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For those families living without ‘knowing’ what has happened to a loved one the impact can be described as an emotional ‘roller-coaster’. An item, place or smell may revive a memory of that person, evoking an unexpected emotional change. Families often describe important dates such as birthdays and anniversaries as acting like triggers, bringing on both happy and sad memories from family gatherings and events. A time of year when this is especially true is during the Christmas and New Year period. A time normally reserved for happy family reunions and get-togethers.To assist families living with a missing person, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) National Missing Persons Coordination Centre (NMPCC) in partnership with Australia Post and the Salvation Army are providing non traceable, postage paid postcards to those in the community disconnected from their families, allowing a message of hope to be sent home during the Christmas period.These free postcards will be available to collect from Salvation Army staff and volunteers. After collecting a postcard, a message can be written on the back, as well as the final destination address and put it into the pre-addressed envelope that will also be provided. The post card will be sent to a central Australia Post location, for it to be forwarded on to the final recipient. The post markings on the postcard will be that of the central Australia Post location, allowing those choosing to be distant, a method by which to send a non traceable message home.The aim of the Christmas campaign is to provide hope to those families living with the feelings of confusion, frustration and sadness, whilst awaiting news on their loved one. A short message from a disconnected family member may brighten an otherwise gloomy Christmas period.If you are a family member living with a missing person and are in need of assistance, please see our support services page.To request further information on the Christmas Postcard Campaign, please email the NMPCC via our contact us page.

Melissa is a woman who wears many hats; wife, mum of three, cricket mum, dance mum, media company owner, outdoors lover, book lover and keen mountain bike rider. You would think she wouldn’t have much time to relax, but around her busy schedule, Melissa manages to write crime fiction novels and speak around the country advocating on behalf of families of missing persons. Melissa has strong personal ties to the issue of missing persons. In 1987, when she was just 15 years old, her cousin Ursula went missing. She was on her way to the ‘big city’ to follow work and after her family said goodbye to her at the train station, they never heard from Ursula again.Melissa’s relationship with Ursula was that of very close cousins. Melissa recalls how growing up on a farm meant that as kids, they would spend their days picking blackberries, riding motorbikes, camping and picnicking. They would ‘pack a lunch at the start of the day and head for the hills and come back at night’. They would share many chats and memories together, but it is the specific conversations that Melissa finds hard to recall. “I wish we had some recordings of her talking and laughing, as I have her voice in my head but it's so long since I’ve heard it out loud… I miss her.”During the many years spent searching for answers, Melissa said it was a difficult process. As she was quite young at the time of Ursula’s disappearance, she felt a very strong sense of powerlessness in being able to find her.It took Melissa’s family 30 years to discover Ursula’s whereabouts, and a fresh investigation which started in 2014 ended last year with confirmation from police that she had sadly died in a car accident shortly after going missing.It is this experience that clearly defines Melissa and her passion for helping others. As an advocate for missing persons, Melissa speaks regularly and is a Day for Daniel Ambassador. By generously sharing her personal insights, she hopes it will help others going through a similar uncertain journey. “I turned to writing as a creative outlet to help me work through my emotions, which I had buried for a really long time until I published my first novel inspired by Ursula in 2013, and spoke publicly about her for the first time. I really need something to help me get through the renewed investigation for her, and that’s where writing became such an essential part of my life.”Melissa created a successful book series based on fictional characters. With five novels published, and now working on her sixth, they help her step away from her real life trauma. Drawing on her own experiences, her fast-paced novels are helping people all over the world better understand the confusing and emotional rollercoaster of having a missing loved one.When asked what she would like to pass on to the many families of long-term missing persons dealing with ambiguous loss, Melissa says:“The main message I try to pass on is to never give up hope. I really held onto that strongly through the past five years and that’s what drove me forward to keep speaking up for Ursula. The hope was initially to honour her memory and that was my driver. Then it became clear there were things that weren’t looked into, and it became hope for fresh eyes on her case. The hope kept transferring, shattering and swinging around, but I had to try to reinvigorate it continually in the hope we would discover the truth. Hope isn’t just one word, it doesn’t mean one thing. Hope is the pillar of small wins along the way.”Further to everything she has so far accomplished, Melissa is running her successful business, MP Media Solutions, which aims to support her clients work and celebrate their successes. This year she has volunteered her time to help her home community of Tathra after the devastating fires that tore through the small coastal town in March, and has collected thousands of new books to replace lost home libraries through the “Book Love for Tathra” campaign.With so many balls in the air and such a selfless and friendly personality, Melissa is a truly inspirational person who has turned what was such a devastating loss into a lifetime of advocacy and community service with a focus and passion like no other.We can’t wait to see what is next for Melissa Pouliot.

