A friend has told of the agonising moment she found three children dead - as news emerged of their killer dad's other family.

Gary Bell and his three children, an 18-month-old boy, five-year-old girl and seven-year-old boy, were found dead inside a four-wheel-drive on the Two Creeks property near Eden, New South Wales, on Friday.

The bodies were found by mother Karen's best friend Tracey Wilson after she asked her to check on her children, according to reports today.

Ms Wilson told Fairfax newspapers Ms Bell had initailly asked police at Merimbula to see if her children were ok, but they would not.

"The police said to me they didn't want to upset Gary,'' Ms Wilson said.

She went to family's remote property with her partner and her son but couldn't find the children until her partner looked in the car.

"I let those babies down,'' she said. "I was too late. I got there too late.''

Ms Wilson said she just screamed when she saw the bodies in the four-wheel-drive.

"I screamed for an hour,'' she said. "Into the sky, just screaming.''

She said she called and told Ms Bell of the deaths. "I had to tell her they were all dead.

"This is the type of woman she is, she said sorry to me for asking me to go out there and check on the kids.'' 

According to those close to Karen Bell, her husband beat her throughout their ten-year relationship, and she tried to leave several times.

Ms Wilson said the last time was the Sunday before last, when she drove Ms Bell to her mother's house at Bega after he kicked her out following a fight.

"He'd always keep the kids so she'd come back to him,'' she said..

Fairfax also reported today that Gary Bell, 44, was really Gary Poxon, who already had a family with four or five children and adopted his wife Karen's last name Bell in an attempt to avoid his responsibilities to his first partner.

Mitchell Heffernan, a former boss of Mr Bell, said he had worked as a welder.

"They were his second family,'' he told Fairfax.

"When he came here in 1995 he arrived in Picton unannounced and I understand he was running away from four or five kids to a woman he kept calling the bitch from Bega.

"He was a good Aussie Rules player and played AFL for Bargo but as a person he was an aggressive little bloke.''

NSW Department of Community Services (DOCS) caseworkers confirmed with Bega police on Tuesday that an apprehended violence order had been taken out against Mr Bell, but they were told no specific concerns had been raised about the children.

DOCs said yesterday that caseworkers decided to try to contact the children's mother that day to provide support, but calls to a provided phone number went unanswered.

Ms Bell is staying with her parents in Bega, where she has been comforted by family and friends, her aunt Dianne Auld said.

Mrs Auld said her niece had been unable to sleep since hearing of her childrens' deaths.

"She's not, as you'd imagine, very well, because she's lost all her family.''

Ms Bell had not expressed any anger about the government department's handling of the family's case, Mrs Auld said.