Mersane Warria with eighth child Rodney after he was born four days early in the back of an ambulance five years ago. Picture: Sean Davey Source: News Limited

The house where the family lived in Manoora, Cairns. Picture: Brian Cassey Source: News Corp Australia

The 20-year-old brother of the slain children talks to police. Picture: Marc McCormack Source: News Corp Australia

Police enter the property in Murray Street, where the children’s bodies were found. Picture. Stewart McLean Source: News Corp Australia

The mother of seven of the children, unconscious and with stab wounds to her neck and torso, was taken to hospital, where she regained consciousness late last night.

The children — seven siblings and another family member — were found dead when police swarmed to the housing commission home at 11.20am yesterday. The youngest was a toddler of 18 months; the eldest a teenager of 15.

Shocked with sadness, Cairns residents fetched flowers to line the suburban street where the murdered children had ridden their bikes and scooters on the first week of the school holidays.

Late last night police were still on the scene in the inner city suburb of Manoora. The house had been concealed with yellow cordons and black plastic. Police tape was keeping the many mourners from getting too close.

With the bodies remaining in the house, a dozen forensic police and detectives were flown to Cairns from Brisbane yesterday, to help solve the state’s biggest murder case.

One neighbour reported a shouting match between two women two days before the children’s bodies were discovered.

The injured mother, 34-year-old Mersane Warria, was hailed a “super mum’’ after giving birth to her eighth child in the back of an ambulance five years ago.

Her cousin, Torres Strait Regional mayor Fred Gela, yesterday said she had left the Torres Strait about a decade ago. “She is from a very well-­respected family and this is immensely distressing to us,’’ Mr Gela said.

“She is very quiet, very family-oriented and practises her ­traditional culture at family events.’’

The Prime Minister said a nation reeling with shock and grief from the deaths of two hostages in Monday’s Sydney siege would be shedding tears and praying for the murdered children. “All parents would feel a gut-wrenching sadness at what has happened,’’ Mr Abbott said.

“This is an unspeakable crime. These are trying days for our country.’’

At Murray Street, Manoora, George Jackson and his 10-year-old son Joshua brought a bunch of flowers and handed it to a police officer to place with the other tributes. There were dozens of bouquets and teddy bears resting against the fence of the house across the road.

Mr Jackson said his six children were close friends with the family. His son, Joshua, played football and shared ice-cups with one of the murdered children. His daughter, Jennifer, 11, was the goddaughter of the wounded mother.

Mr Jackson told The Weekend Australian the entire community was in shock.

“She used to plait my hair, she is a great lady... my daughter is her goddaughter,” Mr Jackson said.

“It was a shock for everybody around here. I didn’t believe it from the start.”

“We were supposed to send my daughter down to (give the family) chocolate this morning, but we didn’t.

“It’s just sad.”

Mr Jackson described the 34-year-old as “a great mum”.

“I seen her arguing with a lot of (people about her kids),” he said, adding that she always defended her children.”

He said there were no hints of dramas or problems within the large family.

The Weekend Australian understands blood and DNA samples have been taken from the wounded mother.

Mr Jackson said he had told his son, Joshua, of the children, “They’ve gone to sleep, my boy.”

Last night there was a vigil at a nearby church. About 100 people gathered and there were eight minutes of silence, one for each murdered child.

One detective described the murder scene as something out of a horror movie. The injured mother’s cousin, Lisa Thaiday, said the children’s 20-year-old brother had arrived home to find his siblings dead in the house. “Those poor babies,’’ Ms Thaiday said.

“We’re a big family and most of us are from the (Torres) Strait. I just can’t believe it.’’

The inner Cairns suburb of Manoora is dominated by public housing. It is near the suburb of West End, which a Queensland government child protection inquiry identified as an area with pervasive youth sexual abuse and family violence.

Joanne Aneluwo, who lives over the road, said she had heard a woman swearing and yelling yesterday morning but was not sure if the noise came from the murder house. “I heard a lady screaming and carrying on for 20 minutes or so,’’ Ms Aneluwo told The Weekend Australian.

“She was getting angry at someone and screaming at a person; I heard her swearing.

“I didn’t think to call the police because we have lots of neighbours who scream at each other.’’

Ms Aneluwo said her partner had heard two women yelling at each other in the house two days before the murder. “He was driving past and heard women arguing there, and thought something was not right,’’ she said. “He didn’t quite hear what they were saying.’’

Ms Aneluwo said she often saw family members at the home. “Every day the kids are usually out at the park, or on the road playing. They were always outdoors, just riding their bikes and scooters.’’ Another neighbour, who requested that his name be withheld, said he had been home all morning and had not heard any noise from the house.

“There was no noise at all and that’s the unusual thing — it was too quiet,’’ he said.

“They were very active, very social kids so this is just horrible.’’

The neighbour said he had ­assumed the woman was a single mother. “Most of the time I saw the mother, she was by herself,’’ he said. “The kids’ father did visit — he lived a walking distance away.’’

Another close neighbour, Kai Tekiera, said he had been woken by ambulances at 10am.

Cairns Regional Crime Co-ordinator Bruno Asnicar said police did not have a suspect and would interview everyone who had contact with the family in recent days.

“Everybody who’s had any involvement at all in the past two or three days is a person of interest,” Detective Inspector Asnicar said yesterday.

A 13-year-old girl said she walked two of her girlfriends to the Murray Street house on Thursday evening after they had been shopping. She said that when they got to the house the older girl’s mother came out and gave her money for a taxi home. “She was saying stuff about god and other stuff,” the girl said.

“She said: ‘Papa god gave me the power to do anything’.”

Premier Campbell Newman urged members of the public to seek professional help if they were distressed.

“The whole Cairns community and the people of Queensland will feel the effects of this tragedy, particularly at a time of year when families come together,’’ Mr Newman said.

Additional re­porting: Andrew Fraser, Mark Schliebs, AAP

Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 www.kidshelp.com.au; Lifeline: 13 11 14