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9.15am: You can watch the press conference held by Queensland Police in Cairns here.
9am: Cairns Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar said on Saturday the woman - described as the mother of seven of the eight dead children - was lucid and awake.
"The 37-year-old mother of several of the children involved in this incident has been arrested for murder overnight and is currently under police guard at the Cairns Base Hospital," Inspector Asnicar said.
"She's stable and being looked after."
She was aunt to the eighth child.
The victims were aged 18 months to 14 years, with police revising the age of the oldest child.
Inspector Asnicar said it was too early to officially rule a cause of death.
"The bodies have been removed from that residence," he said.
"Autopsies will occur today. It will be after that we can comment about those sorts of things."
8.45am: Queensland Police tweeted along to a press conference on Saturday morning. Here's how it unfolded.
8.30am: The mother of seven of the eight children found dead in a Cairns home yesterday has been arrested over their deaths, according to police.
Queensland police have confirmed that the mother of seven of the children found stabbed to death in their Cairns home has "been arrested for murder".
The mother, who was initially reported by police as being 34 but is 37, is stable, lucid and has been speaking to police from her bed in Cairns Hospital, police told media in a press conference this morning.
"She was arrested yesterday afternoon, last night for murder and she's currently under guard at the Cairns Hospital.
"It's not a problem house, as has been speculated. It's just an ordinary neighbourhood."
We've located a number of weapons, once again our very good scientists will be looking at those weapons.
Around 120 people gathered at an impromptu community vigil in a nearby park and further afield in the city on Friday night, Queensland Police's northern region acting assistant commissioner Paul Taylor told media.
"With the tragedy of this nature - irrespective of whether it happens in the suburbs of Cairns or elsewhere in Australia or overseas - it is a tragedy," he said.
"North Queensland has a very close-knit, multicultural community (and in) previous disaster events we've seen the community galvanise (and pull together).
"Last night I saw a number of candlelight vigils around, a number of churches in and around Cairns, of a number of faiths. I've got no doubt there are people who've never even been to Cairns who will be touched by this tragedy."
EARLIER: They were found by their brother.
Eight children, aged between 18 months and 15 years, dead in their Cairns home, their lives ended by violence.
The 20-year-old had returned to Murray Street in suburb of Manoora, a wide road where children are known to play, reportedly after a trip to the shops. Police received the phone call at 11.20am, Queensland time.
His siblings had been murdered. The only signs of life came from a woman, believed to be the children's 34-year-old mother. She too had been stabbed, suffering serious injuries to her torso and her neck. But she was alive and rushed to hospital. Late Friday afternoon, police said the woman was assisting with their inquiries.
Police and emergency services descended on the suburb, quickly blocking off the street.
It was quickly labelled by police and reporters as one of the worst crime scenes in Queensland in recent memory.
Coming in the same week as the Sydney siege deaths, Prime Minister Tony Abbott echoed the nation's thoughts when he called it "unspeakable".
"These are trying days for our country," he said.
"Tonight, there will be tears and prayers across our country for these children.
"My thoughts are with the Queensland Police and all who have to respond to this terrible situation."
But police were quick to offer reassurance that they believed what happened at number 34 to be an isolated incident.
"As it stands … there's no need for the public to be concerned about this other than that it's a tragic, tragic event. The situation is well controlled at the moment," Cairns Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar said, adding that he didn't believe there to be "concerns for anyone else".
"… The crime scene is being locked down. That includes from me. Nobody goes in there until our forensic people are finished and, until we have done that, we're not going to be able to clearly establish any relationships.
"This is not a small job; we're not taking this lightly at all. We don't do that here in the Far North, This will be done to the nth degree and we will cover every angle before this is finished."
The tightknit, mostly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, quickly gathered, showing shock and dispair. Many told reporters they were related, calling the family cousins. They came from next door, the next street, the next suburb over.
Queensland Premier Campbell Newman said he was "deeply saddened and shocked".
"My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of those concerned," he said.
"I'm also aware of the impact this will have on the emergency service workers and police officers who responded to the scene, and I have asked the acting ministers to make sure those individuals are receiving the support they need.
"Indeed, the whole Cairns community and the people of Queensland will feel the effects of this tragedy, particularly at a time of year when families come together."
Mayor of the Torres Strait Island Regional Council, Fred Gela, said he was related to the family, calling the woman who had been taken to hospital a cousin.
He said the community and family was coming together to begin the grieving process. Not long after, the council released a statement asking for understanding and that the family not be named until all members had been alerted of the children's deaths.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the recent tragic events that have occurred in Cairns today. Due to strict cultural protocol, it is inappropriate for council to comment on the event.
"Please respect our staff's privacy and cultural responsibilities during this time of grief.
"Staff and families of staff are able to access our Employee Assistance Program and we encourage everyone to support and strengthen each other during this tragic time."
Forensic and specialist police were being flown the 1700 kilometres from Brisbane to Cairns to assist with the investigation. The Department of Communities, which is believed to own the Murray Street home, was also sending a specialist team north, "to deal with the human and social recovery".
"It is similar to community recovery," a spokeswoman said.
The police investigation was expected to continue for days.
If people are feeling distressed, Lifeline can offer support on 13 11 14.
With Kristian Silva