"I think it's still sinking in; I don't believe it. It doesn't feel right at all," Mr Williamson said.

"We don't know exactly what happened; that's what the investigation is all about.

"My brother was informed he did everything he could, but he hasn't been able to talk about it. I believe he fell asleep on the couch but she was still being looked after by someone."

The family said they did not know who else was in the house.

Last night, it was confirmed Petrie detectives travelled to Grafton, in northern NSW, to interview a man they say might be able to assist with investigations.

That man was charged with traffic related matters this morning, and will face Grafton court on Tuesday morning.

He is facing driving while disqualified and driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle.

Date/Time: 2013:03:31 21:07:49

No extradition orders have been placed.

Meanwhile, the family is left hoping for answers, recalling the smiling little girl who loved having her photo taken.

"She was a very bubbly child . . . no matter what, she was always smiling," Jarrod Williamson said.

"She was very cuddly with animals - she just wanted to sit there and cuddle them all the time."

He said the little girl loved dancing, cars and spending time with her four-year-old cousin Mia.

The family last night had to break the terrible news to her cousin.

Detectives, scenes of crime and scientific officers were at the unit on Saturday and Sunday, continuing their quest for answers.

An autopsy is expected to be conducted as part of the investigation.

THE family's home unit at Petrie, which police have declared a crime scene.

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Tourists racially abused on bus

VIDEO has emerged of a group of Asian tourists being subjected to a racist diatribe by a man on a Sydney bus, just months after an ABC newsreader went public was racially abused on a bus.

• Man captured on video calling Asian tourists "f---ing bastards"
• Third racial incident on a bus service in recent months

VIDEO has emerged of a group of Asian tourists being subjected to a racist diatribe by a man on a Sydney bus, just months after an ABC newsreader was racially abused on a bus.

Heidi, a female passenger on the 470 bus service at Town Hall, filmed a Caucasian male abusing a group of Asian tourists on Easter Saturday around 7:30pm. 

The man is shown yelling at the tourists for over a minute, calling them "f---ing bastards", among other slurs.

Heidi, who did not want her last name published, told news.com.au that in the minutes before she started filming, the man asked the tourists why they came to Australia and demanded they leave the country.

He called them "Japanese c----s", questioned whether they "f---ing speak English" and told the tourists the Japanese had apparently bombed Adelaide and Melbourne during World War II. 

"They were very taken aback, very shocked, they didn't really know how to deal with it," Heidi said.

One tourist even apologised to the man for having seemingly provoked him, which Heidi said enraged him even more.

Other passengers on the bus service failed to intervene. Several people can be heard laughing at the abuse, which Heidi said was "unacceptable".

"The atmosphere on the bus was surprisingly light, it was surprisingly casual," she said. "I was quite uncomfortable at first as the incident progressed and unfolded I became more and more outraged.

ABC TV presenter Jeremy Fernandez was kicked off a bus two months ago after he was racially abused by a woman. 

"The bystanders did nothing". 

Several similar incidents of racial abuse have been reported in recent months.

In February, a bus driver told ABC newsreader Jeremy Fernandez to get off his vehicle after a passenger called him a "black c---" and told him to "go back to his country." 

Mr Fernandez, who was accompanied by his two-year-old daughter, was abused by a woman who was accompanied by two young children.

The woman told Mr Fernandez she would drag him off the bus if he did not get off, but it was the vehicle's driver who ejected him from the bus.

"As I got off I spoke to the driver, 'I've spent 15 minutes copping the most severe racial abuse and you've done absolutely nothing'," Mr Fernandez told news.com.au at the time.

Last November, a French tourist was told to "speak English or die" by male bus passengers in Melbourne, who proceeded to hurl insults at the woman and threaten her.

News.com.au has approached the NSW State Transit Authority for comment.

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Two dead, hoons clocked in Easter road blitz

Picture: Theo Fakos Source: PerthNow

TWO people have died and several drivers have been clocked doing more than 165km/h this Easter long weekend.

Operation Crossroads will be conducted until midnight tonight, but so far almost 4800 drivers have been issued fines from speed cameras alone, according to Acting Assistant Commissioner Fred Gere.

"Reports of vehicle crashes continue to occur and we again remind drivers that speed, failure to wear seatbelts, drink driving, being distracted and driving fatigued still remain the most prominent causal factors for crashes," he said.

