| 2021 Hillcrest Primary School accident | |
| Type: | Inflatable castle accident |
| Cause: | Gusty winds |
| Fatalities: | 6 |
| Reported Injuries: | 3 |
| Location: | Devonport, Tasmania |
| Time: | Around 10am AEST |
| Coordinates: | -41.1874°N 146.3329°W |
The Hillcrest Primary School Incident was a fatal accident at the Hillcrest Primary School in Devonport, Tasmania, in which 6 children died and 3 were injured during end-of-year celebrations on the morning of 16 December 2021. The accident occurred after a jumping castle and several zorb balls lifted into the air due to a gust of wind, resulting in the children falling from approximately 10m (30feet).[1]
The accident took place at Hillcrest Primary School during its Big Day In end-of-year celebrations, and was the last scheduled school day of the year for students. The school had numerous activities on site, including a jumping castle and inflatable zorb balls. At around 10 am, a gust of wind lifted the jumping castle and inflatable balls into the air, causing the children to fall from a distance of around ten metres. The school was soon closed and parents asked to collect their children "as a matter of urgency".[2]
Five children died at the time of the incident, and a sixth child, Chace Harrison, died from his injuries 3 days later, on 19 December 2021.[3] [4] Three children were severely injured, but recovered.
The families of the six children who died gave permission for news sources to identify the children by name:[5]
Following the event, a substantial amount of resources were given to fund counselling services to children, first responders, teachers and other members of the school community, including $800,000 announced by Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, during his visit to the site on 18 December.[6] A local Devonport resident, Zoe Smith, set up a GoFundMe page for donations to the Hillcrest Community Fund. The GoFundMe raised over $1.4 million.
Due to legal issues, no funds were released to families of victims until 4 months later, in March 2022.[7] This was the subject of much criticism from community members, including Georgie Gardam, mother of victim Zane Mellor, who accused the Devonport City Council of ignoring families of the victims.[8]
The accident resulted in numerous organisations banning the use of all inflatables on their property, including the Tasmanian Department of Education, who announced the ban shortly after the accident.[9]
The accident was commemorated by a service in December 2022.[10] In the reporting of the anniversary, it was revealed that of the 174 emergency service personnel who responded to the accident, an estimated twelve were still on mental health leave because of the accident.[11]
In May 2023 it was reported that the Tasmanian state government is consulting on a permanent memorial for the accident.[12]