It was Australia Day in 1966, in sunny South Australia, when one of Australia’s greatest mysteries unfolded. Three children, always now known as ‘The Beaumonts’, were permitted to travel by bus, unescorted, to Glenelg Beach. Their names were Jane, Arnna, and Grant, aged nine, seven and four respectively.
This reminds me of a tale of my late mother and her younger brother. When she was nine, my nanna gave them the minimal fare to catch a tram, unescorted, to Brighton Beach. Nanna expected her children to arrive home at a certain time, so they did make the trip home.
Similarly, my parents used to take us swimming at a nearby river. “Go and swim, be back at 4pm.” So we arrived back on time.
But the Beaumonts never did. Hours rolled by, their mother frantic, no Beaumont children. The next day, investigations began. Witnesses made statements about seeing the Beaumonts playing near the beach. Some people said there was an unknown man with them. Sketches were made and publicised. Some folk also stated that the Beaumonts bought lunch at a cake shop with a one pound note, which their mother never gave them. It was a lot of money in those days.
Despite intensive searches, the Beaumont children were never seen again. Basically, there was never any evidence or any reliable witness. Who could take three children and disappear so completely in broad daylight? Their mother passed away recently, in 2019, an old lady who never saw her family again.
Regularly, the police in South Australia reprise the now very cold case of the Beaumonts, based on information received. They are still searching for the remains of the Beaumonts but no evidence has ever been found. The case is still open, and the South Australian police are still dedicated to one day finding answers for their family. There is a large reward available, if information ever reveals the Beaumonts’ whereabouts, or the identity of the perpetrator.
Some people now might regard those times, our times, as naïve. The case of the Beaumonts marked the dawn of the days we see often, very few children in public unaccompanied by adults. Moreover, in our 21st century, there are concerns for children being targeted by online predators.
From Prep in Australia, children are provided with digital learning devices. This involves all the adults in their lives, including their grandparents, teaching the young ones about face-to-face and online ‘stranger danger’.
Every week we read of young teens, or even younger, boys and girls, who disappear into suburbia. They leave behind their ID, their wallet, their phone, and their family. Publicity may never locate their whereabouts. These children are aware they should not heed adults online, but predators are very cunning in grooming gullible young victims.
Yes, we came from a naïve age. The Beaumonts’ case is a mystery from the ’60s. But nowadays, the echoes still imply ‘stranger danger’ in Australia. As grandparents, we have our role to play in educating children to be safe, online and at play in society.