The road toll climbed to two this morning after a 21-year-old male pedestrian was hit by a truck on the Mitchell Freeway.

His death follows that of an elderly man on Thursday, who died after he was involved in a caravan rollover in the Great Southern.

As a result of the Operation Crossroads traffic blitz:

- Speed cameras deployed throughout the state have seen 197,023 vehicles pass through them with 4,781 drivers to be infringed for speeding.

- Seven motorists will be charged with hooning and have their vehicle impounded for 28 days after being caught on camera.

-A speed camera in the Mid West Gascoyne detected 12,778 vehicles. 754 will be fined, indicating 5.9 per cent or one in 17 of those motorists was speeding.

-Officers working in regional WA have detected motorists travelling in excess of 165kph.

-The breath and drug test buses have conducted almost 43,000 tests, with 110 motorists charged with drink driving offences, 253 motorists charged with driving whilst disqualified and 66 vehicles impounded.

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Single, smart, over 40 - and frustrated

Eligible: Tanya Durham, Nicki Williams and Kerryn Lambert agree that the over-40s dating scene is dismal. PICTURE: Will Russell Source: PerthNow

THEY'RE single, smart and successful, but these over-40 Perth women can't find a decent man.

East Perth hairdresser Tanya Durham, 46, says she's been on so many dud dates she's stopped trying.

And events manager Kerryn Lambert was stood up on Monday night after waiting 45 minutes at a bar for a date to show up. To make it worse, it was the eve of her 40th birthday.

Ms Durham, who has never married, said being in her mid-40s limited the range of eligible men.

"I don't mind going out with younger guys, but they want children, so that market is out, and a lot of guys over 40 are going for girls under-30, because they don't think they're 40," she said.

Part of the problem was that men didn't want independent women.

"We're looking for guys because we want to have them in our life, not because we need to have them," she said. "But there are a lot of guys who want to feel needed. And they're the guys that we won't possibly attract."

Most men who registered for online dating websites were creeps, she said.

"One guy had a 10-year-old photo of himself on his online profile. When I met up with him, he was morbidly obese," she said. Ms Lambert said online dating had given men too much choice.

"It's just one big, easy fishing pond," she said.

Public relations professional Nicki Williams, 45, said there was definitely a shortage of eligible men in their 40s and 50s in Perth.

"If you're serious about settling down with someone, you're not looking at the 35-year-olds for long-term prospects. You're looking at somebody who is more settled and has possibly been married, so they're in the same situation as you," the twice-married mother of two said.

"If you want to settle down, it needs to be with someone over 40 and there aren't that many of them out there."

Ms Williams said that though she'd love to meet someone, she didn't need a man to provide for her because she was financially stable.

"I don't want to end up old and alone, but I'm not desperate and dateless, so to speak," she said.

Debbie Rivers, who runs Dare to Date, which organises social events for singles, said it was a challenge to get men over 40 to attend her events.They were often hurt by previous relationships and unwilling to give anything a go.

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Marriage misery hits our under-25s

Young divorcee Courtney Furness at home in Yanchep. PICTURE : Ross Swanborough Source: PerthNow

A GENERATION of young adults who no longer view marriage as a lifelong commitment has produced a big rise in the number of couples under 25 filing for divorce.

Latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveal the divorce rate for those married at 24 and under has reached the highest levels since the mid-1970s, while marriage rates for young people have continued to fall.

In the past five years, the number of men divorcing aged 24 and under increased 40 per cent, and there was nearly a 30 per cent rise for women.

Curtin University cultural studies professor Jon Stratton said young couples rushing to the altar were influenced by romantic tales of celebrities marrying spontaneously.

"Marriage has once again taken on that aura of being something really romantic that you'd like to do and is associated with a better life," he said.

"But given the complexities of life today, the difficulty of buying a house, the need to have two incomes and the way that complicates having children, getting married that young means a much greater chance the marriage will break up when those stresses come."

Social demographer Bernard Salt attributed the rise in divorces to a shift in thinking by those in their early 20s who believed "if you're unhappy, get out".

"We now have a wave of young people who are more driven by 21st century values, which are around organising your personal life to suit your circumstances at the time, whereas the 20th century notion was through thick and thin, in sickness and in health, if you were happy or unhappy, you just stuck at it," he said.

