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

[Lemony]

That is odd that we can't get that link in Australia. Fake news?

They've probably blocked it here to stay out of legal trouble.

Reading comments on one of TT videos linked here last week, Jonica stated police had called her and asked her to take down the article she had written about Gus and missing person Benjamin - this was the headline "Sinister fears over possible link between missing Gus and wild-eyed man who vanished close to the same spot at the exact same time". Jonica said she refused.

I can understand why police would make this request as Benjamin is a vulnerable missing person, his family advised police that he suffered from some mental health conditions. There are serious concerns for his welfare. Link to presser & some info about Benjamin here

Police have never suggested there is any link between Gus and Benjamin.
Jonica's article and the placing of Benjamin's photo alongside little Gus was far from helpful imo.

She wouldn't take down the article about Benjamin even after police requested her to, which says a lot. If this new article is geoblocked it's likely that publishing it here could get the DM into serious trouble imo.

​

 

[SouthAussie]

I’m not aware of a drivable road between Oak Park Station and Bullyaninnie….. but there might be a dirt road there somewhere. IMO

There is a road called Bullyaninnie Road which goes to Oak Park station. Google says 28 mins, so probably less.

Bullyaninnie Station appears to be at the point where Bullyaninnie Road is marked (I compared it to the first map which showed the stations).

And who knows what other shortcuts the station people use. Lots of tracks in the outback. People learn where they are, sometimes marking the start of certain ones with a small pile of rocks. Remembering that generations of families have lived there. imo



Google Maps

 

[SouthAussie]

The school Facebook site advertised the orientation in March.

IMO

I doubt that a March 2025 orientation would have been for the 2026 intake (as stated by the DM in that article). Too far between dates for an orientation. imo

There is a mid-year intake (start of the 3rd term in July), depending when the child's birthdate is.

https://www.education.sa.gov.au/preschool-enrolment

 

[JLZ]

I can’t see any fences.

The original link has better resolution than your snapshot. Still, a fence would have a thickness of between a few millimetres and a couple of centimetres, so we're not going to see a fence as such even at highest resolution on satellite view. I see lines which I infer to be fencelines. From their straightness and angularity one to another they are definitely artificial. For example this is about half way between the main house and Oak Park Road:

Oak Park Station · Grampus SA 5440, Australia

★★★★★ · Ranch

www.google.com

Now this is the gate in the driveway and I suggest there is a long straight line parallel and in line with the gate to the north and south (up and down) of the gate. However, I can't see that the line actually meets the gate. On the contrary, on both sides of the gate there are vehicle tracks that cross the notional line.

Oak Park Station · Grampus SA 5440, Australia

★★★★★ · Ranch

www.google.com

One more, this is the south-east corner of the homestead area. You can surely see three sides of a near-rectangle.

Oak Park Station · Grampus SA 5440, Australia

★★★★★ · Ranch

www.google.com

 

[hoodunnit]

DbM

 

[statt#1]

I went back to an early article that quotes this....

"Sniffer dogs have failed to pick up a trail"

This intrigues me. Properly trained canines can differentiate odors to an amazing degree....if Gus was on a mound of dirt, and left that mound of dirt, and walked away, it's my belief, even in the event other people had moved about the immediate area, for a trained search dog, that's not an issue.

I know a well regarded canine trainer who has written numerous books on the topic, and has researched a large number of cases involving search and rescue dogs, their trainers, weather conditions, wind, fog, water, elevation, etc. etc. Astonishing to me was the case of cadaver searches where the bodies were under water, the dog in a boat, and still the dog hit on the location...think lake/river recovery.

Anyway, with the lack of scent trail, it leads me to question some things, that's all I'll say on the matter.

Family break silence as outback search for missing four-year-old continues

‘We are struggling to comprehend what happened.’

7news.com.au

 

[sunspun]

I highly doubt a March 2025 orientation would have been for the 2026 intake (as stated by the DM in that article). Too far between dates for an orientation. imo

There is a mid-year intake (start of the 3rd term), depending when the child's birthdate is.

https://www.education.sa.gov.au/preschool-enrolment

That makes more sense, yes, but the DM reportedly saw Josh's calendar still hanging in his home, and he had written "School starts" or something like that on January. It's linked upthread in that incendiary (imo) article they wrote saying they'd talked to every man, woman, child, and stray dog (obviously hyperbole on my part), and no one could say they'd seen Gus since March (I believe that was the month.)

