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

[MelmothTheLost]

Unless someone outside of those who live with him saw him on that day, he could have been gone for days or a lot longer before being reported missing.

Quite. I would be surprised if this is not now part of the police's thinking.

 

[Hexe]

They fence a certain way in the bush. It's like 3 horizontal barbed wires stretched out using intermittent wooden stakes.

Dogs can usually get through underneath with no issues. For example.

They don't fence like they do in the suburbs.

I am aware of this. Have in mind though that pigs and boars have a body constructed for plowing, the nose being the plow itself. For that their skeletons have to be not only sturdy, but also pretty rigid. The pigs and boars are not very flexible or bendy, so they cannot crawl underneath things as easily as dogs.

 

[statt#1]

His hat. I can't get past the idea that if some bird of prey, or some animal, snatched this child, his hat would be found nearby. If a 4 legged beast, there'd likely be blood, or a sign of some sort, drag marks, etc. A bird of prey? I just think him to be too sizable for such a scenario.

Gus either was taken from this property, or is on the property. He may have been murdered and buried somewhere in the outback. Or he decided to explore, and found himself in a place where he couldn't escape.

No footprints or other evidence pointing to his departure from the reported sand pile where he was reported to have last been seen is suspicious imho.

 

[Ellery84]

I am aware of this. Have in mind though that pigs and boars have a body constructed for plowing, the nose being the plow itself. For that their skeletons have to be not only sturdy, but also pretty rigid. The pigs and boars are not very flexible or bendy, so they cannot crawl underneath things as easily as dogs.

Will have to get out and measure the height of the first barbed wire later to see how tall it is.

I shall report back!!

 

[spiritualdreaming]

Feral pigs and boars do not hunt humans though, not even very small ones. They like meat, but they usually do not hunt for anything bigger than rodents. They rarely attack humans when they are not directly threatened by them.

Well I can say a property i visit regularly where I live now have a problem with wild pigs. They have been killing sheep and baby calves. A few people in my family and friend's regularly go shooting on this fully fenced property to try help eradicate them.

We need to remember we have been in drought for so long and food supply is short for the wild animals. So if they had an opportunity I'm sure that animal would go for it. IMO

 

[spiritualdreaming]

If Gus was taken by an animal wouldn’t his clothing or boots would be found, or drag marks seen in the dirt?

Exactly...I don't see an animal responsible for this at all.

 

[Scooby-Doo]

There is no proof that Gus was even there ..

 

[spiritualdreaming]

One person, Josie.

Afaik

We don't know what grandma last saw him. There are 2 on that property.

 

[jessicalouise]

We don't know what grandma last saw him. There are 2 on that property.

This is the most confusing thing about this.

 

[spiritualdreaming]

They fence a certain way in the bush. It's like 3 horizontal barbed wires stretched out using intermittent wooden stakes.

Dogs can usually get through underneath with no issues. For example.

They don't fence like they do in the suburbs. However: Some rural properties have more sturdy and comprehensive fencing around their homesteads to protect domestic animals and children, whilst still keeping the three barbed wire fencing on the boundaries and outside perimeters the of their land, but I can't see that they had that interior fencing at the property where Gus went missing.

Boundary fences are also checked quite frequently on properties with stock as well and many repairs made due to knagaroos, goats, wild pig's destroying them. They are definitely not foolproof fencing to keep everything out.

 

[packetgravy]

Good to see a little more background info involving the case, it has certainly changed my thoughts on a few things.

The last time I checked in we only knew of one family member present at the time of disappearance. We knew nothing of the parents and wider family dynamics or their whereabouts at last sighting.

No evidence was reported of Gus having left the property, no sign of abduction and no items of clothing. The only indication of a child having been at the property outdoors was a footprint. I found this baffling! If Gus was present only hours earlier, surely this was verified by signs of life inside the family residence. From what I understand, any evidence found indoors has not been made public.

A fair amount has changed since then! A lot to unpack.

 

[inkpink]

I can't help but think about the dad. According to the DailyMail he lived on the family property until he had a clash with "the child's transgender grandparent."

(I'm interpreting this as a descriptor, not that he had a personal issue with being trans as he would have known long before he moved in.)

I wonder what the clash was over. The dad said to a friend "(he) doesn't think its safe for the kids to be out there, its dangerous."