Michael as a young child was a quiet boy who didn't like sleepovers much, always preferring to be at home alongside his Papa. But whilst quiet, he was also cheeky especially in the company of his family. Back then VHS recordings were our family’s thing. A big black recorder was carried around like a beat box and captured all the special events. Any family member reading this will vividly remember his beige coloured corduroy overalls, his stumpy legs, those curly blonde locks and Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It’. He was probably only two at the time, bobbing along to the music. He had everyone cheering him on!Growing up with two older brothers, he shared a room. I can still hear his voice complaining to me that their beds weren't ever made properly. He was always so neat and tidy, and determined. He was always so particular about which clothes he was going to wear, a trait that he carried with him into adulthood. I remember his childhood days. He didn't travel well in the car for many of our family day trips and holidays. He was always stuck sharing the middle seat belt with his sister, back when four across the back was legal. He didn't like the showground rides either, always standing aside to watch his siblings. He did enjoy the summer holidays though and spent hours fishing off the jetty with his family.Most mornings, even after he had moved out of home, he would still pop in for his daily coffee and biscuits and then be off for the day, ironically only to return again around dinner time! We made so many memories around the dinner table. Family tea was my favourite night, and as my children grew so did the dining table- extending to welcome our new joy, grandchildren. Michael was always the one to cause such a raucous in my kitchen. He had such a playful heart, stirring up his nieces and nephews much to their delight and my despair at the noise! I long so very much for those times again. It hurts so much without him.From first instant Michael was the best and most devoted father. They had so much fun together, just playing, going on outings and being silly especially when taking 'selfies'. They were always up to adventures. They went to parties together, to play cafes, to beaches. They walked on the jetty, visited playgrounds, and explored the zoo. They went to the movies, to swimming lessons and even tried out karate. They ate pizza or pasta and then they ate ice cream, three of their favourites. I remember 'that' day clearly. Receiving 'that' phone call whilst interstate was devastating and panic immediately set in… Our lives were changed forever.A life without Michael, for us as his mum and dad, leaves a void of gut wrenching emptiness and grief. A great sadness often engulfs us triggered by a simple thought or photo. Like when I see a car that is the same as his, my heart misses a beat and I panic trying to see if it's him behind the wheel... then I tell myself to breathe. Or when our grandson comes to stay (which he does regularly), I can't help but cry inside and say ‘Where are you Michael? You are missing these milestones and achievements. You're missing this happy fun loving little boy.’ The effects of Michael's disappearance have been different for each of us, each trying to cope in our own way as best we can, yet knowing of each other’s great sense of loss. - Told by Gail Modesti, Michael’s Mother (2018). Michael loved soccer growing up. He was a remarkably skilled and talented club player. Trophies lined the shelf in his bedroom. Mum always complained of having to dust them long after he had moved out.He was the ‘cool kid’ at high school. He had charisma not only in the way he walked but in the way he talked. He was popular. He knew how to make people laugh; he was a natural at it. Remembering back, he would only ever introduce me as 'his sister'. I rolled my eyes at it back then but now I see that his protectiveness over me was just part of his nature.We weren't really all that close until we both had children. It was only then we would sit in the lounge and actually talk to each other. Not just small talk, but life-talk. These are the moments I treasure. And of course, pasta night! We’re Italian and it’s traditional. We slow cooked sauce all day with chuck, pork ribs or meatballs. Michael was the pasta perfectionist. Actually, he was a perfectionist- full stop!He was the one who stood there patiently stirring the sauce and pasta it as it simmered away. He constantly looked over it, checking a new piece every few minutes. He was the master.I can still see him now, pouring out that steaming pot to drain over the sink. He’d then add a little sauce to the pan, then the pasta and then just enough sauce to coat it. He'd serve us all a bowl, his being the biggest. I’ll admit, he was pretty good at cooking the pasta, but he was also pretty good at complaining ‘the sauce is too thick. Not enough salt. Not enough chilli or it’s too watery.’In saying this though, he was also always the first to compliment Mum on her wins, ‘Good sauce tonight Ma.’Becoming a Father was the best thing to ever happen to Michael. Any outsider looking in would instantly see the love he had for his son – it was adoring and protective. It was fun and filled with friendship. Their bond was strong.They loved each other’s company, and if Michael could have given his son the world he would of.The emotional and physical burden of living without Michael is relentless. You often blame yourself, then you blame others. You are angry, you are frustrated. You feel helpless, you feel hopeless. It doesn’t get any easier, you just learn to manage better.Each of us look at things differently now. We capture the moments. We cherish the time. We hold each other together. - Told by Gisella Hardy, Michael’s sister (2018) Michael Modesti was last seen on 9 May 2016 in Beverley, South Australia. He was 33 years old at the time. The circumstances of his disappearance are subject to investigation and foul play is suspected.

