THIS week the media has been awash with reminiscences of the Bali terrorist bombing on October 12, 2002, that killed 202 people from 21countries, including 88 Australians.

The attack was particularly harrowing for many in our district because victims included former Coleraine and Hamilton resident and prominent sports and business woman, Jodie Cearns.  

Jodie, then 35, took the full force of the bomb blast in the Sari Club and suffered shocking injuries.

She subsequently had her left leg amputated, lost her right eye, suffered a broken foot and pelvis, received extensive burns, had collapsed lungs and her kidneys failed.

Jodie was evacuated from Denpassar to the Royal Darwin Hospital, then sent to the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne where she died 10 days after the blast.

The fatal trip to Bali was her 13th.

In 1992 the Hamilton hairdresser had moved to Brisbane and became a hair product sales representative.

Jodie was so respected by her peers at Monivae College that her final year classmates from 1983 set about remembering her in perpetuity by establishing a “Jodie Cearns Bursary Fund”.

The Monivae Foundation planned to raise $60,000 over three years to support worthy

students with limited financial means.

During her years in Hamilton Jodie was involved in a wide range of community charity activities.

At school she won the age swimming title each year and also excelled in

cross country athletics. She won a coveted Monivae Junior Sportsperson of the Year

Award as well.

She was dux of her year 7 even though she was a year younger than her classmates. She was at Monivae from 1978-83.   

At 26, Jodie contracted and recovered from uterine cancer.  

Post-school, before moving to Queensland, she worked here in her mum’s

hairdressing salon in Brown St. which she later took over with husband, Darren Orval.

She taught aerobics and played basketball and netball.

Following her death Jodie’s life was celebrated at a number of church services, including at St Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne, where hundreds of family members and friends had gathered.

Her coffin - decorated with pink and white lilies and a Brisbane Lions football

jumper - was carried by sisters, Blair and Jenni, and her brother, Heath.

There were other services – one in Brisbane and special mass (pictured) at Monivae College, attended by friends and former classmates.

Jodie’s memory lives on in Bali as well as at home.   

Some years ago Australian developers who Jodie had been friendly with built holiday villas in nearby Seminyak.

They named the holiday resort Villa Jodie.  

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WHAT follows is an edited version of how the Spec covered the tragedy.

TUESDAY 15/10/02

Tuesday, October 15, 2002

A FORMER Hamilton woman is fighting for her life after being badly burnt in the terrorist bomb attacks in Bali on Saturday night.

Jodie Cearns is understood to have burns to most of her body and is in a critical condition.

A family friend, Colin Brown, of Hamilton, said he spoke to Jodie’s mother, Pat, on Sunday night as Pat and her former husband, David, prepared to travel to Darwin, where Ms Cearns was to be airlifted from Bali.

“Pat told me that the only part of her (Jodie) body that wasn’t burnt was her face,” Mr Brown said.

Meanwhile, Hamilton woman, Nikki Taylor, will leave Bali on the first available flight to Australia.

Nikki, the daughter of Ian and Leanne Taylor, of Hamilton, was fortunately on a small island just off Bali when the terrorists struck in the popular nightspots, which were crowded with Australian tourists and footballers on end-of-season trips, including some from south-west Victoria.

Another former Hamilton woman, Roslyn Ball (nee Marnell) was also at Kuta when the bombs exploded.

Mrs Ball is the daughter of Graham and Rose Marnell, of Hamilton.

THURSDAY 17/10/02

Thursday, October 17, 2002

JODIE Cearns, yesterday morning remained in a critical condition in Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital. Ms Cearns was flown to the Alfred from Darwin on Tuesday. She is on a life-support system.

A spokesperson for the hospital said that Ms Cearns was in a “critical condition”.

A family friend said yesterday that Ms Cearns is yet to regain consciousness.

He said Ms Cearns had shown “great resilience”, but her condition remained “acute”.

“The reason she remained in Darwin for a while was because she was losing a lot of blood and they had to stabilise her before flying her to Melbourne.”

While living in Hamilton, Ms Cearns and her mother, Pat, operated a hairdressing salon. Her father, David, was employed at Monivae College, and also coached Coleraine Football Club.

Former Casterton footballer, Jarad Rooke, was with his Geelong Football Club team mates when the bombs exploded on Saturday night.

Fortunately, Mr Rooke was unscathed from the blasts. The windows of the motel where Mr Rooke and his team mates were staying were blown out by the bomb blasts.

THURSDAY 24/10/02

Thursday, October 24, 2002

JODIE Cearns, has lost her battle for life. Ms Cearns, 35, died on Tuesday night in Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital.

Hamilton Imperial official, Joy Trotter, said Ms Cearns was not only a talented netballer while with Imperials, but a “lovely person”.

“Once you knew her, you just loved her.” Mrs Trotter said Ms Cearns was a “driving force” behind Imperials’ netball side in the mid-80s.

“She started playing in the A grade side in 1985. She was an excellent sportsperson and a credit to the club.

“She was also crowned Miss Western Border Netball.

“Behind the scenes she and her mother, Pat, helped raise money for the club.

“Jodie was also an excellent businesswoman.”

She attended Monivae College from 1978-83.

Monivae’s Dianne Taylor, who attended school with Ms Cearns, said she was an “outstanding sportswoman and represented the school in athletics, swimming, cross country and netball”.

In 1983, Jodie won the highest sporting award at Monivae, the prestigious Fr Stan Tyler Golden Jubilee Trophy for outstanding dedication to excellence in sport at Monivae,” she said.

Ms Cearns was also house captain for Ffrench House while at Monivae.

TUESDAY 29/10/02

Tuesday, October 29, 2002

JODIE Cearns was farewelled at a moving ceremony by several hundred people on Friday.

The large gathering assembled at St Paul’s Anglican Cathedral, Melbourne, to pay their last respects.

Her purple coffin, draped in her favourite colour pink and white lilies and two Brisbane Lions football jumpers, was carried by her sisters, Jenni and Blair and her brother, Heath.

Photographs of Ms Cearns were shown on a large screen during the service at St Paul’s, which was described as a “celebration of her life” rather than a sad occasion.

THURSDAY 31/10.02

Thursday, October 31, 2002

ABOUT 400 people farewelled, Jodie Cearns, at a Brisbane memorial service on Tuesday.

The Brisbane service was held in St John’s Cathedral.

The cathedral echoed to the chant of “there’s only one Jodie Cearns” during the service.

Jodie on the eve of the fateful trip to Bali is pictured with newborn nephew, Mackenzie, son of sister Blair and Wayne Riddle.