Plus, a poster upthread commented that the school's website calendar shows Orientation in March. But I guess you're saying that would have been for a July (?) start.

But he did have an Orientation in March, and he did NOT start school in July, or anytime before he went missing, so what does that mean? Maybe when they took him to March Orientation, the plan was for him to start in the very next term, in July or whenever that would be, but something happened to change the plan, and so then he was scheduled to start in January. If so, maybe they would have had him go to another Orientation whenever it's normally held for those who start in January. Or maybe the one was enough, despite the long delay in between his Orientation and his starting date.

There's also the chance that the January "school starts" notation on Josh's calendar was misreported somehow, or maybe Josh wasn't even referring to Gus there at all! Maybe Josh himself had plans to take some classes that started in January, or someone else he knows, or who knows, it could have meant anything, I suppose. But it makes the most sense to me that he was talking about Gus and that he expected Gus to start school in January. Even though his Orientation was way back in March, which if you're correct, is an unusually long timespan in between his Orientation and his First Day of school. But there may be exceptions. What else could it mean?

 

[Ellery84]

That makes more sense, yes, but the DM reportedly saw Josh's calendar still hanging in his home, and he had written "School starts" or something like that on January. It's linked upthread in that incendiary (imo) article they wrote saying they'd talked to every man, woman, child, and stray dog (obviously hyperbole on my part), and no one could say they'd seen Gus since March (I believe that was the month.)

Plus, a poster upthread commented that the school's website calendar shows Orientation in March. But I guess you're saying that would have been for a July (?) start.

But he did have an Orientation in March, and he did NOT start school in July, or anytime before he went missing, so what does that mean? Maybe when they took him to March Orientation, the plan was for him to start in the very next term, in July or whenever that would be, but something happened to change the plan, and so then he was scheduled to start in January. If so, maybe they would have had him go to another Orientation whenever it's normally held for those who start in January. Or maybe the one was enough, despite the long delay in between his Orientation and his starting date.

There's also the chance that the January "school starts" notation on Josh's calendar was misreported somehow, or maybe Josh wasn't even referring to Gus there at all! Maybe Josh himself had plans to take some classes that started in January, or someone else he knows, or who knows, it could have meant anything, I suppose. But it makes the most sense to me that he was talking about Gus and that he expected Gus to start school in January. Even though his Orientation was way back in March, which if you're correct, is an unusually long timespan in between his Orientation and his First Day of school. But there may be exceptions. What else could it mean?

I think the school Gus was planned to enrol in had a number of transition mornings or “open days” in 2025 for a 2026 start. Sometimes they are called “stay and play”, each school has a different name for their program but it’s essentially a transition / orientation program for littlies to get ready for “big school.” IMO

A date in March that was mentioned in the DM UK article was just one of those days offered by the school, <modsnip: No link. Information stated as fact MUST contain a link to support>

Did dad Josh mark the “other dates” on his calendar? I don’t know, I wasn’t there, I’ve not seen the calendar.

IMO

I believe Gus was supposed to start school in Jan 2026. IMO

That’s my understanding.

I will share a brief personal example of a transition program into Prep / Foundation.

My precious grandson has had 3 transition opportunities at his primary school for next year. He is due to start Foundation in January 2026.

And then there have been parent open nights at the school, and also visits from the Foundation teacher to my grandson’s kindergarten.

In some States: There’s a big push on gradually getting children ready for big school, and acclimating them to the school environment.

IMO

It wouldn’t be unreasonable for these orientation or stay and play days for Gus to start in March 2025, and progress through the year at particular junctures. IMO

 

[SouthAussie]

That makes more sense, yes, but the DM reportedly saw Josh's calendar still hanging in his home, and he had written "School starts" or something like that on January.

No, 'term starts' was listed for March. It didn't say March of what year.

