The story of how one person’s evil act changed a country forever

December 22, 2025 by Nadia

The calm before the storm

Little Martin entered the world with surprising ease. A calm beginning that stood in stark contrast to the chaos that would later define his life.

Martin John Bryant, weighing just six pounds (2.7 kilograms), was born on May 7, 1967, in Australia, after a labor that lasted barely two hours.

It was quick, uncomplicated, almost effortless. His father wasn’t anxiously pacing a hallway or waiting elsewhere, as many men of that era did. Instead, he stayed by his wife’s side throughout the birth.

The pregnancy itself had been just as smooth. His mother, Carleen, experienced none of the usual discomforts, no morning sickness, no swelling. She later described it as being “all baby and no fluid,” and she continued working at her job in a chocolate factory until just weeks before delivery.

Even the birth announcement reflected how ordinary everything seemed at the time. It was brief and unremarkable, reading simply: “To Carleen and Maurice. A bouncing boy. Thanks to doctor and staff.”

Nothing in those early moments hinted at what lay ahead — a reminder of how even the most unassuming beginnings can precede lives marked by darkness and loss.

The first year in Martin Bryant’s life unfolded quietly, he lived in a quiet Australian town without obvious warning signs. His mother later remembered her son as a generally happy, settled baby. She wasn’t alarmed by the fact that he resisted cuddling or showed little interest in physical affection.

But that calm didn’t last. By the time Martin was just 16 months old, he wasn’t merely walking, he was running, climbing, and constantly escaping whatever boundaries were put in place. His energy was relentless.