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

[tedtink]

Probably both reasons, IMO. But my question: why did his partner Jess live there, far away from the father, if they weren't separated?? To me it makes no sense at all.

Although it may seem far away, 2 hours away to those living in the outback is nothing

 

[Karin1974]

Many young boys have long hair…. It does not mean anything.

IMO - As do many older men, including my partner, who at 57 has very long hair, close to my own length which is at least halfway down my back. MOO

 

[Warshawski]

ather so adamant to not be there and to not talk to his partners mum.

Gus’ mother’s Mum is Shannon Murray .

It was Josie who his Dad JL clashed with .

Josie Murray is transgender & lives with Shannon.

I know some have suggested that Josie may in fact be Jess’s father & the relationship with Shannon continued post ‘transition’ to Josie. But I haven’t seen anything to either suggest of confirm that.

Not that anyone’s personal situations matter a jot to outsiders - and it only matters in the scheme of this case if there were activities or behaviours etc that made an unsafe environment for children, leading to the disappearance of little Gus.

Has it been said anywhere how many Sheep they ran ? Is this property run by 3 women ?
Also I think it could have been shearing time, or at least coming into shearing time, which would bring extra people, as I’m pretty sure they’d use contract shearers.

If he was playing in that dirt pile, I find it very confusing why he would leave there at that time of afternoon and head off somewhere else. I would think he would’ve been getting hungry, but maybe he went to shed to get some ‘tools’, and perhaps something fell on him.
Maybe hay bales, I don’t think he’d get in a grain silo…

 

[FromGermany1]

Although it may seem far away, 2 hours away in the outback is nothing

I've always the problem with distances. When my children have to drive to their working place for 1 hour, I pity them, very much even - and they are laughing it away.

 

[tedtink]

FWIW

JL allegedly clashed with JS.

JL has said nothing directly.

 

[Lucy.D]

I'd just really like to see the grandparents continue to open the farm up to visitors and a fresh set of eyes and thoughts might just come up with something that will bring a closure to this tragedy.
I wouldn't be wandering around at night any longer on the property but a good thorough search, even if it's over the same ground and inspecting the same structures, may come up with something.
Although, before multiple car tyres came along and probably covered everything over, I'd have liked to have seen if there were any footprints of Gus's on the dirt tracks heading out to the road.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

I'd just really like to see the grandparents continue to open the farm up to visitors and a fresh set of eyes and thoughts might just come up with something that will bring a closure to this tragedy.

Depending on the direction of the police investigation, LE may not want more people tramping across what may be turning into a crime scene.

 

[kurtneverdied]

'We're still looking for him,' she insisted, while declining any offers of assistance in the search effort.

'You can't help. We are still dealing with this.'

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

So much strong opinion now formed over so little words. Controlling, and it seems feelings come first over finding Gus. All along, family wants privacy, privacy, privacy. Why?..

This is all IMO and I'm not worrying about 'feelings' and 'privacy' over the recovery of poor Gus.

 

[butterstick]

That statement about clashes with Josie, not living with his own partner because of it.. that sends shivers down my spine. The relationship between them must have been bad.. & that raises the question, what was going on?

So the DM got this information from am anonymous "Family Friend", yes? I think way too much extrapolation has been taken from this already. I'm sure we'll learn more soon, but for now let's just assume "what was going on" was the drama we get in every family, more or less.

I guess I'm still not clear as to whether Josie is Gus's biological grandfather or a more recent partner of Shannon's.

If the former, Josie is effectively the "patriarch" of the family since s/he is a biological male and will have been socialised and brought up as male. With that (to my mind) come issues of dominance and control, potentially coercive control, of Shannon, Jess and the children.

We really don't know anything though, really? We've had one third party mention the Dad didn't get along with Josie. Supposedly. It's not uncommon for families to split a little, or a lot.

I'm just mystified how this has all seemingly paused. The family must be absolutely physically and emotionally exhausted. Even then, though, I'd be asking for more help... I'll say that much.

 

[tedtink]

'We're still looking for him,' she insisted, while declining any offers of assistance in the search effort.

'You can't help. We are still dealing with this.'

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

So much strong opinion now formed over so little words. Controlling, and it seems feelings come first over finding Gus. All along, family wants privacy, privacy, privacy. Why?..