Mr Salt said the older members of Gen Y, now in their late-20s and early 30s, had delayed commitment until later in life after being affected by the high divorce rate in the 1980s through their parents or friends' parents, and were now quite stable in their relationships.

American blogger Joelle Caputa has tapped into the zeitgeist with a website and online support group for young divorcees called Trash the Dress.

"Women divorced in their 20s initially view themselves as failures because all their friends are getting married and having babies while they are starting their lives over from scratch," she told The Sunday Times.

"Once they get past the hurt and embarrassment, they reach rejuvenation. These young divorcees may just be the most motivated group of women in the world. They travel, trash their wedding dress, have divorce parties, go back to school, quit the jobs they hate and apply for new ones, go out on dates, celebrate their new lives and inspire others to follow suit."

Having divorced in her 20s, Ms Caputa is now writing a book about the experiences she and other young divorcees went through and said she discovered many women were marrying at a young age because of pressure from family members or religious groups.

"You would think that mindset would become extinct in this day and age," she said.

Relationships Australia WA branch manager Kylie Dunjey said they counselled many 20-somethings going through divorces.

"Divorce is grief and loss, and counselling can be a good place to go or there are a lot of books out there that can help people," she said.

'Happy family' dreams dashed at 21

COURTNEY Furness was married at 18, a mother at 19 and divorced by 21.

"We thought we were in love and were meant to be," the Yanchep mother said.

"It was the whole picture of a happy family, so getting married was like the icing on the cake."

But nine months into the marriage Ms Furness, who admits falling pregnant with her daughter was one of the reasons she married, separated from her husband, who was several years older than her.

She signed the divorce papers just after her 21st birthday.

"You don't realise what a person is really like until you live with them and marry them, and then it's for ever," Ms Furness said.

"That bad habit of theirs it's forever now. It's just a whole lot of work, and I thought it would get better."

Now 23, Ms Furness has gone back to university and is building a house for herself and her daughter.

"I sometimes feel like I've done everything because I've already been married and divorced," she said.

"Now my life is all about my daughter it's not about me anymore."

She said she was often judged for her decision.

"Men don't like it. Older people don't like it," she said. "I once had a doctor who said the reason I was having medical problems was because I was being punished (for being divorced)."

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North Korean war threats condemned

Russia and China have urged North Korea and the United States to refrain from flexing their military muscle.

NORTH Korea has announced it has entered a "state of war'' with South Korea and will deal with every inter-Korean issue accordingly.

The United States said it took the announcement "seriously", but noted it followed a familiar pattern, while South Korea largely dismissed it as an old threat dressed in new clothing.

It was the latest in a string of dire-sounding pronouncements from Pyongyang that have been matched by tough warnings from Seoul and Washington, fuelling international concern that the situation might spiral out of control.

"As of now, inter-Korea relations enter a state of war and all matters between the two Koreas will be handled according to wartime protocol," the North said in a joint statement attributed to all government bodies and institutions.

"The long-standing situation of the Korean peninsula being neither at peace nor at war is finally over," said the statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), adding that any provocation would trigger a "full-scale conflict and a nuclear war".

The two Koreas have always technically remained at war because the 1950-53 Korean War concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

The email from North Korea threatening to bomb US bases. Source: Supplied

The North had announced earlier this month that it was ripping up the armistice and other bilateral peace pacts signed with Seoul in protest against South Korea-US joint military exercises.

People watch a TV news report showing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, centre, and other leaders, at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, on Saturda. Picture: AP

The White House labelled the latest statement from Pyongyang as "unconstructive" and, while taking it "seriously", sought to place the immediate threat level in context.

"North Korea has a long history of bellicose rhetoric and threats and today's announcement follows that familiar pattern," said National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden.

In Seoul, the Unification Ministry insisted the war threat was "not really new". The Defence Ministry vowed to "retaliate thoroughly" to any provocation, but added that no notable troop movement had been observed along the border.

Late on Saturday the North ratcheted up its threats, warning it could shut down the Kaesong industrial complex, a joint South-North venture that provides the regime with crucial hard currency.

"We warn that stern measures will be taken if (South Korea) continues to make reckless remarks defaming our dignity," a state body said, adding that the fate of the complex depends entirely on the attitude of Seoul.

Established in 2004 as a symbol of cross-border cooperation, Kaesong had managed to keep functioning despite repeated crises in inter-Korean relations.

But there have been concerns that its operations would be affected by Pyongyang's move on Wednesday to sever a military hotline used to monitor movement in and out of the zone.

