Phil Walklate was on his way home to Bendigo from Melbourne when he heard about the fate of 298 innocent people on board MH17.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The first thought that struck him was, "what a waste of life". Mr Walklate said he couldn't believe the selfishness of the people responsible for shooting the aircraft.
He added his name and condolences to the book provided by the City of Greater Bendigo.
"You feel for the Malaysians as well," Mr Walklate said.
"To have two of these incidents must be devastating for them."
He said the case of the Perth grandfather Nick Norris with his three grandchildren had caught his attention because he felt so sorry for the parents, now left behind without their children.
He said it seemed Russia and the Russian-backed separatists had a "heartless attitude".
On Wednesday Bendigo Labor members of parliament Lisa Chesters, Maree Edwards and Jacinta Allan also placed condolence books in their offices.
