Australia AUSTRALIA - 4YO AUGUST (GUS) Missing from rural family home in Outback, Yunta, South Australia, 27th Sept 2025

[Ocalasunrise]

Thanks for posting this - its good to refer back to.

Has it actually been confirmed that Gus lived at the property?

Great point. Checking MSM and it's referred to across various articles as 'his families' or 'his grandparents'. I've not seen anything that confirms he lives there or how familiar he is with the property and the landscape.

Edit - Sloppy/imprecise reporting from MSM. Police statement has been that he lived there.

 

[BreakingNews]

I just wanted to post a quick summary of key info IMO, as posted to date in this thread by various sleuthers from various media links:

1. Gus lived on the property with his grandparents.

2. Grandma last saw Gus at 5pm Saturday 27th September 2025 playing on a sand/dirt heap.

3. Grandma could not find Gus at 5,30 pm.

4. Family searched for 3 hrs until 8.30 pm before alerting police.

5. Police arrived about 9.30pm to assist the search.

6. A police helicopter was over the property from around 11.30pm aiding the search with thermal imaging.

7. In the following days up to 50 ppl assisted with search on the ground including search and rescue and defence personnel, search dogs and some belated tracker involvement.

8. The search yielded no sign or trace of Gus whatsoever, just one single footprint considered Gus’ but which may have been from before Gus went missing.

9. On Friday the on the ground search was called off, but some high definition infrared drone scanning took place Friday and Saturday which is being analysed but may take up to 2 weeks to yield useful info (if at all).

10. Media have mentioned Gus’ mum was also at the property with grandparents at the time Gus went missing.

11. Media have mentioned Gus’ dad lives in Adelaide but was at the property on Monday assisting with the search.

The last two points suggest that the property may belong to Gus’ maternal grand parents but that is inferred.

I don’t mean to be sleuthing the victims here - just trying to set out the key info available via various media so far IMO and thought it might assist others.

It would be helpful if media published a timeline and known facts which they sometimes do in these situations.

How many missing child cases of this nature is the ground search called off after 6 days? And only 50 searchers deployed to cover such a vast area?

I realise he’s unlikely to have survived for many days, but I think he still deserves to be found, family and friends including Gus friends deserve closure, and perhaps important evidence might be found.

This lack of evident searching effort really bothers me but I’m not experienced in following these cases, perhaps it’s normal? Any stats or comparisons to other search efforts, do they go on for weeks or is it typical to call it off after about a week?

Sorry for long post had to get that off my chest.

All opinion only.

Great summary. Police Presser say they have searched the property. On the ground and in the air. They believe Gus is not out there. No footprints due to wind blowing the sand away.

 

[BreakingNews]

That's a fair question.
If they're Kelpies, which someone else mentioned, these dogs would not be kennelled imo, perhaps only at night. They would go stir crazy if kennelled as they need constant stimulation and exercise. Normally on these outback farms, dogs, pets and/or working, would be free to roam. Kelpies make wonderful pets, are friendly and are highly intelligent, my daughter has two.
They do herd, yes, even herd the kids, flies, other dogs etc but ONLY if they are bored, or haven't been on a massively long walk (they're literally on the go all day long!) They need a JOB to do!
In the video another poster shared I think we can see Kelpies, so I'd imagine these farm dogs are getting plenty of exercise and stimulation, whatever breed they are.
As far as we know, one of the dogs didn't disappear, so I doubt they tried to herd Gus home.

We had a Kelpie
Absolutely useless for cattle, but great with sheep and kids.

 

[SouthAussie]

Has it actually been confirmed that Gus lived at the property?

Great point. Checking MSM and it's referred to across various articles as 'his families' or 'his grandparents'. I've not seen anything that confirms he lives there or how familiar he is with the property and the landscape.

"We've got to remember that he [Gus] actually lives on the property and that might have been a footprint that he might have left there a couple of days ago, even before he went missing," said the officer in charge of the Yorke and Mid North region, Superintendent Mark Syrus.

Community comes together as search for missing 4yo Gus enters day 7

The search for missing four-year-old Gus has entered its seventh day, with no new signs of the boy.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Dotta]

It might have happened
that the boy returned to the house within this time frame.
E.g. to bring some toys.
And nobody saw him entering the house.

He even could have had a secret place either in the house or a shed.

I remember when I was spending holidays at grandparents' place in the country,
my cousin and I had such a "secret place" to play
and no adult knew about it, hehe.
(Although we were older 7/8 years old).

I noticed there are buildings/sheds/ machinery/cars around the main house.
Lots of places for a little boy to hide.

JMO

 

[katydid23]

If there were 2 Kelpies on the property, and Gus was outside playing, I'd assume the dogs would have been there by him most of the time. I am curious about what happened when they began searching for Gus. Did the dogs try to find him?

 

[SouthAussie]

The way I picture the scenario is that the grandmother was preparing dinner, Gus played in the sand. The other property members (including any dogs - they might have had 1-4 working dogs with 3,000 sheep) were out doing their jobs on the property.

Then the grandmother called Gus inside because the other property members would be back for dinner soon. But Gus wasn't there any more.

This may or may not be how things happened, but I think we should remember that it was around/approaching dinner time - and any activities would likely be end-of-the-working-day activities.

imo

Just to add, I realise that Gus went missing on a Saturday. But I think that Saturday may be a typical day on a property - things to be done.

 

[Absoluterubbish]

The way I picture the scenario is that the grandmother was preparing dinner, Gus played in the sand. The other property members (including any dogs - they might have had 1-4 working dogs with 3,000 sheep) were out doing their jobs on the property.

Then the grandmother called Gus inside because the other property members would be back for dinner soon. But Gus wasn't there any more.