People watch a TV news report showing North Korean army soldiers, at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, on Saturday. Picture: AP

Most observers however still believe this will remain a verbal rather than a physical battle.

"The North Koreans in recent weeks have turned rhetoric into performance art," said Gordon Flake, a Korea specialist and executive director of the Mansfield Foundation in Washington.

"When they have already declared the armistice null and void, I do not think a declaration of war breaks new ground," Flake said.

But he added that the situation had now become so volatile that any slight miscalculation carried the potential for rapid escalation.

Both China and Russia have called for calm, with a Russian diplomat voicing particular concern on Saturday.

"We expect all sides to show maximum responsibility and restraint and that no-one will cross the line after which there will be no return," Grigory Logvinov, a Russian foreign ministry pointman on North Korea, told the Interfax news agency.

France on Saturday urged North Korea to refrain from any new provocation and return on the path of dialogue. Meanwhile Britain said threatening statements would only further isolate Pyongyang.

A close-up of the 'attack plan'. The lettering on the map reads as "Strategic Forces' US Mainland Striking Plan".

On Friday North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un ordered missile units to prepare to strike US mainland and military bases, after US stealth bombers flew over South Korea.

The high-stakes standoff has its roots in North Korea's successful long-range rocket launch in December and the third nuclear test it carried out in February.

Both events drew UN sanctions that incensed Pyongyang, which then switched the focus of its anger to the annual joint South Korea-US military drills.

As tensions escalated, Washington has maintained a notably assertive stance, publicising its use of nuclear-capable B-52s and B-2 stealth bombers in the war games.

The long-distance deployment of both sets of aircraft out of bases in Guam and the US mainland were intended as a clear signal of US commitment to defending South Korea against any act of aggression.

CHINA, RUSSIA JOIN THE SABRE-RATTLING.

Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr condemned the latest round of threats and said Australia was considering imposing more sanctions on the rogue state.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un discusses a strike plan with North Korean officers during an urgent operation meeting at the Supreme Command in an undisclosed location. Kim Jong-Un ordered preparations for strategic rocket strikes on the US mainland and military bases in the Pacific and South Korea. The lettering on the map, rear L, reads as "Strategic Forces' US Mainland Striking Plan". Picture: AFP

Senator Carr said in a statement that reports from the Australian Embassy in Seoul suggest there is no immediate evidence of increased military preparations by North Korea.

"Despite this, North Korea continues to pose a genuine threat to the safety of millions of people in our region," he said.

Senator Carr has welcomed calls by China and Russia for restraint by all parties, as well as commitments by the United States regarding the defence of South Korea and Japan.

Senator Carr has urged all nations to ensure existing measures are strictly enforced and said Australia is considering further "autonomous sanction" on North Korea.

Earlier, North Korean media issued two photos that appear to show plans for striking the US mainland as tens of thousands rally for it.

The pictures, released by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), both showed leader Kim Jong-Un sitting at a desk in what looked like a dedicated military operations room.

LOST IN TRANSLATION: IS GOOGLE CREATING KOREAN CONFUSION?

US B-2 stealth bomber flies over a US air base in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul.

EXCELLENT PICTURES OF KIM JONG-UN.

The photos accompanied a KCNA report on an emergency meeting with top army leaders in which Kim ordered strategic rocket units to prepare for a possible strike against US mainland and Pacific bases.

One picture showed Kim amongst four uniformed officers, but the main interest lay in the background.

The left of the picture showed a map with the unambiguous title: "Strategic Forces' US Mainland Striking Plan."

Straight lines on the map - not all of which was visible - appeared to show the proposed flight paths of missiles striking targets in the continental United States.

KIM JONG UN: MORE BARK THAN BITE?

ROCKETS WILL SETTLE US ACCOUNTS

North Korean army officers punch the air as they chant slogans during a rally at Kim Il Sung Square in downtown Pyongyang, North Korea.

"I don't think this is a mistake," a South Korean defence ministry official told AFP.

"I believe it has been intentionally made public, probably in order to distort facts about the North's military power," the official said.

The pictures come as tens of thousands of North Korean soldiers and civilians held a huge rally and march in Pyongyang on Friday, in a mass display of support for a possible military strike against the United States.

The rally in Pyongyang's giant Kim Il-Sung square was attended by soldiers, veterans, workers and students, all wearing military uniforms. The North's young leader, Kim Jong-Un, was not present.