But he did have an Orientation in March, and he did NOT start school in July,

The Education Dept staff would not be authorised to speak about any children to the media. Privacy Act.

imo

 

[Ellery84]

No, 'term starts' was listed for March. It didn't say March of what year.



The Education Dept staff would not be authorised to speak about any children to the media. Privacy Act.

imo

School doesn’t start in July. Not in the region that Gus lived in. It starts end of January.

IMO

 

[SouthAussie]

School doesn’t start in July. Not in the region that Gus lived in. It starts end of January.

IMO

There is also a mid-year intake (July) as per my previous post. Here is the link again.


1. Confirm your child is ready to start
It’s now time to enrol your child to start preschool if they turn 4:

• before 1 May, they can start preschool in term 1
• between 1 May and 31 October, they can start preschool in term 3 (mid-year intake)
• after 31 October, they can start preschool in the next year.

https://www.education.sa.gov.au/preschool-enrolment

 

[Ellery84]

There is also a mid-year intake (July) as per my previous post. Here is the link again.


1. Confirm your child is ready to start
It’s now time to enrol your child to start preschool if they turn 4:

• before 1 May, they can start preschool in term 1
• between 1 May and 31 October, they can start preschool in term 3 (mid-year intake)
• after 31 October, they can start preschool in the next year.

https://www.education.sa.gov.au/preschool-enrolment

Ok, thank you…..

Was there a pre school at Gus’ school though or was the first opportunity for schooling just foundation or prep year?

 

[SouthAussie]

Ok, thank you…..

Was there a pre school at Gus’ school though or was the first opportunity for schooling just foundation or prep year?

There are two Education Dept preschools in the area. Peterborough and Jamestown. (Link and Link)

But I don't think that we know that the photo of Gus was even taken at a preschool. That he has attended an orientation yet. It could have been taken at a RICE playgroup session, for all we know.

The DM article clearly says that they are 'presuming'.

imo

 

[essareem]

Post 1
Thanks for taking the time to put that together. I’ll respond in sections so it stays tidy.

I think we approach this from very different angles. Your post comes from a place of strong emotion and empathy for those involved, which I respect. My approach is much more analytical. I look for patterns, timelines, consistencies and deviations, not to assign blame, but to understand what’s typical and what isn’t.

That difference in style probably explains why we see things differently. I’m not questioning the effort of police or the community, nor am I judging the family. What I’m looking at is how this case presents compared to many others, what information is available, how fast it came out, who was visible, and where gaps exist.

So if my tone feels clinical, that’s why. I’m interested in the structure of the case, not the sentiment around it.

I’ll unpack a few of those points in the next posts.

Post 2 – Communicated ≠ Confirmed

The timings have definitely been communicated, but not all of them have been consistently reported, and a few key details don’t appear in the official police statement at all. Here’s what’s actually on record and where each part comes from.

Time (ACST)	Event	Source	Comment
≈ 5:00 pm Sat 27 Sept	Gus reportedly last seen playing on a mound of dirt near the homestead.	SAPOL video statement	Official police wording. This is the earliest public reference point.
≈ 5:30 pm	Grandmother went to call him in and realised he was missing.	SAPOL video statement	Police describe it as “about half an hour later.”
≈ 8:30 pm (approx.)	Family searched for about three hours before contacting police.	ABC News timeline	This detail is not mentioned anywhere in SAPOL’s own statement or video. it appears only in ABC’s reporting.
≈ 9:30 pm (approx.)	Police reportedly arrived at the property.	ABC News timeline	Again, a media figure. SAPOL hasn’t released an arrival time.
11:30 pm	SA Police helicopter (POL53 – VH-8D3) departed Adelaide Airport.	ADS-B flight data – see my post with data	Independently verifiable from public flight logs.
12:15 am Sun 28 Sept	Helicopter arrived over Oak Park / Yunta area and began aerial search.	ADS-B flight data (as above)	First clear, timestamped point of formal police activity.

