Mr Osborne (inset) and his children with their grandmother

WORKMATES of a Melbourne caravan builder who slaughtered his three children before killing himself have spoken of a "kind and gentle" father.

One stunned former colleague of Rajesh Osborne, known to his mates as Roger and Eddie, told Caravanning News he still could not take in the horror of what had happened.

"He was such a nice and outgoing guy," a shocked John Rotondo said.

Fijian Indian Mr Osborne, 37, shot his children – Asia, 12, Jarius, 10, and Grace, 7 – in their rented and modest red-brick home at Roxburgh Park before turning the gun on himself. He had lived apart from his wife for some time.

Mr Rotondo, who now works for Roadstar Caravans, said he and the children's father had worked together at Windsor Caravans.

 "But we lost touch when Rajesh went to work at Concept Caravans in Campbellfield," he explained. "I heard about the tragedy on the news. It was unbelievable."

And another workmate, who declined to be named, said Mr Osborne appeared to love his children. "He was a very kind and gentle person ... hardworking and always ready for a laugh," he added.

Mr Osborne's boss at Concept Caravans saw no warning signs before the shootings. He had appeared to be in good spirits as he happily built caravans on the day of the killings.

"In fact, five minutes before he left he even bought chocolates from a footy drive here for the kids," he said.

Neighbour Mrs Lloyd Chelvradnam, who lives opposite Mr Osborne's home, told Caravanning News: "This is so awful ... everyone is shocked that this could happen in our street. I used to see him leaving for work but he would never speak."

During Mr Osborne's funeral at St John's Anglican Church in Epping, Rajneel Rothit Ram described his brother as a loving man who made sure his children never went without anything.

And Reverend Ray Hartley told the congregation that the reasons why the apparent loving father killed his children and then himself would probably always remain a mystery.

"We search for answers, but none come," he said.

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