According to Ambulance Service of NSW spokesman Eamonn Purcell, who attended the tragic scene, the child was in a serious condition and suffering from dehydration after being forced to fend for herself for what could have been up to five days.

However, a neighbour said she thought she spotted the woman only three days beforehand.

“She (toddler) wasn’t right, she was really dehydrated and lethargic,” Mr Purcell said.

“She had a high pulse, low blood pressure and she was in shock.

“Paramedics applied fluids and she was worked on pretty hard there for a little while.”

The body of the 33-year-old-woman, whose name is yet to be released, was found about 3pm in her Tarakan Avenue home after her concerned neighbour, who is a nun, knocked on her door to check on her whereabouts.

When no one answered, the neighbour contacted Pastor Ross Brinkman from the Church of Christ to help her gain access to the house where the shocking scene of the mother and the toddler was revealed.

“As you can imagine she was without food and water for a long time,” said Pastor Ross, who didn’t want to comment further out of respect to the family.

Police, detectives and emergency personnel were called and raced to the scene and the two-year-old was taken to Wagga Base Hospital.

It is believed the toddler was kept under assessment in hospital at the weekend and is now safe and in the care of family and friends.

Yesterday, residents of the street were in shock and were coming to terms with the terrible tragedy, which had happened right in front of them while they remained unaware and went about their daily business.

“We heard the girl crying in the house and we just thought it was her crying, you know,” said one resident, who did not wish to be named.

The wish she had checked on the home sooner is something that Kim Beaumont, who knows the woman through church and lives nearby, continues to replay in her mind.

She said she had seen the mother hanging washing up to dry about three days before the discovery and was starting to become concerned when it remained there, untouched.

“It’s awful, you always hear of other streets having this happen, we all knew them,” she said.

“She was a wonderful mother, no one had any problems from her, she loved her daughter with all her heart.

“(Her daughter) was a quiet and happy child.”

Pastor Ross also knew the woman through her involvement with his church and said her death was a terrible loss for the community.

“She was a much-loved part of our congregation and will be sadly missed,” he said.

Police say they are not treating the incident as suspicious and a coronial report is being prepared.

Follow @ashleighgleeson