This may or may not be how things happened, but I think we should remember that it was around/approaching dinner time - and any activities would likely be end-of-the-working-day activities.

imo

I agree with this (if this is in fact what actually happened and nothing more sinister happened). I personally also don't think leaving a 4 year old out where he was for half an hour is that bad. It's a very very rural property and he was right outside the house.

 

[LadyL]

His mother was at the home at the time he went missing. That's all that's been said regarding his parents I think?

and his father came and helped search one night

 

[Marg944]

I’ve found 2 dogs….

I posted the link to this pic earlier on this thread.

 

[tedtink]

I’ve found 2 dogs….

View attachment 618861


View attachment 618862

View attachment 618863


I posted the link to this pic earlier on this thread.

Kelpies imo. Can see the pricked ears in your 1st & 2nd image and the curled tail in the 1st & 3rd.

Australian Kelpie - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Karin1974]

I agree with this (if this is in fact what actually happened and nothing more sinister happened). I personally also don't think leaving a 4 year old out where he was for half an hour is that bad. It's a very very rural property and he was right outside the house.

IMO - This is where I really differ in opinion. 30 minutes for me is FAR TOO LONG to leave a 4 year old alone. I also find it odd that the parent’s haven’t spoken publicly but have left it to others, there’s only one other case I can think of where that happened & we’re all still waiting for answers on that one too. Silence from the family is usually viewed as suspicious even if it isn’t. MOO

 

[Lucy.D]

I’ve found 2 dogs….

View attachment 618861


View attachment 618862

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I posted the link to this pic earlier on this thread.

Working dogs are normally kept tied up at their kennels and not allowed to wander around, especially when there are visitors.
It makes me wonder if they were tied up when Gus disappeared.
If they weren't tied up then IMO it makes it more surprising they didn't bark if a motorist stopped on the road in front of the house or why they had not gone with Gus if he wandered off.

I also wonder if police checked the sandpit to see if Gus had indeed been playing there. Did the media take a photo or video of the sandpit as that would be interesting.

Without any other vehicles around, were what part of the search the pictures taken as the photos could have been taken by a 7 news reporter from the road if they weren't allowed on the property. Were media allowed on the property? Were neighbours from Grampus or Tiverton invited to join the search.

 

[TMich6811]

IMO - This is where I really differ in opinion. 30 minutes for me is FAR TOO LONG to leave a 4 year old alone. I also find it odd that the parent’s haven’t spoken publicly but have left it to others, there’s only one other case I can think of where that happened & we’re all still waiting for answers on that one too. Silence from the family is usually viewed as suspicious even if it isn’t. MOO

4 is so so so young

 

[Absoluterubbish]

IMO - This is where I really differ in opinion. 30 minutes for me is FAR TOO LONG to leave a 4 year old alone. I also find it odd that the parent’s haven’t spoken publicly but have left it to others, there’s only one other case I can think of where that happened & we’re all still waiting for answers on that one too. Silence from the family is usually viewed as suspicious even if it isn’t. MOO

Yes, I do agree in general circumstances (I have a 4 year old that I wouldn't leave alone for that period of time). However, given the remoteness of the property, the fact he was right outside the house and that there is little to no noise pollution out there, it doesn't strike me as bad in this case and Im sure it happens on many occasions on these very remote properties. She should have obviously called out to him on more than one occasion to check on him etc which doesn't seem happened here.

I totally agree it's very strange the family hasn't spoken out at all and also were late to release a picture of him. All I can assume here is that it is due to CPS involvement / custody issues?

 

[Lucy.D]

This is a book about Indigenous findings at nearby Tiverton Station where it mentions the significance of several animal tracks of unusually large dimensions.
If Gus wandered away did he meet his demise by one of those animals?

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1835-9310.1965.tb00352.x

 

[TMich6811]

Yes, I do agree in general circumstances (I have a 4 year old that I wouldn't leave alone for that period of time). However, given the remoteness of the property, the fact he was right outside the house and that there is little to no noise pollution out there, it doesn't strike me as bad in this case and Im sure it happens on many occasions on these very remote properties. She should have obviously called out to him on more than one occasion to check on him etc which doesn't seem happened here.

I totally agree it's very strange the family hasn't spoken out at all and also were late to release a picture of him. All I can assume here is that it is due to CPS involvement / custody issues?

I was considering CPS too.

I do feel like certain areas 30 minutes would be normal and safe I just can’t relate without panicking

I also know too much about bad things and am tainted

 

[Total_C]

IMO - This is where I really differ in opinion. 30 minutes for me is FAR TOO LONG to leave a 4 year old alone. I also find it odd that the parent’s haven’t spoken publicly but have left it to others, there’s only one other case I can think of where that happened & we’re all still waiting for answers on that one too. Silence from the family is usually viewed as suspicious even if it isn’t. MOO

I’m completely with you on this. The timeline just doesn’t match what I’ve seen with my own 4 year old. She can barely play alone for ten minutes before she’s looking for me. The idea that a child that age could play happily and safely for half an hour, especially near that sand pile by a road, just doesn’t ring true.

I was honestly starting to think I was the crazy one because so many people here seem to think that’s a reasonable amount of time to leave a 4 year old unsupervised. Even my inlaws, who regularly babysit my daughter, said it sounded normal because it was the country.

In my experience people often underestimate risk, both the likelihood and the consequence, and some of the opinions on this have really reinforced that for me. The whole timeline still feels off.

 

[Absoluterubbish]

I am the last to raise concerns about protocol because Mods hack into a lot of my work, but I don't think it helps to go down the path of victim blaming.
I just hope police are reading in WS about all the possible scenarios for Gus's disappearance.

I didn't think my post was victim blaming? I was attributing the lack of information to circumstances outside of their control

 

[Lucy.D]

Did Gus's father join the search just for that one night?

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