Naz was a special son.He was different – quiet, caring and always wearing a big cheeky smile that would warm your heart.I miss him waking me up on the weekends with a coffee or breakfast, begging me to watch a movie or just start the day. He had a zest for life and would never let me sleep in. I don’t know why but, once he’d forced me out of bed, Naz would often head straight back to his bedroom and paint.He would spend hours working on his art, which was how he communicated his unique view of the world and society.I still have his paintings on the walls throughout this house – in the lounge room, in the rumpus room. I love having them there and the way they make me feel like he is still with us. I look at his paintings, flick through his sketchbook and try to figure out why he disappeared.The last 18 months have been really tough. The first Christmas without him we couldn’t celebrate, the second one we tried to but I couldn’t stop crying. We’re a small family and it’s really hard to be ourselves again.If anyone knows anything, come forward.It doesn’t matter what information you have – good or bad – please come forward. It might not seem like something big or important, but it might be.Right now, we’re living in darkness. Time goes by and I’m scared he might be forgotten.This is not a story, this is real life – he was my baby and now I don’t know where he is.I think back to my favourite memory of him. We took him to MONA in Hobart and he was looking at all the weird and wonderful art, unable to contain his excitement. “WHAT THE HELL! WHAT THE HELL!” he was shouting, and everyone in the museum was looking over at him.It warms my heart to think back to that moment, and to see Naz standing there with his big cheeky smile.- Told by Hirut Woldemichael, 2018Hirut’s son Nazrawi (Naz) was last seen on 9 October 2016 in North Hobart, Tasmania. He was 20 years old at the time.

He was your typical Aussie larrikin –Patrick (Paddy) Moriarty, long term resident of Larrimah NT and 1996 Darwin Rodeo Steer Champion, was last seen on 16 December 2017 when he left his house on his quad bike with his best girl – his kelpie ‘Kellie’.Paddy loved a XXXX Gold and a yarn with any tourists or ‘grey nomads’ making their way through the tiny town of 11 residents. It wasn’t exactly a thriving metropolis but it was home to Paddy, where he lived a simple and peaceful life for the last 10-15 years.His best friend Barry owns the “Larrimah Pink Panther Hotel”, which provided Paddy the perfect place to enjoy a daily beer (or four).A man of routine, Paddy would enjoy a few ‘cold ones’ on his designated chair at the Pink Panther every afternoon before retreating home for dinner and bed. His disappearance is described as completely out of character and there were no signs of disturbance at his house.Paddy came to Australia from Ireland at the ripe age of 18, where he worked on stations as a ‘ringer’. Given his experience and knowledge of his local area and the Australian climate, police do not believe that Paddy became lost.Despite extensive searches undertaken by police and emergency services across an 85-square-kilometre zone around Paddy’s home both on foot, dirt bike and helicopter – there has been no sign of Paddy or Kellie (the kelpie).NT Police Detective Sergeant Matt Allen leads the search for Paddy, and tells of his connection to this unique investigation.“Behind every missing person there is a family. This matter is unique as no family links to Paddy have been identified in Australia.”Detective Sergeant Allen says, “Whatever it takes as long as it takes, investigators will never give up searching for Paddy.”If you want to hear more about Paddy and the tiny town he called home, check out the podcast ‘Lost in Larrimah’ which was produced by The Australian in conjunction with Bond University.

