Lamont Young

Lamont H. Young (1851-1880) was an assistant geological surveyor for the New South Wales Mines Department. [cite web | year = 1994 | url = http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/biogs/P002788b.htm | title = Young, Lamont H. | work = Bright Sparcs Biographical Entries | publisher = University of Melbourne | accessdate = 2006-05-18] He mysteriously disappeared while on field-work at Bermagui, New South Wales.

Young was inspecting the new goldfields at Bermagui in 1880. In order to investigate possible sites further north, Young and his assistant travelled on a small boat with the boat's owner, Thomas Towers of Batemans Bay, and two of Towers's friends. All five disappeared on 10 October. [Several sources give 10 October including [http://www.gnb.nsw.gov.au/name_search/extract?id=ujKqlMKmKW the New South Wales Geographical Names Board] , however, the [http://www.esc.nsw.gov.au/CulturalMap/history/MysteryofMysteryBay.htm Eurobodalla Shire Council's Cultural Map] gives 10 April.] In the morning the boat was observed, but stationary and with apparently only one man on board. Later in the day the vessel was seen stranded on the rocks with no-one was on board. The boat was found to contain five bags full of clothing, Young's books and papers, a bullet in its starboard side and some vomit. The men were not found despite subsequent searches, rewards, government inquiries and wide media coverage. The remnants of a fire, some food and three shirt studs were the only traces. The mystery was never solved.cite web | year = 2004 | url = http://www.smh.com.au/news/New-South-Wales/Bermagui/2005/02/17/1108500192720.html | title = Bermagui | work = Travel | publisher = Fairfax Digital | accessdate = 2006-05-17] Unusual aspects of the wreck were that the planks of the boat were -out rather than stove-in, the boat contained several large rocks and the anchor and stern ropes were missing. The boat also contained, as well as Young's personal effects, a small blue glass bottle containing a fluid suspected of being poison. [cite web | year = 2002 | url = http://www.esc.nsw.gov.au/CulturalMap/history/MysteryofMysteryBay.htm
title = The mystery of Mystery Bay | work = Cultural
publisher = Eurobodalla Shire Council | accessdate = 2006-05-18]

Apart from Thomas Towers and Lamont Young, the other men who disappeared were Young's assistant Max Schneider and the other two boatmen, Frank Lloyd and Bartholomew Casey.cite web | year = 2006-04-11 | url = http://www.esc.nsw.gov.au/Publications/AgendaMinutes/attach_W0640_MysteryBayPOM.pdf | title = Mystery Bay Primitive Camping Ground & Foreshore Draft Plan of Management | format = pdf | publisher = Eurobodalla Shire Council | accessdate = 2006-05-19 (page 26)]

Memorial

Mystery Bay received its name because of the disappearance.cite web | url = http://www.gnb.nsw.gov.au/name_search/extract?id=ujKqlMKmKW | title = Mystery Bay | work = Geographical Names Register Extract | publisher = Geographical Names Board of New South Wales | accessdate = 2006-05-18] The bay is 15 kilometres north of Bermagui, midway between Bermagui and Narooma, near Tilba. There is a park and a road at Mystery Bay named after Lamont Young. A monument was erected at Mystery Bay in 1980 to mark the centenary of the disappearance.

The wrong names are recorded on the monument. The accompanying boatmen were Daniel Casey and William Henry Lloyd. Bartholomew Casey was the son of Daniel Casey who was one of the boatmen that disappeared. Bartholomew Casey lived to be 82 years old. Daniels wife Anne Casey was buried at Moruya. Her gravestone correctly records that it was her husband Daniel that disappears.

The disappearance in literature

The plot of Arthur Upfield's detective novel, "The Mystery of Swordfish Reef", is based on Young's disappearance.

The Australian author, Cyril Pearl also wrote of the mystery in his 1978 book, "Five Men Vanished: The Bermagui Mystery".cite web | last = Wilson | first = Pip | authorlink = | year = 2006 | url = http://www.wilsonsalmanac.com/book/oct10.html | title = Ocober 10 | work = Wilson's Almanac free daily ezine: Book of Days | publisher = Wilson's Almanac | accessdate = 2006-05-19] A 1910 article, Bermagui - In a Strange Sunset, published by Henry Lawson in "The Bulletin" describes a steamer journey from Bermagui to Sydney. Lawson mentions the disappearance of Young 30 years before.

In 1987 the Endeavour Theatre Company of Bega performed "Montreal: The Bermagui Mystery" an original play by Jamie Forbes based on the disappearance of Lamont Young and company.

References