Open-cut excavation of the abandoned mineshaft near Avoca proceeds where Daryl Floyd believes his brother's body was dumped 25 years ago.
THE brother of a missing Maryborough boy, presumed dead, has made an impassioned plea for help in his search of a gold mine at Avoca.
Daryl Floyd has been searching the Morning Star Mine at Avoca for the past 18 months in the hopes of finding the remains of his brother Terry, who disappeared 36 years ago, aged 12.
After an open-cut mine dig of the area last month yielded nothing in his search, Mr Floyd, who was 10 when his brother disappeared, was hoping old maps may show other, hidden shafts near the Morning Star mine.
Terry vanished from the intersection of the Sunraysia and Pyrenees highways on June 28, 1975. After years of extensive investigations and research by police and Mr Floyd, he believes the disused mine was the burial ground for his brother.
“I am hoping that someone out there has, stashed away in a forgotten old box in a shed, old maps of mines in the Avoca area. I’m looking for detailed maps, in particular of the Morning Star mine,” Mr Floyd said.
An initial search of the area began 18 months ago and 54 metres of one mine shaft had been dug out, with tonnes of rubbish removed.
Last month the Department of Sustainability and Environment gave Mr Floyd permission to dig the open-cut mine in the dense bushland only metres from the last sighting of Terry in 1975. The search site was cleared and two excavators were used to dig out the mine.
Homicide and forensic detectives were overseeing last month’s dig and an anthropologist was also on standby to aid in identification.
“The open cut dig didn’t yield anything, but I’m hoping that there may be old maps of the area which could be useful.”
Anyone with information about maps can telephone Mr Floyd on 0402 125551.
