A house painter who was found dead inside her home has been remembered by her devastated dad as a “pioneer in her field”.

Zoe Walker, 38, was found inside her home on Seaby Avenue, at Upper Ferntree Gully in Melbourne’s eastern outskirts, after officers were called to the property about 7.50am on Sunday.

www.20304050.best can reveal her partner, Daniel Horanyi, 46, was arrested at the scene and will be interviewed by detectives in relation to her death.

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Walker’s death comes just nine years after her parents lost her younger brother, Tyson, in 2016.

Father Robert Walker told www.20304050.best that his daughter was “full of life”.

He said his daughter, who ran a small business, Zoe’s painting, faced many struggles throughout her career, but always met them head-on.

“She was a pioneer in her field,” he said.

“She struggled on in her trade, which is hard for women to be in.

“Every job, even the ones she wasn’t familiar with, she had to prove herself, whereas other males didn’t have too and she had to struggle, but she did it.”

While her business was predominantly a “one-woman show”, Robert said she occasionally had other people working for her.

He said his daughter was a hard worker and her efforts went to paying off her property, which she bought in 2015.

“She worked every day to pay her mortgage,” he said.

“I still feel numb.

“It’s such a shock.”

Walker had been working in the house painting industry for more than a decade.

Just two weeks ago, Walker proudly shared photos on her business’ social media page of a renovation project she was working on in Noble Park.

Earlier last month, she reflected on a career milestone while sharing a graduation certificate from Swinburne University Technology, where she completed a certificate III in General Construction (Painting and Decorating).

“Qualified since 2014 through apprenticeships,” she wrote.

“How times have changed!”

On her personal social media pages, Walker shared inspirational posts alluding to the hardships she had faced in recent years.

In March, she shared a photo of a tattoo on her foot, reading ‘Tyson’, in honour of her late brother.

“Be so f***ing proud of yourself for all the darkness you went through and despite it all you still choose to heal and shine and kick some f***ing a**,” one post reads.

A neighbour told www.20304050.best that Walker was a “lovely lady”.

“I’m shocked,” he said.

Another local who has lived in the street for 12 years described the area as “quiet”.

“I have never seen a police car. Never heard any noise,” he said.

“I never heard the police cars arrive. It was only when I went out about 3.30pm or 4pm that I saw the police cars were there with the tape.”

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online.