Commentary

• The three-hour delay before notifying police stands out. <modsnip: Removed opinion stated as fact> It’s worth asking: is the “three hours” accurate, or an oversimplification?
• It’s also not in the police’s own statement, which is interesting. If that three-hour gap was real, you’d expect SAPOL to reference it directly. The fact that it only appears in an ABC summary might mean the detail was interpreted or paraphrased rather than officially confirmed.
• The timeline for getting the police helicopter airborne feels long too.
  If police were notified around 8:30 pm (as ABC suggest), and the chopper didn’t leave Adelaide until 11:30 pm, that’s a full three-hour lag before deployment.
  That could indicate logistical delay, or it could suggest that the initial call to police came later than 8:30 pm.
• In other words, the flight data might actually undermine the “three-hour” family search window. If it took three hours for the chopper to launch after police were notified, that implies notification might have been significantly later than we’ve been told.
• Put together, the sequence feels incomplete and inconsistent.
  The family’s timeline, the police response, and the flight timing don’t align neatly and no single source has laid it all out clearly.

When you look closely, the timeline isn’t just unclear, it doesn’t entirely add up. Some parts seem understated, others omitted, and a few (like the helicopter timing) hint that key events might have occurred later than reported.
​

Here is an excerp from the spreadheet I currently have which tracks my commentary on the case. Hopefully it explains everything and what my thoughts have been on this particular point in time.

View attachment 623915

Post 3 – Clarity around key facts

When I refer to “key facts”, I mean things like:

• exactly when and where the child was last seen, by whom.
• exactly when and how the search began and when police were notified.
• exactly who was present, who was away, and what the precise physical context was (distances, terrain, supervision).
• how the search protocol shifted (who was involved, when, and what was found or not found).

These aren’t necessarily private or investigative facts, they’re core public chronology items. Without them, the public narrative remains incomplete.

Here’s where the 10 km-away detail becomes relevant: the media (for example a 7NEWS report) say the mother and another grandparent were about 10 km away, tending sheep, at the time the boy vanished. 7NEWS Police haven’t publicly confirmed that specific claim in official bulletins (at least not yet).

If it’s correct, that adds a dimension to the timeline and supervision scenario that’s not yet clearly mapped in official releases. If it’s inaccurate, it raises questions about how conflicting information enters public domain. Either way, it touches a “key fact” zone: who was there, what was happening, when they noticed, how quickly the chain of notification unfolded.

So yes, I agree that police updates have been consistent in tone. And yes, I appreciate the need for investigative integrity and privacy. But “consistent” does not mean “complete” from a public-chronology standpoint. Until we have those core pieces locked in and aligned with each other and other sources, the sequence remains looser than I’d expect for this type of case.

I’m not suggesting the family is uncooperative. I’m not claiming police are hiding things. I’m saying that from an analytical standpoint, these missing map-points make a difference to how the case presents, and they matter when we compare to what the public normally gets in a missing-child scenario.

This will be the last one for the night, I think my brain is broken. I will endevour to complete this series though.

Post 4 – On Families Speaking Publicly

I think there’s a bit of misunderstanding about what I meant by “We don’t have the family out front begging for help.”

It’s not about expecting some performative display of grief. It’s about what usually happens, instinctively, when a child goes missing. In almost every genuine missing-child case, the parents or close family become the public face of the search. Not because anyone tells them to, but because they can’t bear to sit still while others look for their child.

And, honestly, I can’t imagine any scenario where I wouldn’t be out there.
I’m an introvert; I don’t like cameras or crowds. But if my four-year-old vanished and standing in front of the media could help even one tiny bit, if it got one more set of eyes out searching, one more lead, one more person paying attention, I’d do it in a heartbeat. I think most parents would. No matter how private you want to be.

That’s why it’s notable here. In similar cases we’ve seen:

• Cleo Smith’s parents on camera within 48 hours.
• AJ Elfalak’s family and friends constantly speaking to media.
• Parsa Naimi’s parents publicly thanking searchers immediately after he was found.

Public appeals aren’t about theatre; they’re about urgency and visibility. So when a case like this unfolds with no direct family presence only filtered statements through intermediaries....... it stands out.

That’s all I meant: not judgement, just an observation that this behaviour sits outside the normal pattern we usually see when hope of rescue is still alive.

Damn, you have really done the legwork here @Total_C

Fantastic analysis, great to see some logic on the case.

