AUSTRALIAN MEDIA COVERAGE

black= pre and post Missing Persons Week
blue= Missing Persons Week 4-10th August 2002

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During Missing Persons Week

QLD:
"Australia-wide 30,000 are reported missing every year, 5000 of them in Queensland. In Queensland alone, police have about 550 current missing person files". (The Courier-Mail, August 3, 2002 p9).
"Missing Persons Unit officer-in-charge Detective Senior Sergeant David Hickey said '5600 people were reported missing every year [in Qld?] and 98 per cent of them were located.'"  (Townsville Bulletin August 8, 2002 p7).

NT:
"Each year, 30,000 people are reported missing in Australia....A total of 389 were missing in the Territory last year, police revealed yesterday. Territory police yesterday appealed to 36 missing people: ``Find a way to say you're okay.''  (Northern Territory News, August 6, 2002 Page 7).

SA:
"MORE than 5000 people are reported missing in South Australia each year - but only a few disappear for long. Most are located just hours or several days later, although the files on some cases remain open for decades. In the 12 months to June 30, 5491 people were reported missing with only 14 not found."  (The Advertiser, August 5, 2002 page 14).

NSW:
"THEY are the victims without a voice -- men and women, young and old, who have vanished without a trace. Every year hundreds of people disappear across NSW." (The Daily Telegraph August 2, 2002 Page 21). 
"NEARLY 150 missing people were found by NSW police during Missing Persons Week." (Townsville Bulletin 17th Aug, 2002 P2).

Missing people found during Missing Persons Week
MISSING SYDNEY, - Nearly 150 missing people were found by NSW police during Missing Persons Week. More than 280 calls were received during the week, which ran from August 4 to 11, a figure police said was an improvement on last year's number. "The families and friends of missing people suffer a great deal of anxiety and trauma and, thanks to the response from the community, we've been able to lessen that burden for the families and friends of some of those people," Sergeant Steve Jeffery from the Missing Persons Unit said in a statement. A total of 146 people were located over the week, he said. (AAP, August 16)

ACT:?
WA:?
TAS:?

Found's

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Sunday 28 July  2002 | ABC Radio, Background Briefing Transcript
Whereabouts Unknown
Background Briefing on ABC Radio National.  "Scott Wales: That person sitting next to you on the bus, or asking for a handout in the street, or even living next door, may be one of the thousands of people officially missing. In fact each year, 30,000 people are reported missing in Australia, although most are found or turn up within a few weeks. But some are never found, some don't want to be found and some don't even know that anyone is looking for them. What is known is that over the past few decades, there are still perhaps as many as 2,000 whose whereabouts remain a mystery. So who are they? Well, there's no firm demographic for missing. Such cases aren't typically male or female, and they don't fit any one social or economic stereotype. About the only outstanding feature is that most of them are young.... more

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Wednesday July 31 | Source: National Missing Persons Unit MEDIA RELEASE

The Commonwealth Government’s National Missing Persons Unit (NMPU), at the Australian Bureau of Criminal Intelligence, advises all media outlets that this year’s National Missing Persons Week will be held from August 4-10, 2002.
A national campaign, “Find a way to say you’re ok!”, will be coordinated by the NMPU in conjunction with police services around the country, the Australian Red Cross, the Salvation Army, International Social Service, Kids Help Line and other community groups working in the missing persons area.
Senator for the ACT, Margaret Reid, will launch the Week in Canberra on Monday 5 August 2002.

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Saturday 3rd August 2002 | Sources: National Missing Persons Unit
Find a way to say you’re OK! 
You don’t have to call.  There are so many ways to communicate with people who may be missing you.  So whether you send a postcard or letter, an email or mobile phone text message, just find a way to let someone know that you’re OK.