Odette Houghton had been living abroad in India for over a year when she disappeared around August 1991. In April 1990 she had attended her parent’s 25th wedding anniversary celebrations in Phuket, Thailand. Little did her parents know this would be the last time that they saw their daughter.Regular contact with Odette ceased in August 1991 and the Houghton family have been searching for answers ever since.Odette was an experienced traveller who developed a keen sense of adventure from a young age. She spent her younger years living in the UK where her father, Edward hails from and holidayed at her mother’s home country, Malta, every couple of years.When the family migrated to Australia in 1974 they quickly settled into life in the Nation’s Capital, Canberra and Odette continued a happy and fun filled childhood with her three brothers by her side. “Odette was never in strife as a kid, unlike her brothers” says Edward, describing a young Odette as a happy, outgoing and social girl.Odette was an extremely giving and generous person. Edward remembered fondly that she, “always wanted to do something for someone else”. It was this well-known characteristic that her family and many friends loved about the young “hippy”.Through her adventures overseas she explored many countries and made lots of friends along the way. One such memory came from her time in Japan as Edward explained; “Odette loved street theatre and would perform as a mime in the streets of Japan to make enough money to get by. She also had the idea of getting strawberries and covering them in chocolate to sell for $5 each. She was an entrepreneur in many ways. Always making something to make money…”It was this creative side that is her most memorable trait as Edward reflected often on her love for beading, braids and theatrics.Shortly before August 1991, Edward and his wife sent various items through the post to what they thought to be Odette’s home address in India. After receiving the packages back unopened, they knew something was wrong.Following continual failed attempts to contact Odette, Edward and his wife considered travelling to see her. They reached out to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) who advised him that travel to the specific region of India in which Odette was living was too unsafe at the time.Following the 12 month period, Edward and his wife decided to boycott DFAT’s advice and travelled to India with the hope of returning to Australia with Odette in tow. They were met with minimal assistance and came back to Australia with no answers.The underwhelming outcome of the Trip to India sparked interest with well-known Australian lifestyle magazine, Women’s Weekly who offered to travel with the family back to India to further investigate Odette’s whereabouts. On arrival Edward involved himself in conversations with local authorities and community members to understand the crime and corruption in the specific region Odette lived.Although there were several allegations and some information provided to Edward, his wife and Women’s Weekly, all came home without any concrete answers or evidence as to where Odette was.Edward retired at the young age of 50 as the case of his missing daughter began taking its toll on him. “I couldn’t cope with trying to talk to people. I just couldn’t work as my mind wouldn’t be there”. So began Edward’s crusade to assist other families in similar situations, highlight the issue of missing Australians overseas to Parliament and his many attempts to change the Privacy Act to allow families to access valuable information from DFAT that would assist in locating their loved one abroad.Sadly, fast-forward 27 years and the whereabouts of Odette is still unknown. Odette’s mother has since passed away, her two brothers have grown up without their sister and her father, Edward is still without his vibrant daughter.When asked about his fondest memory of Odette, Edward sadly replied, “I can’t think of anything specific as it is all very fuzzy. It was a long time ago…” Two of Odette’s girlfriends, who strangely share the same birthday as Odette, still to this day celebrate their missing friend’s birthday every year. This special act of remembrance shows that this young “happy, artistic and glowing” woman isn’t forgotten and her memory will continue to live on.When travelling overseas there are several things that you can do to ensure your safety and make it easier for Australian authorities to locate you should anything unforeseen happen:Ensure you register your travel and contact details with smartraveller.gov.au Leave a copy of your travel plans with family and friends, including passport, tickets, destinations and contact numbers When informing the bank of your overseas travel, consider giving a nominated person access to your account information. In the event that you are uncontactable bank details can provide a record of possible actions. Arrange options for staying in touch with family and friends while overseas (mobile phone, prepaid or postpaid international calling card, SMS, social media, email etc.) Give your family and friends an indication of how often they will hear from you, and stick to your word. Be conscious of your own safety and security while travelling. Review the travel advice on the Smart Traveller website prior to your trip and subscribe to travel advice updates for the countries you are visiting to keep you informed of any changes leading up to and during your travel.Edward’s daughter, Odette Houghton, had been living in India for approximately a year after a period of overseas travel. She was last seen by her family in April 1990 in Phuket, Thailand. In August 1991, frequent communication with Odette ceased and her family have had no contact from Odette since. Odette was 24 years old at the time of her disappearance.

