At first glance, Stacey Gammage, 29, and Dean Heasman, 28, appeared to be the parents of a happy young family.
The Western Sydney couple celebrated their seven children on their joint social media accounts, regularly sharing photos of important milestones and childhood memories.
One photo shows a young boy beaming as he unwraps a Thomas the Tank Engine train set for his birthday, while another shows a girl with her face painted like a unicorn heading to a funfair.
In other photos, the siblings stand in a row in uniform, posing for a school photo, or next to Santa Claus for the annual Christmas photo.
According to a post by Mrs. Gammage, family was a “bond like no other.”
“My beautiful babies,” she wrote.
“I love them with all my heart.”
But now the family has been irreparably devastated after three of the children – a three-year-old boy, a six-year-old boy and a 10-month-old girl – died in a horrific house fire in Lalor Park, in Sydney’s west, in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Stacey Gammage, 29, and Dean Heasman, 28, are pictured in happier times
Photos posted on social media paint a picture of a happy young family
Ms Gammage regularly shared praise for her children on a Facebook account. Although the account is under both names, reports suggest the mother of seven was the primary user
Police allege their father, Heasman, barricaded himself, Mrs. Gammage and their children inside the housing commission home before setting it on fire.
Four of the children – a nine-year-old girl and three boys aged 11, seven and four – managed to escape the fire and warned neighbours that their father probably tried to kill them.
Heasman was arrested at the scene and then taken to hospital in critical condition, where he continues to fight for his life in an induced coma under police guard.
Ms Gammage was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation. It is unclear if she has since been released.
While detectives wait to see if Heasman makes a full recovery, investigators reportedly do not know the motive behind the horrific attack.
According to police, he has no history of mental illness or domestic violence.
The couple had only recently had contact with the police, as far as is known: a brief verbal disagreement, after which officers arrived on the scene. This was quickly resolved.
On Facebook, Ms Gammage described her fiancé as a “wonderful” and caring partner.
“I love you, my amazing partner Dean Heasman,” she wrote in 2018.
“Thank you for taking care of me when I was so sick that I lost my voice.
“You are amazing and I love you.”
The housing commission building in Lalor Park was quickly engulfed in flames in the early hours of Sunday morning
Dean Heasman, 28, was arrested at the scene and taken to hospital under police guard
But around 1am on Sunday, Heasman allegedly threw a burning pillow at his partner, which was partly responsible for starting the fire, the Daily Telegraph reported.
Investigators are also looking into whether Heasman used an accelerant after a second explosion engulfed the home just after he threw the fully burning pillow at his partner.
Police also allege that he not only barricaded the family in the burning building, but also attempted to drag the children back inside when they tried to escape.
The father of seven reportedly has no significant criminal history, but in 2017 he did have a run-in with the Australian Taxation Office.
He was only 21 at the time, but pleaded guilty to making a false statement and was convicted. However, he avoided jail and was instead given an 18-month bail by the New South Wales District Court to prove his good behaviour. He was also ordered to pay $2,809 restitution to the ATO.
On Monday, friends and community members arrived at the scene, many leaving flowers, stuffed animals and candles.