Born on December 27,2000,Hannah Jane McGuire went to Ballarat High School and was studying education at Federation University. She had been working at Delacombe Primary School for four years,initially in after-school care before becoming a teacher’s aide.

The school’s principal,Scott Phillips,said McGuire was a dedicated and valued educator. In the past two years,she taught the youngest pupils at the public school of almost 600 students.

“As you can imagine,it’s pretty traumatic for the school community,” Phillips said.

In a statement,the school asked parents to help maintain routine and listen to children struggling with grief,offering support services for distressed pupils.

“Her work in the out-of-school-hours program and classroom demonstrated her commitment to not only the school and its children,but the wider local community,” the school said.

McGuire previously played for the Talbot Football Netball Club,where her father was a footballer and her brother still plays.

Appointed Talbot’s under-17 netball coach for 2022 and asked to share something about herself on Facebook,she said she “likes to travel and in her spare time go to the gym for a session”.

Talbot’s president,Dallas Byars,said McGuire’s parents were still a feature at the club,although their daughter had recently left.

“They are a lovely family. I just can’t imagine what they would be feeling right now,” Byars said. “It’s hit pretty hard around the club.”

McGuire’s brother,Jude,still managed to take the field for round one in the Maryborough Castlemaine District Football League on Saturday – a day after his sister was found dead in a burnt-out car in bushland 25 kilometres south-west of Ballarat. He was named in the best players and Talbot beat Maryborough by a point.

The Age attempted to contact McGuire’s family for comment through Brooke Tamanika,a lawyer who spoke on their behalfoutside court on Tuesday. Tamanika did not respond.

According to research group Counting Dead Women Australia,McGuire is the 18th woman allegedly killed in violent incidents so far this year. The group’s data,which includes the few deaths caused by other women,shows 64 women were killed in incidents of violence last year.

Ballarat,with a population of about 120,000,is still reeling from two other cases of men allegedly killing women this year. Hundreds of people are expected to attend a march in the regional city on Friday against gender-based violence.

In early February,51-year-old mother Samantha Murphy vanished after leaving her home in Ballarat East for a run. A month later,Patrick Stephenson,a 22-year-old local with no apparent connection to Murphy,was charged with her murder. Her body has not been found.

On February 16,the body of 42-year-old Rebecca Young was found in Sebastopol,Nine News reported. The body of 55-year-old Ballarat man Ian Butler,who was known to the mother of five,was also found. Police have said they are not looking for any other suspects.

Friday evening’s march,aimed at highlighting the impact men’s violence has had on the community,will start at Ballarat train station. It is being organised by Indigenous rights campaigner Sissy Austin,who was running in Lal Lal State Forest near Ballarat in February last year when she was the victim of a random attack.

Premier Jacinta Allan has offered her condolences to the McGuire family and said the spate of women dying in violent circumstances had to stop.

“It is just unacceptable that too many women are losing their lives at the hands of a violent perpetrator,” Allan said.

The Clunes Cricket Club has set up a fundraiser for the McGuires,describing Hannah as “a bright young woman[who] had a heart of gold”.

The family’s pub – the National Hotel in Clunes – was due to reopen on Wednesday. The grieving family indicated in a Facebook post that another local would run it for a short while.

“Thank you everyone for your love,support and kind words. Our hearts are broken,” the post said.

“You weren’t just a star to us. You were our whole damn sky. Miss you Princess!”

If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault,domestic or family violence,Call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732

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