A body was found by WA Police after being struck by a train on 7 March 1998, but unfortunately his identity still remains a mystery to this day.WA Police Senior Constable Jen Robinson led the search for a family member, a friend – anyone who might have known the man but found no one.Although ‘John Doe’ has been missing since 1998, we do not know if he is missed.In an attempt to discover the identity of this man, DNA and fingerprinting testing was undertaken and ran both domestically and internationally. He was even profiled on national crime show ‘Australia Most Wanted’ in hope that someone would recognise his description and the circumstances surrounding his death – this was not the case.What we do know is that he was between 20-40 years old and 170-175cm tall.He had hazel eyes and thinning ginger-brown hair.At the time he was wearing a green-blue business shirt, green trousers, a brown belt and black Rivers-branded shoes.Beyond this, we can only speculate about this man and his life; Did he have debts? Was he a visiting sailor or perhaps a local whose family relationships had broken down?Was he a brother?Was he a father?Is there someone out there that thinks of him every morning and night, wondering where he has gone?These are questions we sadly can’t answer.Senior Constable Jen Robinson, who organised a funeral for the unknown man in 1999, wants answers as much as anyone. “We just wanted to be able to say to his family ‘we did give your son a farewell.’” Jen continues “The seventh of March doesn’t go by without me thinking of him - it’s like Remembrance Day for me.”It shows that missing persons – even those police cannot identify – are never completely forgotten.Cast your memory back, were you near Burswood or Victoria Park Train Stations in Perth on 7 March 1998? Did you know someone who went missing around that time? You may have a small piece of the larger picture.Report any information through to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

On the 15 September 2017, Youliang Lin took himself for a walk. A seemingly normal activity for most people however, Youliang suffered from dementia and thus required ongoing support from his family to ensure his safety when he had ongoing bouts of memory loss. Unfortunately it was on this day that Youliang did not return home and sadly has not been seen since.Youliang’s granddaughter Helen and his daughter Dan spent some time reflecting about their loved “patriarchs” life;“He was a kind, sweet, quiet and peaceful man. Always putting people before himself,” Helen says.With a large family of 7 grandchildren and 3 children, Youliang enjoyed cooking meals that they could all enjoy together whether it be in their small apartment back in China or in their residence in Castle Hill, Sydney; no space was too small for the Lin family and Youliang was always taking in “stragglers” who he felt could enjoy his cooking and company also. This is a perfect reflection of the warm hearted and caring person described by Dan and Helen.Youliang, along with over 425,000 other Australians suffer from dementia. Demential is a term used to describe the symptoms of a large group of illnesses which cause a progressive decline in a person's mental functioning.Prior to Youliang’s disappearance, he had gone wandering before. Helen recalls that her grandad would often enjoy a daily walk and would frequently walk to the shops. It was on some of these occasions that Youliang would become confused and unsure of his surroundings.It was these instances that sparked a family decision to no longer allow Youliang to leave the house on his own, for his own safety.While discussing the immediate aftermath of her grandfather’s disappearance, Helen reflects on the overwhelming public support and astonishing efforts from the Australian/Chinese community in particular. With over 200 volunteers searching the suburbs, nearby bushland and national parks, as well as the systematic approach to the search by relative strangers, the Lin family describe their response as being “really, touched, surprised and heartened”.There was an individual standout by a community member who spent her days combing Sydney suburbs in search of Youliang. This person was not known to the Lin family prior to Youliang’s disappearance however, she would spend her days combing the streets for answers. It is kind hearted people like this who demonstrate how widely affected and responsive a community can be in instances of a person going missing.When asked what advice they would like to provide to other families who may be supporting a loved one who suffers from dementia, Helen replies;“In our situation the family were aware of what was happening with my grandfather’s situation but we weren’t really open about it with his friends and their social group, and so my Mum wonders whether if we had worked more in building that support network with their friends that maybe it would have been easier, just to have more people able to understand what was going on and be supportive, so you’re not so alone.The day he went missing he actually did run into some of his friends while he was walking and they didn’t realise what the situation was, so they didn’t see anything that was wrong. They had just chatted a bit and he kept on going.” Further advice from the Lin family is to “Take each day as it comes and take every happy day as a win and give yourself some validation. You are not alone and there are others in a similar situation.” For further information on dementia, please visit the Dementia Australia website here.Youliang left his home on Cooper Court, Castle Hill about 8am on Friday 15 September 2017 and sadly he has not been seen since. He was 84 years old at the time of his disappearance.

