National Missing Persons Week 2019

National Missing Persons Week Cover Image

Annually during National Missing Persons Week (NMPW) the National Missing Persons Coordination Centre (NMPCC) strives to create awareness throughout the wider Australian community, specifically those who have never thought about a missing person or the impact it has.

The disappearance of Tony Jones in 1982 was the catalyst for the establishment of NMPW in Australia. The inaugural week took place with a memorial service in Townsville in 1988, where the Mayor of Townsville planted a tree in commemoration of Mr Jones.

NMPW is now held every year in Australia in the first week of August. Along with a national media campaign, led by the NMPCC in support of State and Territory police, events and memorial services are held across the country to highlight the plight of missing persons and their families and friends.

In 2019, National Missing Persons Week falls on 4-10 August, and is centred on the theme of ‘Individuals Not Statistics’.

It is sometimes easy to generalise the 2,600 long term missing persons in Australia and lose the essence of the individual. The people captured in the statistic are not just ‘missing persons’, they are fathers and daughters; students, chefs and academics.

To continue this narrative, the 2019 NMPW campaign will go beyond the statistics and focus on eight long-term missing persons from around the nation. Unlike previous years, the new design removes the ‘persons’ from National Missing Persons Week and replaces it with the name of the real person being profiled.

To complement the profiling element of the campaign, the National Missing Persons Coordination Centre have also joined forces with media personalities and social media influencers to amplify messaging on social media during National Missing Persons Week. The influencers will use their platform to share content to raise awareness of the issue and the importance of the week.

The eight profiles have been selected by the NMPCC in consultation with State and Territory Missing Persons Units and include:

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Wendy

 

Wendy was last seen on the 25th of September 1975 when she went to walk to the local shops from home, in the ACT. She was expected back a short time later as the shops were only a short distance away.

When Wendy went missing, she was 30 years old, and was married with three children. She is 74 now, and a great-grandmother.

Wendy has brown hair, brown eyes, fair skin and is 168cm tall.

Martyn

Martyn, known as ‘Marty’ with friends and family, went for a walk to Mullaloo Beach from a family member’s home the day he went missing. In April 2013, Martyn was last seen north of the surf life-saving tower, where a backpack with his possessions was later found.

Martyn, a marine biologist, is regarded by his family as being spirited and adventurous.

Martyn has blonde dreadlocks, brown eyes and a tanned complexion. He was 24 when he went missing.

Ashley

Ashley was last seen in 2005 when he was 25 years old. He is now 39 years old, and dearly missed by friends and family.

Ashley liked to spend time with friends, and is known to be polite and well spoken.

Ashley was last seen in Rose Bay, New South Wales. He has brown hair and blue eyes and stands at 170cm tall.

Andrew

Andrew went missing in early 1999 in Mt Eliza, Victoria.

He is a qualified electrician, and is known as being kind with a dry sense of humour. The day he went missing Andrew was at a family barbeque. He was last seen walking to his car parked out on the street.

Andrew has green eyes and brown hair, he has a fair complexion, and is 47 years old. He was 26 years old when he went missing.

Rebecca

Rebecca was last seen in January 2017, in Alice Springs. She was visiting Perth to stay with family.

Almost 12 hours after she went missing, Rebecca was spotted around 15km north of Alice Springs on the Stuart Highway.

Rebecca is a beloved daughter, sister and mother of three.

Nazrawi

Nawrawi, also known as ‘Naz’ was just 19 years old when he went missing in North Hobart in 2016.

Naz is a young artist inspired by the artist Basquiat, and is known as being shy, passionate and having a big heart.

He has short, black, curly hair and brown eyes, and is 170cm tall. He is dearly missed by his family.

David

David was last seen during May 2019, just three months ago. He was seen at his friend’s house in South Australia. His vehicle was left in the driveway.

He may have been wanting to travel to Queensland.

David has blue eyes and dark brown hair.

Michael

Michael was born in 1963, and went missing when he was 33. He is 55 now.

He has black hair and brown eyes, and stands at 185cm tall.

He is known to be charismtaic, and is a dearly missed brother and son.

Missing Person Simon Gurrier Jones

Simon GURRIER JONES

Simon Gurrier Jones was last seen at the Cocklebiddy Road House, Eyre Highway, Cocklebiddy (Nullabor Plain), Western Australia at 8am on 19 June 2003. If you have information...

Missing Person Gary Lyddieth

Gary LYDDIETH

Gary Lyddieth left Mornington, Victoria on 26 April 2014 bound for Western Australia. He was driving a white Nissan Urvan campervan with the Tasmanian registration number A938Q...

Maxwell George

Maxwell George, aged 47, was last seen at his property in Brewarrina on 17 March 2000.  He has not been seen or been in contact with friends or family since.

If you have any...

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