They never met. They came from different places, families, and lives. But Megan, Ronya, Cherie, Leela, Eve, and Darren are forever linked by one heartbreaking fact—they all vanished as children and are still missing today.
The National Missing Persons Coordination Centre (NMPCC), led by the Australian Federal Police (AFP), is hoping that by publicising the details of the six this Missing Children’s Day, someone, somewhere, will realise they hold the key to bringing them home.
All their families have shared treasured memories and personal details of their children with the NMPCC in the hope that someone’s child—if not their own, then someone else’s—may be reunited with their families as a result.
Each year, about 50,000 missing person reports are received by police across Australia; half of those involve young people aged between 13 and 17.
About 95 percent of people of all ages reported missing in Australia are found within a week, many within 24 hours. But there are cases that stretch into months, then years.
Megan Louise Mulquiney
Megan has been missing since July 28, 1984. She was last seen at Woden Plaza in the Australian Capital Territory.
At the time of her disappearance, Megan was 17 years old. She would now be 58.
Megan’s favourite colour was blue, and she enjoyed ice skating.
“Megan was a beautiful, quiet girl who loved being at home with her family. Somebody knows something. Please, please come forward if you know anything about Megan’s disappearance,” said Megan’s mother.
Ronya Livoni
Ronya has been missing since March 10, 1980. She was last seen at her home in Moli, Northern Territory. She was 16 years old when she was last seen and would now be 61.
Ronya’s favourite colour was green, she enjoyed listening to pop music, and liked hanging out with her friend, Sarah.
Ronya’s brother had this message for her: “My favourite memory of my sister is when we first came to Australia in 1971, we were both so frightened to go to school, we would pretend to go to school and instead spend the day together on trains, exploring places, we had so much fun together ... I love you and miss you a lot, please contact me if you see this.”
Darren Jason Shannon
Darren, referred to by his middle name Jason, has been missing since June 9, 1973 from his grandparents’ house in Elizabeth South, South Australia.
He was 11 months old when he went missing. He would now be 52.
Jason’s mother wrote a letter in support of her involvement with IMCD and her ongoing appeal for information about Jason’s disappearance.
“My name is Michelle Swift. I am the mother of Darren Jason Shannon. On the 9th June, 1973, my 11-month-old son was abducted by his father from my parents’ home in Blackdown Street, Elizabeth West, South Australia,” the letter reads.
“Jason’s father also died that same evening in a car accident, approximately two hours later, but Jason wasn’t found in the car.”
Swift lamented that she was only able to spend 11 months with Jason and that to this day, she still often thinks of him.
“I cannot downplay the effects it had, and still does have, due to the events of that evening. The last thing I did for Jason was light a sparkler for him. I can still remember the look on his face as he was watching it burn. It must have been bonfire night,” she wrote.
“My hope is that I will get some closure one day in the not-too-distant future.
“Many years have passed since that dreadful night, but if there is anyone out there who remembers anything, even if they think it is insignificant, then please let the South Australian Police know. ”
Cherie Westell
Cherie has been missing since Dec. 12, 2000, from Wantirna South, Victoria, when she was 15 (seven days before her 16th birthday). She would now be 40 years old.
Cherie played the piano by ear, composed music, and wrote poetry. She also played competitive tennis and rollerblading but her favourite activity was horse riding and her favourite colour was blue.
“When Cherie was a little girl, and I took her to school, [she] would always hold my hand. Cherie’s hands were always really rough because she spent so much time swinging on the monkey bars at school,” recalls Cherie’s original foster mother of nine years.
Leela McDougall
Leela has been missing since July 1, 2007, from Nannup, Western Australia. She was five years old when she was reported missing and would now be 23.
Leela was energetic; she loved dancing and swimming at the pool. Her favourite colours were pink and purple, and she loved her two dachshunds, Lily and Charlie.
One of Leela’s family’s favourite memories of her was when she was eating a pie and said “it’s luvly, you should try one.”
“We just would like to know you are safe and happy,” say Leela’s grandparents, Cathy and Jim.
Eve Askew
Eve has been missing since November 16, 1991, from Fitzgerald (near Maydena), Tasmania. She was 14 years old at the time she went missing and would now be 47.
Eve was shy and reserved. She enjoyed spending her free time playing basketball.
Complex Reasons Make for Difficult Investigations
According to the AFP, the reasons someone goes missing are complex and varied—from mental illness and misadventure to miscommunication, domestic violence, and, in some tragic cases, criminal acts.While children and teenagers make up a large number of short-term missing reports, adults are more likely to remain missing long-term.
Common traits or causes are difficult to pinpoint, which makes public awareness and community involvement critical in supporting police investigations.
AFP Commander Joanne Cameron encouraged members of the public to view the photos and profiles of the six missing individuals online and report any piece of information they had to authorities.
“Every piece of information, even small, can be incredibly valuable when it comes to locating a missing person,” Cameron said.
“Remember, behind every missing person is a family member, friend, and community, all waiting for answers. If you know something, please report it.”
