Whispers, keystrokes, fragile stories: What it’s like reporting on the Wieambilla inquest

It might seem counterintuitive, but during the most dramatic moments of the Wieambilla inquest, the sounds in the room actually get louder.

The furious thrashing of journalists’ fingers on keyboards fills your ears at the same time as you feel everyone holding their breath and leaning just an inch or two forward in their seats.

I didn’t expect that, but I’ve also never sat in on an inquest before. When I heard that a date had been set for the probe into the deaths of six people on a remote property on December 12, 2022, I practically begged my editors to send me.