The Lost Children of Daylesford
Australian Geographic Magazine|September - October 2022
AUSTRALIA'S HISTORY has many tragic chapters, and we commemorate these events with monuments, exhibitions and public services.
ESME MATHIS
The Lost Children of Daylesford

Perhaps the strangest memorial in Australia is the Three Lost Children Walk, located on the outskirts of Daylesford, a historic gold-mining town 108km drive north-west of Melbourne, Victoria.

The 30km return walking trail follows the approximate route of three young boys who wandered from their homes in 1867 and perished in the bush.

The Graham brothers William, 6, and Thomas, 4, and their friend Alfred Burman, 5, went missing on Sunday 30 June. That morning, the three children left their homes in Connells Gully, Daylesford, crossing Wombat Creek in search of wild goats.

The boys didn't return. Concerned, their fathers and a group of neighbours spent the afternoon searching the junction of Wombat, Stony and Sailors creeks for the missing children. By evening, police had been notified and two constables dispatched. They combed Daylesford's surrounding bushland until about 1am then resumed their search at dawn.

This story is from the September - October 2022 edition of Australian Geographic Magazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the September - October 2022 edition of Australian Geographic Magazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINEView All
DESERT DELIGHT
Australian Geographic Magazine

DESERT DELIGHT

The Great Victoria Desert, Australia's largest, defies expectations. Visibly rich in biodiversity, it challenges preconceptions about how a desert should look.

time-read
10+ mins  |
March - April 2024
A NEW BROOME
Australian Geographic Magazine

A NEW BROOME

New experiences with First Nations people on Country are transforming \"flop-and-drop\" tourism in this tropical getaway.

time-read
10+ mins  |
March - April 2024
THE BREAKFAST CLUB
Australian Geographic Magazine

THE BREAKFAST CLUB

For six days last autumn, a ragtag band of walkers came together to tackle the famed Overland Track and explore central Tasmania's spectacular flora, from the tiniest fungus to its towering King Billy pines.

time-read
5 mins  |
March - April 2024
BACK FOR THE FUTURE
Australian Geographic Magazine

BACK FOR THE FUTURE

Bathurst is one of several regional inland cities holding historic-trades fairs, tapping into growing enthusiasm for a slower, more sustainable way of living and of making things..

time-read
7 mins  |
March - April 2024
HELPING HANDS
Australian Geographic Magazine

HELPING HANDS

These bizarre, shy fish that walk instead of swim face a precarious future in the waters of southern Australia.

time-read
6 mins  |
March - April 2024
COMMEMORATING BROTHERS IN ARMS ON COUNTRY
Australian Geographic Magazine

COMMEMORATING BROTHERS IN ARMS ON COUNTRY

The military service of two First Nations World War II soldiers, long overlooked by history, is celebrated annually on an outback pilgrimage by an Aussie music legend.

time-read
10 mins  |
March - April 2024
UNEXPECTED PACIFIC PARADISE
Australian Geographic Magazine

UNEXPECTED PACIFIC PARADISE

Visiting Micronesia's islands and atolls offers an unexpected rare glimpse into remote communities steeped in centuries-old cultural traditions.

time-read
8 mins  |
March - April 2024
THE PATRIOT CONVICTS
Australian Geographic Magazine

THE PATRIOT CONVICTS

A little-known group of political prisoners, transported from Canada to the Australian colonies, had far-reaching effects.

time-read
7 mins  |
March - April 2024
NEW SPACES FOR OCEAN LIFE
Australian Geographic Magazine

NEW SPACES FOR OCEAN LIFE

In an alliance between Australian marine ecologists and industrial designers, science and art meet to restore ecological function at some of the world's most altered coastal landscapes.

time-read
5 mins  |
March - April 2024
RESCUING AN EMBLEM
Australian Geographic Magazine

RESCUING AN EMBLEM

Nothing says an Aussie Easter quite like the bilby, but this symbol of the outback is facing a tough struggle for survival.

time-read
5 mins  |
March - April 2024