When Christine Forster’s husband and life partner of 24 years went missing in October 2017, she never imagined the emotional rollercoaster she would have to go on to regain control over her family’s financial future; from her sons’ looming school fees and the replacement of the family car, to disputes over her husband’s work entitlements and superannuation.Following a loved one’s disappearance, for some families the financial impact can be just as devastating as the emotional impact. Not only is their loved one missing but they also have to deal with the predicament of not being able to stop phone bills, cancel memberships, close accounts, or maintain mortgage payments.In many cases, police will have reasonable grounds to suspect the missing person is deceased, only to take a number of years before a Coroner finds the person deceased, allowing a death certificate to be produced. Only then can a family administer the estate of a missing person.Christine spoke during the lead-up to National Missing Persons Week 2018 about the financial pressures that have now been placed on her family since the disappearance of her husband.“When John went missing, our family lost approximately 75 per cent of our income,” Christine said.“It is hard enough having to deal with not knowing what has happened to John and how to manage our lives without any closure, but it is made so much harder when we have to cope with the burden of potential financial hardship.” Christine said the experience has brought out the best and worst of people and institutions, highlighting the challenges that many families of missing persons go through.“We have had to deal with banks, employers and other institutions that do not recognise or understand the ordeals endured by families of missing people. This has included having to provide definitions of the word ‘missing’, overcome privacy concerns and fight to ensure we receive John’s entitlements.“I have also found our dealings with these institutions to be shockingly insensitive at times. For instance, I was hurt in the manner that I was told that they could terminate John’s employment after 20 work days after he went missing. For someone who hadn’t missed a work deadline in 20 years, his termination due to ‘abandonment of duties’ just didn’t seem right.“However, while this has been an incredibly upsetting time for my family, there have been some wonderfully supportive people. I’ve received kind-hearted and practical help from my son’s school whose principal has gone above and beyond. “He attended a meeting with me at my husband’s employer to outline our family situation and determine what their HR actions may be – without him I wouldn’t have been able to speak. Further, knowing the stress I was under, he offered to defer all school fees for my two sons until our financial disputes are resolved. We have been in survival mode over the past year and without the school’s support I couldn’t have coped. We are still waiting.”In recounting the day John went missing, Christine says she went from kissing him goodbye on a Saturday morning to, later that night, listening to search helicopters passing overhead to scan Sugarloaf Reservoir, where police found his car.“By this stage I was frantic with worry as I struggled to comprehend what was happening and scared that John was lost out there in the dark and in the bush,” Christine said.“John didn’t have a great sense of direction and he is risk adverse so I kept hopeful that he would navigate by the stars or stay put and wait for rescuers if he was injured. It was the beginning of a nightmare and, now, I’m moving in an unknown direction and desperately trying to regain some control. This is not how John and I saw our lives turning out – these were not the plans and dreams we set together.” Told by Christine Forster, 2018Christine’s husband John Forster was last seen on 7 October 2017 at their family home in Diamond Creek, Victoria. That night, John’s car was located at Sugarloaf Reservoir in Christmas Hills. He was 59-years-old at the time.