State television said the rally took place to support a decision issued by the Korean People's Army (KPA) supreme command on Tuesday - and ratified by Kim on Friday - to put the country's strategic rocket units on a war footing.

"The statement was the ultimatum of the Korean People's Army against the US imperialists," an announcer said at the start of the rally.

Under giant portraits of Kim's father Kim Jong-Il and grandfather Kim Il-Sung, the massed ranks of civilians and soldiers pledged their allegiance to the current leadership.

South Korea's K-1 tanks take part in their military exercise in the border city between two Koreas, Paju, north of Seoul, South Korea.

"Let's become guns and bombs for our respected leader Kim Jong-Un!," they chanted, pumping their fists in unison.

The rally was addressed by military and party officials who urged North Korean troops to launch a "merciless strike" on the US mainland and US military bases in the Pacific and South Korea.

"We are all ready to wipe them out for our final victory," army officer Kwon Yong-Chol said.

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said Washington would not be cowed by Pyongyang's bellicose threats and stood ready to respond to "any eventuality".

His comments came as nuclear-capable US B-2 stealth bombers were deployed in ongoing US joint military drills with South Korea.

The B-2 flights, which followed training runs by B-52 bombers, were part of annual drills which North Korea each year denounces as rehearsals for war.

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Crash a close call for Girrawheen mum-to-be

Nicole Bresser, who is 18 weeks pregnant, surveys the damage after a car crashed into her bedroom on Hainsworth Ave, Girrawheen. Picture: Kerris Berrington Source: PerthNow

A car crashed into the bedroom that Nicole Bresser was sleeping in on Hainsworth Avenue, Girrawheen. Picture: Supplied. Source: PerthNow

SOME might say it was an Easter miracle which prevented a pregnant woman from injury after a car crashed through her bedroom in Girrawheen this morning.

Nicole Bresser, 28, was asleep in her mother's Hainsworth Avenue home when a car smashed through a wall at about 7.30am.

Ms Bresser, who is 18 weeks pregnant, said she opened her eyes to find that a wardrobe had fallen over her and saw the car's front bumper next to her bed.

"The way the wardrobe fell protected me from any debris hitting me,'' she said.

"The passenger got out and helped me out of bed.''

Ms Bresser said the passenger was a man aged in his twenties and his father was the driver of the vehicle.

"The father was learning to drive and accidentally put his foot on the accelerator instead of the brake,'' she said.

"We live in front of a roundabout and the man just went right through it.'

Paramedics attended to Ms Bresser who was taken to Joondalup Health Campus to be checked.

"My (unborn) baby and I are fine, everything is ok,'' she said.

"It's been a very lucky Easter Sunday.''

The driver and his son were also uninjured.

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'We were so proud of our children'

Momentos left at the scene of Thursday's freak wall collapse which claimed the lives of Bridget and Alexander Jones. Main picture: Andrew Brownbill Source: Herald Sun

A WOMAN who held the hand of a teenager critically injured in a freak city wall collapse, begging her to "hang in there", is devastated the girl has died.

Bridget Jones, 18, became the third victim of last week's tragedy, losing her fight for life three days after her brother, Alexander, was killed.

Brielle Chapman confirmed that in his last moments, a heroic Alexander had tried to save his sister.

"It all happened so quickly," she said.

"Alex yelled out 'watch out' and shielded his sister - and then the whole wall just collapsed, and they were gone."

Ms Chapman, 27, fought back tears as she told of the next "horrific" minutes as she and her four sisters dug through the rubble in a desperate bid to find the pair.

"Nothing could prepare us for what we were going to find," she said.

Friends leave flowers for Bridget Jones after hearing of her death. Picture: Andrew Brownbill

"(Alex) had taken the full extent of the collapse. Bridget was underneath him.

"We knew Alex had already gone. I grabbed Bridget's hand and I was saying to her 'Hang in there. You'll be OK'.

"She wasn't conscious, but I know she knew I was there, as she clung to my hand."

Ms Chapman was on holiday from NSW with sisters Bianca, 24, Olivia, 21, Jessica, 20, and Shayla, 15.

"We were following not even a metre behind them. It could've been us," she said.

"It's a complete tragedy."

Eighteen-year-old Bridget Jones has died, becoming the third person killed by a Melbourne wall collapse.

