Their names were Mo and Evie and Otis Maslin, Piers and Marnix and Margaux van den Hende.
Aged just eight, 10, 12 and 15, they are the youngest of the 36 victims of MH17 that Australia is grieving.
They were among the 83 children, including three babies, killed on the Malaysia Airlines flight over eastern Ukraine. Children made up a quarter of the 298 people on the flight, most likely shot out of the sky by Russian-backed rebels.
Mo, 12, Evie, 10, and eight-year-old Otis Maslin had been travelling home to Perth for the start of the new school term with their grandad Nick Norris, while their parents Anthony and Rin Maslin stayed on in the Netherlands to enjoy a few extra days.
The van den Hendes children and their parents Hans and Shaliza Dewa were flying back to their Melbourne home from an extended holiday in the Netherlands with Mr van den Hendes' family.
The young friends of these children have already begun mourning their deaths.
In the van den Hendes' community of Eynesbury near Melbourne, classmates, teammates, co-workers and friends gathered on Sunday to remember the family.
"It's just a huge hole," Andrew Mackenzie from Bacchus Marsh Grammar told reporters.
Teammates from the Melton Phoenix soccer club told a gathering of hundreds they were "broken-hearted" at the loss of Piers.
Marnix, a local swimming champ, was also described as a really good friend, artistic, kind and bright, while Margaux left an impression on those around her with her sense of humour.
"She was really funny and she had a really imaginative personality," a friend told the gathering.
Candles were lit and coloured balloons released to remember each family member.
At Evie and Otis Maslin's school, Deanmore Primary in Karrinyup, principal Jeanette Metcalf and lead school psychologists have been preparing for students to return on Monday.
Prestigious private boys school Scotch College, where Mo had attended since last year, has organised an assembly for Tuesday to offer students support.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Education WA said counselling would be available to students, staff and the wider school community.
Victorian Premier Denis Napthine said schools would have counsellors on hand to help the children cope.
"... We have a team of people who are able to work with schools and with school children to be able to deal with these tragedies," Dr Napthine said.
"Because we know that you need to provide counselling early, and ongoing support to prevent these tragedies becoming even worse."
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