In 1988, six years after 20-year-old Anthony (Tony) Jones went missing while hitchhiking around Australia, his family wanted to do something that would give hope to all families waiting for a loved one to come home. His brother, Brian Jones, after consulting heavily with other family members came to the determination that a week of action was required to commemorate those missing across Australia.As an initial act, a memorial service was held in Townsville where a tree was planted in commemoration of Tony by the Mayor of Townsville and with this the first ever National Missing Persons Week (NMPW) was born.The inaugural NMPW, which saw remembrance church services take place around the country, was just one of the initiatives Brian undertook to help find his brother and support others dealing with a missing love one.He wrote a book titled ‘Searching for Tony’, formed the NSW Family and Friends of Missing Persons Committee and, in 1988, founded the National Missing Persons Committee Inc. Countless ideas and opportunities were explored.In later years NMPW provided the basis for the creation of a hotline allowing those missing to call into police without giving their location. The ‘Phone Home’ initiative allowed a non-threatening way for people to contact relatives and friends.In part, he was driven by the fear that without ongoing publicity and community awareness, Tony’s case would quickly become a forgotten page in history.NMPW would be an annual event to help the Joneses and other families create publicity long after the initial interest in their loved one’s disappearance subsided. It would keep their hopes of a breakthrough alive.Brian’s vision was not misguided; a 1988 front-page story for the inaugural NMPW featured 20 of NSWs most puzzling missing persons cases. The story helped give answers to the families of 11 of those cases profiled.This year, in recognising the 30th anniversary of NMPW, Mark Jones – another of Tony’s brothers – spoke of his larrikin younger brother and the legacy he has created.“As the youngest of seven kids Tony was the chilled one, opting out of the often intense bids for attention that come with being one of many,” Mark said.“He didn’t sweat the small stuff, didn’t sweat the big stuff – in fact, he happily avoided anything that might cause sweat. He left the competitive sports and sibling rivalries to his crazy older brothers and sisters.“Growing up, Tony was hilarious to be around. He loved his beer, loved his mates and, more than anything, loved a laugh. Friends and family idolised Tony and his easy way of living. He liked shooting, sky diving and going bush.“Wanderlust set in when he was old enough to drive and he set off on several trips ‘east’ with mates. The last and most epic was a trip around Australia which began in Perth and was cut short when he vanished in Townsville, Queensland.”Since Tony’s disappearance, Mark has met numerous people from around Australia who came across their fun-loving brother during his road tripping adventures. An inquest discovered photographs and stories of his brother, such as when his old kombi van caught fire while driving through the foothills of Adelaide and melted his car keys into the ignition.“It’s interesting to look into the faces of strangers sharing memories of Tony,” Mark said.“There’s even a photo of a Tony that we never knew existed – the last one taken during his life. He’s standing around with a couple of fellas in Townsville, wearing a Coolabah Wine cask with eye holes cut out to make him look like Ned Kelly – it’s poignant and shows him for who he was: a true larrikin and adventurer. It is amazing and bitter sweet at the same time.”The fondness that everyone spoke of Tony and his wild nature was in line with what the Joneses knew so well – from getting locked in a disused fridge in the family shed to exploring a labyrinth of tunnels underneath the local police club.On the eve of the 30th anniversary of NMPW, Mark spoke of the complex and difficult aspects of having a loved one go missing.“How each person deals with the disappearance of a missing loved one is truly unique,” Mark said. “We are a large family of seven siblings and we have all dealt with the loss of Tony in different ways.“For me, every NMPW evokes a mix of emotions. The occasion is a source of great pride for my family and a silver lining after everything we’ve gone through with Tony. At the same time, it is heart wrenching to see a family at the early stages of having a loved one simply vanish. Their horror and despair is too real to us.“There is a mind-numbing ‘unreality’ about having a missing loved one that somehow pushes the grief to one side. But decades on it is all too easy to see the pain that lurks beneath the surface of bewildered people trying to make sense of a family or friend simply vanishing in a country seemingly as safe as Australia. Our family is beyond this now – we’ve been through so much. But every day there’s a family at the outset of this nightmare, whose lives are being thrown into turmoil. Sometimes our family has to look away, other times we wish we could be there to put an arm around those shattered people. In a way, that’s what we are doing each year with NMPW, and we want it to continue growing and helping more people.“After all, in missing persons cases, where there’s community awareness and publicity, there’s hope.”Anthony (Tony) was last seen in Townsville in November 1982. It is suspected by police that Tony was murdered while backpacking through North Queensland.