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

[TootsieFootsie]

I've been on quite a few properties where there are numerous gates that need to be opened and closed behind you before you get to the actual house.
It often depends on the size of the property and Gus family property was huge.

Nothing unusual at all about the number of gates.

 

[Cleety_]

Kept in cages, really. I didn't know that. The only working dogs I know of had also been kept as pets. Working dogs are part of the family. I would have thought at least one dog would have been a house dog.

Well I’m sure some are also part of the family, but I’m from the country and it’s more common to have them in a dog pen “cage” probably isn’t the right word. But for the most part around here, working dogs are there for exactly what the name is “working”
But in saying that, they will absolutely bark when a car approaches as most dogs do.

It sounds brutal but I’ve known a lot of farmers who shoot dogs who are supposed to be working dogs but don’t end up possessing the necessary skills to actually do the work. It’s sad but that’s just the way it is.
I also had a dog that lived on the property I was working at, the dog was an ex working dog who was too old to continue working. This dog was so messed up in the head because its purpose in life had been taken from it.. he kept trying to round me up while I worked in the nursery. Cute doggo, I would give him love but he was depressed he wasn’t able to follow his owners quad bike when he went out to the cattle.

 

[Ellery84]

Well I’m sure some are also part of the family, but I’m from the country and it’s more common to have them in a dog pen “cage” probably isn’t the right word. But for the most part around here, working dogs are there for exactly what the name is “working”
But in saying that, they will absolutely bark when a car approaches as most dogs do.

It sounds brutal but I’ve known a lot of farmers who shoot dogs who are supposed to be working dogs but don’t end up possessing the necessary skills to actually do the work. It’s sad but that’s just the way it is.
I also had a dog that lived on the property I was working at, the dog was an ex working dog who was too old to continue working. This dog was so messed up in the head because its purpose in life had been taken from it.. he kept trying to round me up while I worked in the nursery. Cute doggo, I would give him love but he was depressed he wasn’t able to follow his owners quad bike when he went out to the cattle.

The dogs on that station probably know more about the truth behind Gus' disappearance than any of us. It's a shame they can't say what they know.

They would have noticed for example, a kidnapper in a car. Imo

 

[MelmothTheLost]

I also had a dog that lived on the property I was working at, the dog was an ex working dog who was too old to continue working. This dog was so messed up in the head because its purpose in life had been taken from it.. he kept trying to round me up while I worked in the nursery. Cute doggo, I would give him love but he was depressed he wasn’t able to follow his owners quad bike when he went out to the cattle.

It sounds as though that dog needed half a dozen sheep and a paddock.

 

[Lucy.D]

There are many large farm properties in NZ where you'd have to open & close five sets of gates. My BiL's smallish rural sheep property (500 acres) has at least four: a cattlestop, then a gate close to the cattlestop, one where the house property turns off the drive, a cattle stop where the house half moon access rejoins the drive, and two on the drive as it approaches and leaves the woolshed area (this part of the drive circles around the house/woolshed area ). The cattlestops have replaced gates over the years
Depending on the time of year the woolshed approach ones will both be open or both closed. As well, there are gates on the cattle stop into the house property that are used when new sheep arrive, they are some times volatile escape artists hyped up from travel. These ones are an absolute pain to open and shut as opening them to go out out means tippy toes across the cattle stop to push it open. Cattle stop | Farm fencing | Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Also in NZ there are many public roads in the 'wops' that have gates on them. When going to farm accessed from these roads, you have the gates across the public road and then gates within the property like at my brother in law's place.

I think I've worked it out right that there are no gates and it's just 250m off the road to get to where Gus was playing in the sand, so I have no idea where LE said six gates and a driveway 25km long unless they went to the wrong property.

 

[Cleety_]

The dogs on that station probably know more about the truth behind Gus' disappearance than any of us. It's a shame they can't say what they know.

They would have noticed for example, a kidnapper in a car. Imo

anyone would have heard a car coming up the driveway from a mile away. A car didn’t drive there and take him without anyone hearing it, i can confidently say atleast that.

 

[Thoughtful123]

So we are now aware that there are least 3 adult residents of the property at Oak Park Station, and another child in addition to Gus. Do we know the whereabouts of these people when Gus went missing? We know at least one grandmother was home and potentially the last person to see Gus. Where was the other grandmother, his mother and younger sibling?

 

[Cleety_]

It sounds as though that dog needed half a dozen sheep and a paddock.

He did live on property, but was too old to go out and round the cattle up. It’s the same way as when some people can’t cope with retirement after working their whole lives..

 

[tedtink]

I think it’s interesting that dad does not want them there and then one of them disappears

Is safety maybe not the issue with dad, rather one grandparent being trans?

Dad hasn't said anything directly to any media outlet about Gus.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Depending on the time of year the woolshed approach ones will both be open or both closed. As well, there are gates on the cattle stop into the house property that are used when new sheep arrive, they are some times volatile escape artists hyped up from travel. These ones are an absolute pain to open and shut as opening them to go out out means tippy toes across the cattle stop to push it open. Cattle stop | Farm fencing | Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand

These are known as cattle grids in the UK. They may stop cattle but there have been cases here of sheep learning to roll across them.

BBC NEWS | UK | Crafty sheep conquer cattle grids

They've also mastered the art of walking across them.