Tributes flowed for the siblings - both arts students from Melbourne University - as it emerged that Bridget had succumbed to severe head injuries in Royal Melbourne Hospital at 6.30am.

Devastated parents Ian and Sue Jones, both 57, from Montmorency, released a statement about their "kind-hearted and respectful" children.

"We were so very proud of both of our children," the couple said.

"They were always kind-hearted and respectful. They had a wide network of friends and yet were both very close to each other."

Mr and Mrs Jones said Alexander had been planning to study law and aspired to go into politics.

Bridget had been considering a teaching career.

Friends of Alexander and Bridget Jones chalked tributes on the footpath and left flowers and momentos at a makeshift shrine on Swanston St. Picture: Andrew Brownbill

"They loved sport - particularly tennis, which they played since they were five - and all different genres of music," the grief-stricken parents said.

They said Alexander and Bridget were keen Blues supporters who had been on their way to meet their father for the first Carlton game of the season.

Friends gathered at the scene of the tragedy at the former CUB brewery in Swanston St for the second consecutive day, chalking tributes to their lost mates on the footpath.

Fresh flowers, pictures and other mementos, including a Carlton teddy bear, were left at a makeshift shrine.

Friend Maddie inscribed in a card: "Two amazing people have been taken from us far too soon. You were both going to change the world! You are both going to be missed more than ever."

Monika Vulevu Cushe posted on a Facebook tribute page: "R.I.P Bridget Jones - heaven has a new angel, together with your loving brother."

Bridget and Alexander with parents Ian and Susan.

Others described the pair as "inseparable".

Another woman killed in the wall collapse remains unidentified.

Police said they were awaiting formal identification of the victim, believed to be a Mount Waverley woman aged in her 30s.

Royal Melbourne Hospital intensive care specialist Dr Thomas Rechnitzer has expressed "heartfelt sympathy" to the Jones family.

"Despite every effort by multiple teams of dedicated doctors and nurses, who did all they could for Bridget over the past three days, Bridget has died as a result of severe head injuries," he said.

The University of Melbourne said it would offer to hold a memorial service for the family.

Friends of Alexander and Bridget Jones and the unnamed woman who died in the Carlton wall collapse pay their respects at the site. Picture: Chris Scott

"The University of Melbourne community is deeply saddened and distressed at the tragic events of last Thursday," it posted on Facebook.

"Our thoughts are with the Jones family and friends. We will continue to offer Alexander and Bridget's friends, and those affected by the accident, counselling and all other necessary support."

Victorian Premier Dr Denis Napthine also sent his condolences.

"This is a terrible tragedy and our thoughts and prayers are with the family," he said.

"This incident will be fully investigated by the coroner and other relevant authorities."

WorkSafe, the State Coroner, Victoria Police and Grocon, which owns the site, have all launched investigations.

Touchingly, a neighbour saw Bridget kiss her mother goodbye the day before the tragic event: "Sue and Ian were just totally devoted to their children. Not so long ago Ian was here speaking for an hour about how well they were both doing at uni - he was so proud of them."

Alexander, who was nicknamed Zander by his friends, had aspirations to become prime minister of Australia.

One friend called Alexander, known as "Prime Minister Giggles", "a prince among men".

Montmorency Secondary College principal Allan Robinson said of the former school captain: "He was an incredible young man, thoroughly respected and admired by every student and every member of staff at Montmorency Secondary College."

Many said they would miss the arts student's cheeky grin and "that laugh".

"I can't describe my pain in words," a friend, Riley, wrote in a tribute.

"You were our light and glue that held us together."

Gillian Goldsworthy wrote on a Facebook tribute page: "Absolutely devastated to hear that Bridget lost her fight for life. Words cannot express my sadness at Ian and Sue's loss. Our thoughts are with you."

Monika Vulevu Cushe posted: "R.I.P Bridget Jones - heaven has a new angel. Together with your loving brother."

Friend Eric Goon called Alex an "amazing man". "He and Bridget were really close. It was typical Zander to be walking her to class."

Former teacher George Ghobrial said the "gifted" student was destined for great things.

"I taught him science and he was just perfect. He did very well academically; but not only that, he was a wonderful person with lots of friends.

"I taught Bridget the year after and she was the same - a lovely person.

"It is so sad."

rebekah.cavanagh@news.com.au

- with James Dowling, Jon Kaila

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