Speaking of the heartbreak, devastation, frustration, and emotional trauma they have experienced every day since their loved one vanished, families and friends of missing people stepped forward to share their stories and give evidence at a NSW Parliamentary Inquiry in Grafton last week.

Held at the Grafton District Services Club on July 1, it was the second hearing to go ahead this year following an earlier one in Bowral last month where a number of unsolved murders and long-term missing persons cases across the state between 1965 and 2010 were examined in further detail.

Sally Leydon, the daughter of long-term missing woman and Queensland based teacher Marion Barter, who disappeared without explanation in 1997, has endured a long and stressful journey while trying to find her and piece together what happened.

For close to 30 years, she has navigated the trauma of having a missing loved one, and advocates for families who need a voice, support, and a place to remember their missing loved ones too through the establishment of The Green Seat Project and a podcast called The Missing Matter.

Ms Leydon has always felt a connection to the Clarence Valley as one of her mother’s last known digital footprints placed her at OPSM in Grafton ShoppingWorld.

During the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry, Ms Leydon spoke with passion and conviction when she outlined the need for NSW Police, in particular the Homicide Squad, to receive additional funding and better resources to enable them to crack more cold cases.

Presently, there are less than 40 NSW Police officers who have been assigned to investigate 750 unsolved murders across the state.

Ms Leydon said the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry was an opportunity to speak openly and honestly and highlight the vital need for change to enable the high volume of cases to be worked through effectively, and hopefully, solved, bringing peace and long overdue answers to the families and friends who have been asking questions and seeking explanations for far too long.

Chaired by NSW Upper House MP Jeremy Buckingham, who said it was extremely important to hear from the families and friends of missing persons, and not just government agencies, the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry was attended by close to 30 people, many of them determined to tell their truth and have their experiences officially documented with the focus on making recommendations aimed at improving the system.

While acknowledging those who attended and spoke last week, Mr Buckingham said it was one of the most awful of subject matters, describing the experiences of the families and friends of missing people as living in unimaginable circumstances.

Grafton resident Joanne Greensill spoke during the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry and recalled her experiences as a 17-year-old girl in the summer of 1985/1986, when her teenage holiday sweetheart and first love Andrew Inglis drove away from the Blue Dolphin Caravan Park in Yamba on Boxing Day in 1985, never to be seen or heard from again.

“My case is in many ways very different from most that have been before the Inquiry to date in that I don’t believe there was any third-party involvement in Andrew’s disappearance, However, the trauma, the not knowing is the same,” she said.

“I also wish to state that I am not family, and I am an example of how broadly reaching the impacts of these cases are.

“I have said on many occasions the suggestion that on average 12 people are impacted by a missing person is in my opinion grossly understated.

“It seems to me that whatever the scenario, foul play, or misadventure, that there has been a culture within the police to tick the easiest box and once that box is ticked it becomes an immovable object.

“Although not directly covered by this Inquiry, I think this extends to what is now referred to as ‘hidden homicide’.

“I don’t know how the Government can address this issue, but resourcing (or a lack thereof) seems to be at the heart of the problem.”

Speaking with the Clarence Valley Independent following the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry last week, Ms Greensill said she was pleased to feel that she had been heard and hoped her courage in standing up gave hope and conviction to friends of other missing persons.

Ms Leydon told the Clarence Valley Independent that she remains committed to advocating for the friends and families of missing persons while continuing to seek answers surrounding the sudden disappearance of her mother.

This article appeared in the Clarence Valley Independent, 10 July 2026.
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