Activities around Australia
This information was published on their site @ Friday August 2, 2002 at 10.37pm. Too late for all but one of the activities. Note also that Queensland is non existent.-Ed

ACT 2 August: Launch of Rotary ‘Speaking to Youth’ initiative, 9.15-9.45am School Hall, Campbell High School, Campbell, ACT. Contact: National Missing Persons Unit, Ph: 02-62435650 or 0419-262574 30 July: Memorial Church Service for missing persons and their families followed by morning tea at 9.30am, All Saints Anglican Church, Ainslie Event: Promotion of Week on Canberra Milk cartons Contact: Mandy Buckley Ph: 02-62567478
Northern Territory Display at NT Show, Contact: Missing Persons Unit, NT Police Service Ph: 08-89223548
South Australia Displays at a major shopping centres Contact: Det Supt Paul Schramm (SA Police Service) Ph: 08-82075452
Western Australia Contact: Sgt Bert Van der Woude Ph: 08-94925471
Tasmania 31 July: Official launch of National Missing Persons Week, 11am and the unveiling of memorial (built through the efforts of Zonta Club of Queensborough) Dru Point, Margate, Tasmania.
4 August: School students participate in a rememberance service to commemorate all outstanding missing persons in Tasmania at 11am. Contact: Const Greg Roberts, Ph: 03-62302111
New South Wales
30 July: Ecumenical Church service, Uniting Church Arncliffe. Begins in the Garden of Hope and remembrance at 1.30pm onwards. Afternoon tea to follow. Contact: Maree Dawes  Ph: 0418-231667
1 August: Open day at MPU for families of long term missing persons, 1 August.Contact: Sgt Jeff Emery Ph: 02-9689-7388 Church Service, Sawtel Uniting Church Coffs Harbour, 2pm 6 August. Contact: Evonne Roach Ph: 02-6658 2356
Victoria 
30 July: Victoria Missing Persons Committee; ‘Coping with unresolved grief: lessons for the future’ Seminar at Waratah Hall, St Michael’s Centre, 120 Collins Street Melbourne, 12-1pm . Contact: Lynette Kramer, Uniting Church ‘Mingary Manager’ Ph: 03-96545120.31 July: Media Launch‘centre-bounce area’ of the MCG by Chief Commissioner of Police Neil Comrie 11.30amContact: Roger Membrey Ph: 03-98734146
2 August: Opening of a special section at ‘Bunorong Memorial Park’ for missing persons, 12.45pm.
Contact: Rhonda & Mark Schloss Ph: 03-97755994
Queensland? What happened to Qld? 

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Stories coming...

Missing located  Townsville Bulletin AUG 17, 2002 Page 2
NSW: Missing people found during Missing Persons Week AAP General News, Aug 16, 2002
Strangers with shared emptiness  The Daily Telegraph, AUG 09, 2002 p18
Finding a reason to get in touch Northern Miner AUG 09, 2002 p7
For those who have loved and lost, and want to find again The Advertiser, AUG 06, 2002 p13
Journeys into the unknown   The Australian, AUG 07, 2002 p9
Police plea to contact relatives  Townsville Bulletin  AUG 08, 2002 p7
Missing urged to phone   The NT News, AUG 06, 2002 p7
After 29 years, Kirste's parents have a place to grieve The Advertiser, AUG 06, 2002 p13
Police urge missing to contact families The Australian, AUG 05, 2002 p5
No trace, but still some hope The Advertiser, AUG 05, 2002 p14
Missing people urged to call home as relatives wait in hope AAP General News, Aug 04, 2002
Qld: Missing Persons Week begins today, with 30,000 sad stories ,  AAP General News, Aug 04, 2002
Police tackle mystery of our lost and found ,  The Australian, AUG 05, 2002 p5
Missing urged to make contact again ,  The NT News, AUG 04, 2002 p6
Where are they?   The NT News, AUG 04, 2002 p6
Qld: Have you seen Kea Callcut?   AAP General News, Aug 03, 2002
Silence and an empty sadness  The Daily Telegraph, AUG 02, 2002 p21
Families fear the worst   The Courier Mail, AUG 03, 2002 p9

In a city where no one can hear you scream: 
The Daily Telegraph reports today that a woman has been in a coma in hospital for eight days and police do not know who she is because no-one has reported her missing. 
The Daily Telegraph  04-07-2002 page 27.