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 My youngest son, Christopher Hayward, died just short of his
13th birthday, on 7 January 1997. He was travelling home after a
Christmas holiday on a Macaffertey's* bus when it crashed. It was the middle
of the night on a long, straight stretch of road near Tenterfield NSW
Australia when the long distance bus left the road and crashed into a ditch.
The Coroner found that the driver had fallen asleep. Christopher was out of
his seat at the time of the crash - he was returning from using the toilet at
the rear of the coach. He was travelling with his elder brother Ross.
Christopher grew up in
Bendemeer, in the New England region of New South Wales, which is almost 1000 m
above sea level. Bendemeer is a small village with a population of only
around 175 people. Through the town runs the McDonald River
which is where Christopher learned to swim and to fish for Trout. His most
usual companion on his fishing expeditions was his brother, Ross.
Chris was a highly intelligent
boy, and attended an exclusive school near Tamworth,
NSW, called the Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School. He loved school and his hobbies included electronics and
computers.
Chris wanted to study
electronic or computer engineering and maybe one day join the Air Force, but
he always took time for the little things in life too, and loved all the
creatures of the earth, saw their beauty and wonder and the marvels of nature
herself. Below are some links to sites he would have appreciated
Christopher is deeply missed
by his mother, Steph, his father, Andy and step-mum Avril, and by his brother
Ross, his sister Justine and all his extended family. Everyone who was
ever close to Christopher will miss his infectious laughter and joi de vivre. He bought sunshine to all our lives,
and now that sunshine will never be the same.
* Macaffertey’s Coach Company is now
owned by Greyhound.
“When
you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me”
Evanescent
~ My Immortal
"One
glad morning
When this
life is over
I know
I will see
your face"
From the song
by Puff Daddy & Faith Evans
~ we will never forget the day we put you on that bus,
and put our faith in one so undeserving ~
This page updated November 2007
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