Hannah McGuire’s grief-stricken parents pick through the debris at the spot where she died – as their tiny community makes an incredibly kind offer

Hannah McGuire’s family have searched through the charred remains of her burnt-out car after staring down her alleged killer in court.

Glenn and Debbie McGuire and Hannah’s brother paid a private visit on Tuesday to the remote spot where her ex-partner Lachlan Young allegedly set her body on fire.

The grieving family Reportedly inspected the wreckage at the eerie forest site before picking up pieces of debris as they struggled to come to terms with the tragedy.

Earlier the family had attended the Ballarat Magistrates’ Court to see 21-year-old Young formally charged with the 23-year-old’s murder.

On Wednesday, debris remained on Victoria Road near State Forest Road in Scarsdale, southwest of Ballarat in Victoria, where Young allegedly set Hannah’s body and her car on fire on Friday evening.

Bouquets of flowers now mark the eerie location – surrounded by charred trees from a recent forest fire – where police allege Young tried to make it appear as if his former lover had committed suicide.

A poster on the wall of the National Hotel in Clunes, where Hannah McGuire worked with her parents between her teaching jobs

The McGuire family took control of Clunes’ National Hotel just before Christmas last year

Hannah’s death had rocked the small country town of Clunes, 36 kilometers north of Ballarat, where her parents run the town’s only pub, the National Hotel.

When rumors spread that the owners had suffered a personal tragedy, offers poured in from generous locals offering to continue serving free beer to keep the business going.

Almost a year ago, the proud parents had seen Hannah posing for a photo at the house in Sebastopol that she had bought with her then partner.

As Hannah’s parents faced the media on the steps of the Ballarat Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, they struggled to hide their devastation.

Tragedies like this should not happen in small, close-knit communities like Clunes.

In 1979, the city was used as the setting for the Australian classic Mad Max – a historical science fiction film that pitted ruthless bikers against a young Mel Gibson.

Hannah McGuire and Lachlan Young just bought a house together a year ago

In reality, the remote rural town has fewer than 2,000 people, most of whom have settled there in an attempt to escape the violence, hustle and bustle of the city.

Its residents include everyone from former Wall Street Journal executives to retired bankers and tradies.

It’s a quiet, peaceful community that locals love because it embraces what outsiders might label as boring.

Today, Clunes remains architecturally largely unchanged, as if frozen in time.

Hannah’s alleged murder has shaken the city to its coreEven though you walk down the main street it is difficult to gauge.

The local butcher – a farmer who sells his own produce around the corner from Hannah’s parents’ pub – claimed not to even know her.

Clunes, depicted here in the 1979 film Mad Max, is virtually identical today

Clunes (pictured on Wednesday) has remained largely untouched by time

Hannah’s uncle John Hind reopened the National Hotel just after 2pm on Wednesday

Most shops on the main street are not even open during the week.

A local farmers market is planned this weekend, which they say will usually bring in some extra customers.

The pub itself is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

It had remained closed all weekend as the McGuires’ lives were rocked by the heartbreaking heartbreak.

On Wednesday, a photo of Hannah was placed on the outside wall of the pub, next to a sign saying she was the 22nd Australian woman murdered this year.

Underneath were bouquets of flowers with messages of support for Hannah’s family.

The McGuires had only taken over the running of the pub a few months ago at Christmas, with Hannah working behind the bar when she wasn’t working and studying as a teacher.

The family had made an immediate impact on the community by raising money for charity and donating beer for thirsty souls.

At Easter the pub helped raise more than $30,000 for the Royal Children’s Hospital.

“Glenn and I would like to thank everyone for making us feel so welcome. We have been truly blessed to have had a great start to pub life,” the couple wrote in an online community group before Christmas.

The lonely woods where Hannah McGuire’s burned-out car was found

There is still debris in the area where police found Hannah McGuire’s body

Flowers stood outside the National Hotel on Wednesday before it reopened

It is within this closed social media community that the true impact of Hannah’s alleged murder becomes apparent.

By announcing there that the pub would reopen on Wednesday afternoon, the McGuire’s gave another insight into their torment.

“Thank you everyone for your love, support and kind words. Our hearts are broken,” they wrote.

‘You weren’t just a star for us. You were our whole damn heaven. I miss you princess!’

The tragic message opened a floodgate of despair for those too proud or concerned to express their emotions to the reporters now roaming the city.

The page reveals a community rallying around each other, from returning lost sheep to helping strangers move.

And when the pub finally opened its doors at 2pm, they showed their support.

Behind the bar was Mrs McGuire’s uncle, John Hind, who sold the pub to his niece last year.

Residents affected by the tragedy made the journey to Clunes from distant towns to have a drink as the doors of the historic pub were thrown open.

“We just wanted to come and show our support to the family,” said an elderly couple from Creswick.

“We’ve had Samantha Murphy, Daylesford and now this.”

The pub expected at least 80 people to walk through its doors on Wednesday evening because of the local darts tournament.

Inside, a few young locals had started early, throwing a few darts and drinking a few beers.

The numbers will likely be much higher than expected.

“This is a great community and we look after our own,” Mr Hind said.

Parts of the wrecked car still remain at the site where Lachlan Young is accused of burning his ex-girlfriend’s body

The woods where police found Hannah McGuire’s body