 

[Lucy.D]

So we are now aware that there are least 3 adult residents of the property at Oak Park Station, and another child in addition to Gus. Do we know the whereabouts of these people when Gus went missing? We know at least one grandmother was home and potentially the last person to see Gus. Where was the other grandmother, his mother and younger sibling?

Has there been any mention of workers on the property, perhaps as farmhands, tradies for the building works etc?

 

[SouthAussie]

"An expert in the ethics of artificial intelligence says a fake image of missing four-year-old Gus being kidnapped in South Australia's outback is concerning, but not surprising.

In recent days, a post has circulated on Facebook with an AI-generated image of a boy, with long blonde curly hair, being held by a man getting into a four-wheel drive.

The image, which the ABC has chosen not to publish, is accompanied by the text, "Is this a kidnapping case?"

It also includes the only publicly released image of Gus.

South Australia's Assistant Minister for AI Michael Brown said the misinformation being spread about Gus showed the importance of people understanding the technology.

"That way, we can make sure that we use AI responsibly, and we use AI in a way that will enable us to be more productive, but we're also aware of the limitations of AI and the possible downsides of AI," he said. "

Expert says AI-generated image of missing four-year-old Gus is concerning but not surprising

 

[Thoughtful123]

Has there been any mention of workers on the property, perhaps as farmhands, tradies for the building works etc?

Not that I have seen. I am also curious by the media statements that Gus had never left the family property. Does this mean he had never been to visit his father’s house? What about other family on his paternal side. 4 years is a long time to never leave the station- what about visits to medical clinics and regional play groups. A small town like Yunta would probably have a traveling/ visiting clinic for child health to do things like hearing and vision tests, dental checks ect- did Gus ever go to Yunta?

 

[Scooby-Doo]

Missing boy Gus' grandparents break their silence: 'Clashes'

The little boy vanished almost two weeks ago after playing in the yard of remote Oak Park homestead in the harsh South Australian outback, 300km north of Adelaide.

www.dailymail.co.uk

It is understood Josie Murray lives with Gus's grandmother Shannon Murray, and that the child's mother Jess is also on the property where Gus went missing.

Locals have told the Daily Mail that Jess and Gus's father Joshua Lamont also share a one-year-old son, Ronnie, who is also believed to live on the station.

However Mr Lamont himself lives two hours' drive away, 100km to the west in Belalie North, near Jamestown.

The Daily Mail has been told that Josh and Jess remain a couple but he does not live on the station because of clashes with Josie.

'Josh doesn't think it's safe for the kids to be out there, it's dangerous,' a family friend revealed.


It is understood Mr Lamont only found out his child was missing when police woke him up at his home, hours after Gus had vanished.

 

[Lucy6226]

Do we know whether Gus's parents are still in a relationship or if they are separated?

I suspect there are wider family dynamics in play here. This station has been in the family for well over 100 years and 4 or 5 generations. The current grandparents are no doubt expecting to pass it down to one or more of their children and through them to their grandchildren. I don't think I've seen anything about whether Gus's mother is an only child or if she has siblings. If she is an only child, she would expect to inherit the property - making Gus the heir apparent. They may therefore have an incentive to keep their daughter on the station and to keep Gus under their control.

According to the DM...

"The Daily Mail has been told that Josh and Jess remain a couple but he does not live on the station because of clashes with Josie"

Missing boy Gus' grandparents break their silence: 'Clashes'

The little boy vanished almost two weeks ago after playing in the yard of remote Oak Park homestead in the harsh South Australian outback, 300km north of Adelaide.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Not that I have seen. I am also curious by the media statements that Gus had never left the family property. Does this mean he had never been to visit his father’s house? What about other family on his paternal side. 4 years is a long time to never leave the station- what about visits to medical clinics and regional play groups. A small town like Yunta would probably have a traveling/ visiting clinic for child health to do things like hearing and vision tests, dental checks ect- did Gus ever go to Yunta?

Wow.

So he probably had no friends and had no contact at all with other children. What would the plan have been for when he reached school age? I know many Australian kids from very rural backgrounds attend state boarding schools, but from what age?

 

[Lucy6226]

Not that I have seen. I am also curious by the media statements that Gus had never left the family property. Does this mean he had never been to visit his father’s house? What about other family on his paternal side. 4 years is a long time to never leave the station- what about visits to medical clinics and regional play groups. A small town like Yunta would probably have a traveling/ visiting clinic for child health to do things like hearing and vision tests, dental checks ect- did Gus ever go to Yunta?

Hopefully they just mean for an extended time, like overnight. MOO

 

[tedtink]

Not that I have seen. I am also curious by the media statements that Gus had never left the family property. Does this mean he had never been to visit his father’s house? What about other family on his paternal side. 4 years is a long time to never leave the station- what about visits to medical clinics and regional play groups. A small town like Yunta would probably have a traveling/ visiting clinic for child health to do things like hearing and vision tests, dental checks ect- did Gus ever go to Yunta?

As far as I understood, Gus had never left the property, meaning he'd never walked off before.

 

[Cleety_]

Could a lone dingo make a 4 year old disappear? How far could an adult dingo drag a 30-40lb child?

The answer to your question, how far could a dingo drag a child? I’d say, a dingo could not drag a child any length at all without leaving any drag marks or blood absolutely anywhere.

 

[Thoughtful123]

As far as I understood, Gus had never left the property, meaning he'd never walked off before.

It was the media statement by SAPOL. But perhaps I misinterpreted, the statement says he had never left the family property and I took that to literally mean he had never left.

Police statement regarding Yunta search