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is providing Australians insight into the emotional pain faced by loved ones of missing persons, with a short film launched today marking the 30th anniversary of National Missing Persons Week (NMPW). The week will run from 5-11 August 2018.AFP Deputy Commissioner Neil Gaughan said he hoped the short film – which can be viewed on Facebook from 7am – will give the community a window into the profound heartache caused by this issue, as well as the critical role they can play in supporting police.“This film echoes the real life grief of so many Australians who live in constant uncertainty, not knowing if or when their loved one will come back,” DC Gaughan said.The concept of the short film was inspired by the real impacts and challenges faced when someone goes missing. In particular, many families across Australia are living with ambiguous loss, holding onto physical ties and the hope that their missing loved one will return.Eileen Fahey, whose son Anthony Fahey went missing in 2013, said the film’s narrative is similar to her own experience.“While we are currently endeavouring to sell our house, it’s upsetting because what if Anthony comes home and someone else is living here? How will he find us, how will he feel, what will he do?” Ms Fahey said.“I also worry that, if we sell, I won’t have the memories of him being in the house. I’m afraid that I’ll forget the image of him sitting at the end of the bench and the sound of his voice. It’s all tied up in the house – how can I leave it?”DC Gaughan said that, as part of the 30th NMPW activities, the AFP and its state and territory counterparts are also profiling 30 long-term missing people from around the nation on social media and outdoor advertising.“It’s important that we raise awareness of this issue, including the reasons why people go missing, the social and financial impacts, and how the community can get involved. This might mean taking an interest and sharing our social media posts, or sharing a photo of an outdoor advertisement. After all, the community is our eyes and ears in these cases, helping police find the many thousands of people who go missing each year.”“If you recognise any of the missing people profiled this NMPW, or indeed any of the 2600 long-term missing persons on the Public Register at www.missingpersons.gov.au, please contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000,” DC Gaughan said. “You might just have a piece of information that could help bring them home.”The AFP’s NMPW 2018 activities are coordinated through the agency’s National Missing Persons Coordination Centre (NMPCC), with the short film created by Sydney-based creative firm Common Ventures.NMPW is supported by the Outdoor Media Association.For more information on the NMPCC and NMPW 2018, click here or see www.facebook.com/AFPNMPCC. The short film can be downloaded here.Media enquiries and interview requests:For more information or to request an interview, contact AFP National Media on 0437 477 430.Subscribe and receive email alerts(link: https://www.afp.gov.au/news-media/media-releases) when new media releases are published.

On Friday 25 May we will honour International Missing Children’s Day. This is a time to remember children who are missing and support loved ones in their search.The day highlights the continued efforts of police, family, friends and the wider community to find missing children, and pays tribute to children who have been victims of crime. It is also a celebration of missing children who have found their way home.And this year is special. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) National Missing Persons Coordination Centre (NMPCC) is hosting the very first ‘Missing Youth Forum: educate, support, prevent’ to coincide with International Missing Children’s Day.The forum will see 30 year six students from local Canberra schools attend the Australian Institute of Sports (AIS) to collaborate and learn about the issue. They will leave as future ambassadors for the cause of missing youth.The forum agenda will address education around physical and cyber safety, emotional intelligence, mental health, access to support services. And will feature sessions facilitated by the Kids Helpline, Headspace, ThinkUKnow and Sasoon Simonian whose brother, Sevak, has been missing since 2014.The forum will empower the kids to go back to their respective primary schools, familiar with services they can utilise and options available to them. This is vital as they approach their teenage years, where unfortunately they become statistically higher risk of going missing.Recent research conducted by the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) indicates that:38,000 missing persons reports are made to Australian police each year. Three in five of those reports related to a young person under the age of 18, with 86% located within a week.Those likely to go missing, with a rate six times higher than the general population, are youth aged between the ages of 13 and 17.For further information on missing persons and to share the International Missing Children’s Day message with your networks, visit ‘The National Missing Persons Coordination’ Facebook page. Profiles can also be viewed at missingpersons.gov.au.The AFP works with state and territory police to profile missing persons, and the Family Law Courts to publicise and recover parentally abducted children.Anyone with information relating to a missing or parentally abducted child is urged to contact their local police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 00Media enquiries:AFP National Media: (02) 6131 6333Subscribe and receive email alerts(link: https://www.afp.gov.au/news-media/media-releases) when new media releases are published.