The bodies of a Toowoomba couple killed in the MH17 disaster have been positively identified.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Roger and Jill Guard were among the 298 passengers and crew who perished when the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 was shot down near the Ukraine-Russia border.
In a statement, their son Paul said the Australian Federal Police had informed the family the couple's remains had been identified in the Netherlands.
"We are glad that both Roger and Jill have been identified as it allows us to move forward with the grieving process," he said.
"We would like to thank the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Government for their efforts. Our thoughts are also with all the other families affected by this tragedy at this time, and we hope they also receive word on identification of their loved ones soon."
Mr Guard said their repatriation was being co-ordinated by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which had provided the family with a number of options.
"Some family members may decide to go to The Netherlands as part of the process," he said.
"We are still discussing these options within the family at this time."
Both Roger and Jill Guard were doctors dedicated to the public health system.
Roger was director of pathology at Toowoomba Hospital, and was a passionate runner. Jill worked as a GP and also volunteered helping refugees settle into their new community.
Before their death, the pair had been travelling in Europe for six weeks, and were flying home from Amsterdam on MH17.
They had been looking forward to being reunited with their children Paul 36, Amanda, 34 and David, 31, as well as Amanda's two children.
Thousands of people attended the couple's memorial service, held in Toowoomba's Empire Theatre on August 3.
Paul Guard said he hoped a political solution could be found to end the stand-off between Russia, Ukraine and the rest of the world.
"We are saddened by the ongoing conflict in the Ukraine and we continue to call on all parties involved in the conflict to put down their weapons and talk to each other," he said.
"Violence is not the solution."