 

[Ellery84]

There are two Education Dept preschools in the area. Peterborough and Jamestown. (Link and Link)

But I don't think that we know that the photo of Gus was even taken at a preschool. That he has attended an orientation yet. It could have been taken at a RICE playgroup session, for all we know.

The DM article clearly says that they are 'presuming'.

imo

I can’t read the article as I’m in Sydney and I think it’s Geo Blocked, but thank you!

 

[Ellery84]

From your knowledge, how quickly could neighbours arrive at the homestead in practice? I seem to recall that Yunta was a good 45 minutes away.

About 28 minutes from Bullyaninnie, by car, according to @SouthAussie ‘s map. Map re attached for your records.

 

[Lady-J]

RSBM
Great post. But I thought since we're trying to gather facts known to us.

In Adelaide on September 27, 2025:

1. Sunset was 6:15pm

2. Astronomical Twilight ended 7:40pm

At the Station, these times may vary a bit.

IF Gus wandered betweeen 5:00 and 5:30, within 45 -75 minutes the light would have been dim and disorienting. Within 2 - 2.5 hours it was pitch dark.

So Gus really only had a short amount of 'Daylight' to wander. Would he have found a place to hide by sunset, at 6:15? I'd hope LE took that into account that first night of searching for a 4 year old.

And I wonder, if in fact the family was searching between 5:30 to 8:30, how much visibility did they have? Perhaps they had powerful flashlights.

But why not call officials for help earlier because they'd have better tools to see in darkening and cooling conditions? That is puzzling to me.

As usual, when I start to explore facts in this case, I end up with more questions.

IMO

View attachment 623953

Sunrise and sunset times in Adelaide, September 2025

Calculations of sunrise and sunset in Adelaide – South Australia – Australia for September 2025. Generic astronomy calculator to calculate times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset for many cities, with daylight saving time and time zones taken in account.

www.timeanddate.com

Thanks for shedding light on the light ,or lack of light (and giving me more questions lol).

 

[LadyL]

Completely agree. The article seems spiteful.

I thought the calendar information was a weird thing to include, very intrusive.

just shows they have no class IMO
did the reporter who got bent out of shape when she trespassed write it?
I refuse to give her any views or clicks by checking

 

[bluestsocks]

If that was true, I think the police would not be saying that there was no sign of foul play.
If that was true, it would mean that Josh hadn't seen his son in 6 months. No indication of that from the friends of Josh that they spoke with.
I imagine the DM couldn't establish much because most people aren't talking to them.

imo

Yeah I don’t think the locals want to deal with the Daily Mail. I’m sure law enforcement has discovered when the last time someone who didn’t live there saw him. The Daily Mail coverage has been infuriating.

 

[HoneyBunOne]

In South Australia, it is called Pre-K (not nursery school, as stated by the DM).
Officially being called Preschool now, as we are having big changes to it next year (2026) - with 3 year olds becoming eligible.

I doubt that Gus would have been having orientation in March 2025 to start Pre-K in 2026. His orientation would likely be scheduled for about now. Which is approaching the end of the 2025 school year.

imo

BBM - I agree. School has changed a lot since my kids attended, and we're in Victoria anyway. It used to be that there was 3 year old kinder (optional, with lesser attendance than 4 year old kinder) and 4 year old kinder (which was also optional, but 99.9% of kids attended). Both of these were in separate facilities to school. Then you had compulsory schooling, in the form of primary school - prep to grade 6 - and secondary school - year 7 to year 12 - but some schools had classes from prep through to year 12 on the one campus. Kids could leave school at 16 (I think) and didn't have to go right through to year 12. Then eventually some schools introduced "foundation" classes, which I assume were essentially 4 year old kinder, and things have chopped and changed a lot since.

However, AFAIK, the usual route is orientation around this time of year for starting prep in late Jan/early Feb the following year.

Do we know for sure that Gus attended some form of orientation day in March, and was that when the released photo was taken?

The school Facebook site advertised the orientation in March.

IMO

Peterborough or Jamestown? I didn't see any reference to March orientation on either Facebook page, but I didn't go through all the newsletters, just the posts.