Imagine a property forever stained by tragedy, now up for sale. The site of Queensland’s deadliest police ambush, where two officers lost their lives in a chilling 2022 attack, is on the market for $190,000. But here’s where it gets controversial: the seller, Aidan Train, is the son of the perpetrators, and he’s grappling with a moral dilemma that’s sparking debate. Should this land, tainted by violence and conspiracy, be sold to just anyone? Or should it be preserved, perhaps even demolished, to prevent it from becoming a shrine for those who sympathize with the killers’ twisted beliefs?
In 2022, Gareth, Stacey, and Nathaniel Train, fueled by conspiracy theories, ambushed and killed constables Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow at their remote property at 251 Wains Road, about 300km west of Brisbane. The trio then murdered their neighbor, Alan Dare, before being killed in a shootout with tactical police. The family had spent months fortifying their 43-hectare property, transforming it into a military-style ambush site.
Now, Aidan Train, executor of his mother Stacey’s estate, is trying to sell the property. He claims he’s negotiated with the Queensland Police Union of Employees (QPU), which expressed interest in buying the land in 2022 to prevent it from falling into the hands of other conspiracy theorists. However, despite presenting a price and contract, Train says the union has gone silent since October.
“I definitely don’t really want to sell it to someone who thinks that my parents did the right thing or agrees with what they did,” Train stated, highlighting the ethical tightrope he’s walking. But the QPU’s president, Shane Prior, counters that the union has been negotiating in good faith and is conducting due diligence, including financial considerations for both the purchase and ongoing maintenance.
And this is the part most people miss: the property, as it stands, is a time capsule of the tragedy. Photos from the listing reveal a dilapidated dwelling still filled with items left by the killers—clothes, kitchen appliances, even videotapes. It’s a haunting reminder of the events that unfolded there.
Wieambilla, located halfway between Chinchilla and Tara, is known for its off-the-grid lifestyle, attracting those seeking isolation. A coronial inquest revealed that Gareth Train suffered from delusional personality disorder, believing police were devils persecuting him. Nathaniel and Stacey Train, meanwhile, shared a psychotic disorder that led them to adopt similar delusions.
The families of the slain officers have chosen to remain silent, but the public is divided. Should the property be sold to the highest bidder, or should it be acquired by the police union and transformed into something meaningful, like a training center or memorial? Or, as some suggest, should it simply be erased from existence to prevent it from becoming a macabre landmark?
Train believes the most likely buyers are documentary makers or the union, though he’s growing impatient. “It’s time for the property to be sold,” he said. “It’s been long enough, and something needs to happen with that property.”
But what should happen? That’s the question lingering in the air. Is selling this property a step toward closure, or does it risk reopening old wounds? Weigh in below—what do you think is the right path forward for this haunting piece of land?