I wonder what hes referring to. The way they kept the homestead? The way GL was parented? Maybe given too much freedom to roam for a 4 yo?

Whatever it was it was a big enough deal and enough conflict for him to move out and now a little boy is gone.

Maybe it's been taken out of context, because if he was concerned about his son being in danger, then it doesn't make sense that he would move out.

Surely he would want to stay there, to better protect him, if that was the case?

I reckon he lives far away due to work.

 

[Ellery84]

His hat. I can't get past the idea that if some bird of prey, or some animal, snatched this child, his hat would be found nearby. If a 4 legged beast, there'd likely be blood, or a sign of some sort, drag marks, etc. A bird of prey? I just think him to be too sizable for such a scenario.

Gus either was taken from this property, or is on the property. He may have been murdered and buried somewhere in the outback. Or he decided to explore, and found himself in a place where he couldn't escape.

No footprints or other evidence pointing to his departure from the reported sand pile where he was reported to have last been seen is suspicious imho.

No hat found. No boots found. No footprints attributed to Gus.

No blood, no dingo tracks I presume.

It's like.... It's like he was never there.

It's not like a wild pig or a dingo will scoop up all belongings and take them with the child.

Imagine a dingo grabbing all of the accessories whilst he takes the child. It doesn't make sense, does it.

And did Gus have a water bottle whilst playing in the heat near the "sand pit"? (Looks like more of a mound than a pit.)

If so: Where is the water bottle? Did the dingo grab that between his teeth just to be thorough?

Imo

 

[Ellery84]

We don't know what grandma last saw him. There are 2 on that property.

No, it was Josie that told police she was last to see him.

 

[Ellery84]

Maybe it's been taken out of context, because if he was concerned about his son being in danger, then it doesn't make sense that he would move out.

Surely he would want to stay there, to better protect him, if that was the case?

His other child Ronnie is still at the property with mum and the grandparents.

And yet dad is in Adelaide.

How concerned is dad about one-year old Ronnie??

I reckon he lives far away due to work.

 

[Itz_CrimsonYT]

The DM seems to have a little more information, stating that at the father's property on Wednesday, two children's bikes were found parked on a verandah, of which a neighbor confirmed that they were Gus'

Gus's 'furious' dad is seen for the first time after son disappeared

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

 

[Ellery84]

The DM seems to have a little more information, stating that at the father's property on Wednesday, two children's bikes were found parked on a verandah, of which a neighbor confirmed that they were Gus'

Gus's 'furious' dad is seen for the first time after son disappeared

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

Oh they've been very busy, very thorough. Dad's property looks pretty derelict. Imo

 

[HoneyBunOne]

His other child Ronnie is still at the property with mum and the grand parents.

And yet dad is in Adelaide.

How concerned is dad about one-year old Ronnie??

I'd hope he's doing what he can to get him out of there. Not sure what that looks like given the fact he's still in a relationship with the children's mother, but doesn't live there. Does he just exercise his parental rights and say he's taking him? I'm sure the mother wouldn't be on board with that, given she's just lost one child.

Another potential way to interpret that the father thought it was "dangerous" (if indeed true) could indicate hoarding inside the home. That would pose a danger to a toddler and a pre-schooler, given the things they could touch, eat, inhale, get injured on etc.

MOO

 

[SouthAussie]

Maybe it's been taken out of context, because if he was concerned about his son being in danger, then it doesn't make sense that he would move out.

Surely he would want to stay there, to better protect him, if that was the case?

I reckon he lives far away due to work.

And it is really not far away, where the dad lives. A two-hour drive in the outback is nothing to rural folk. Too far to commute, but not too far for maintaining a relationship with his family. They probably drive an hour or two from the property to do a decent grocery shop.

Living elsewhere for paid work may be necessary to keep his little family afloat. They may not be wealthy pastoralists. Lots are doing it hard.

Some South Australian farmers facing long road to drought recovery

 

[Ellery84]

Boundary fences are also checked quite frequently on properties with stock as well and many repairs made due to knagaroos, goats, wild pig's destroying them. They are definitely not foolproof fencing to keep everything out.

That's it, hey! The amount of times cattle and sheep get out of rural properties due to fencing issues is staggering, it occurs more than most city folk would imagine.

It's very hard to keep a perimeter fence in tip-top condition, to keep livestock in let alone keeping predators out.

Imo