On Fathers Day

A heartbreaking account of enduring suffering and loss.

When Cindy Gambino dropped her three boys off at their dad's on Father’s Day 2005, she had no idea she would never see them again. By day’s end, their bodies lay at the bottom of an icy dam, a tragedy that sparked one of the most controversial and prolonged murder cases in Australian history.

Award-winning author and journalist Megan Norris followed the case for eight years, chronicling Cindy’s heartbreaking journey through a trial, retrial, two failed appeals, and a 2013 High Court ruling that blocked Victorian father Robert Farquharson’s final bid for freedom, putting him behind bars for at least the next thirty-three years.

Through exclusive, intimate interviews with Cindy and her family, and a meticulous examination of the overwhelming evidence before the courts, Norris details how two juries concluded Farquharson was guilty of murdering his children. This book offers valuable and first-hand insight into a crime intended to last a lifetime.

Told through Cindy’s eyes in the aftermath, On Father’s Day is a mother’s legacy to the family she left behind when she passed away in 2022. Updated with an epilogue, her heartbreaking story shows that this is a crime that goes way beyond the grave.

On Father’s Day was written by Megan at Cindy’s request. This book is her voice.

Praise for the Book

‘A harrowing, deeply compelling narrative that plunges the reader into the dark heart of domestic violence and the unimaginable horror of retaliatory filicide’ - Dr. Yvonne Kallane, Ph.D., MA (Human Rights), MAICD, Founder, Change the Ending

‘Extraordinary read … powerful insights into the widespread patterns of coercive control and profound impacts of enduring trauma.’ - Sharon Wilkinson - DV Lawyer

‘Cindy’s experience and Megan’s thorough research provide a devastating, confronting and utterly compelling read.’ - Dr Deborah Kirkwood, Author of Just Say Goodbye

‘The best analysis I’ve read of the ultimate act of family violence… no other journalist and writer has had the involvement in this case like Norris has,’ - Emily Webb, Author and podcaster.