This is all IMO and I'm not worrying about 'feelings' and 'privacy' over the recovery of poor Gus.

Privacy...why? Why not.
Because I'd imagine they are already destroyed by Gus's disappearance, without all the social media circus of speculation,false theories circulating.
People deal with things in different ways - So be it.

 

[zagadka]

'We're still looking for him,' she insisted, while declining any offers of assistance in the search effort.

'You can't help. We are still dealing with this.'

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

I wonder how accurate those quotes are

There is no way that anyone would turn down help if they wanted to find someone

 

[BreakingNews]

Oak Park Station belonged to Shannon's family. There is a little bit of history about for that property if you know where to look.

Josh is an outback boy as well and also lives on a property at Belalia North.

Gus’ father Joshua Lamont lives at a property about 100km away in Belalia North.

‘Still looking’: Missing 4yo Gus’ shattered family speak out

The family of August ‘Gus’ Lamont has spoken publicly for the first time since police called off a massive search for the missing four-year-old.

thenightly.com.au

Ms Thomas, who had grown up at Parnaroo Station nearby the Lamonts

Redirect Notice

I'm really not sure what different dangers there would be compared to Jess's and Josh's property. As most outback properties within that area are the same. Given they mentioned clashes specifically with Josie, maybe Josh thought that was a danger psychologically wise to his children. Unfortunately not all people have the same views towards LGBTQ. JMO

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

 

[tedtink]

I wonder how accurate those quotes are

There is no way that anyone would turn down help if they wanted to find someone

Help from the Daily Mail?
What could they do to help, I wonder?

 

[Itz_CrimsonYT]

Here's a thought...
What if he thought to play hide and seek with the family without them knowing, and basically running away and hiding from anyone they see. There is plenty of stuff to hide in/around in the area.

It's similar to getting lost in a mall, there are plenty of places to hide and run around, like in clothing hangers, changing rooms, restaurants, bathrooms, etc.

If we suppose that Gus is on the property and alive, he might be constantly moving about the area. So police could've checked an area that Gus was at 5 minutes prior.

The only issue is he would eventually get hungry or thirsty if he's been in the area for so long...

I don't think that foul play is off the table as of now. It certainly is possible. But there are so many loose ends that it feels nearly impossible to get a clear answer.

 

[ameliak]

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?

@Thoughtful123 and @MelmothTheLost I'm replying to you both, in case no-one else has. I took the statement as meaning he's never left the property on his own.

 

[kurtneverdied]

Privacy...why? Why not.
Because I'd imagine they are already destroyed by Gus's disappearance, without all the social media circus of speculation,false theories circulating.
People deal with things in different ways - So be it.

Help looking for their grandson/son. They don't want it, according to her. Who wouldn't want help!? They could have thousands of people out there right now looking if they wanted.
They say they don't want help and are dealing with it. Don't sound too tired. Instead of embracing the community support they have chosen to shun it completely and the privacy line is if course working because of people like you who won't question it, because it's the right thing to do, rather than question that none of 3 female adults in that household have asked for zero help and it's taken this many days to actually hear from one.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

If he ran out into the desert and became "lost," and unfortunately perished, what is the likelihood his body would have become completely covered in bushes or sand, not visible to drones, etc.?

Does anyone have a sense of very unlikely, possible, or actually quite likely? Just how fast does the terrain change that significantly?

I don't see this being some kind of family cover-up. JMO.

 

[Marg944]

Pretty sure the dogs are kelpies…..

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

 

[Roroho]

Sorry, but why is it so important the dog’s breed? Seems to be a reoccurring topic here.

They’re likely working dogs, yes, and often they are kept in kennels, but not always. Often dogs bark, but not always, especially if they were familiar with workers coming and going. Unfortunately, I don’t think digging into the dogs further will help provide clarity. Just my opinion!

 

[tedtink]

Sorry, but why is it so important the dog’s breed? Seems to be a reoccurring topic here.

They’re likely working dogs, yes, and often they are kept in kennels, but not always. Often dogs bark, but not always, especially if they were familiar with workers coming and going. Unfortunately, I don’t think digging into the dogs further will help provide clarity. Just my opinion!

Because they’re not retrievers.