A woman went missing from our road. It’s not your normal road. It stretches across a couple of rural villages. At one end you’re in Yass, the other, Gundaroo.
Her name is Tina Quinn, 34, and she was last seen on a Yass River Road property about 10:30 am on Sunday 16 July. She is described as being of African appearance, 175 cm tall, thin with light brown hair, brown eyes and has a tattoo of three, five-pointed stars on the back of her neck.
Apparently, she spoke to her family via text message at around 5 pm on that day, but no one has been able to contact her or has seen her since.
The road where she was last seen stretches for more than 40 kilometres. There’s nothing remarkable about it except that good country people live there, mostly on large sheep properties where their ancestors settled more than 100 years ago. Many of the names are still the same, their longevity marked on bridges, side roads and scratched onto the front of the RMBs. But most everyone knows who lives where.
It’s probably one of the few old country roads that have yet to be cut up into hobby farms breeding the Next Big Thing, like ostriches or a revolutionary oil that makes you look younger than your children.
There’s even a social media site where people tell each other whose sheep/cattle/chook/dog/wombat is on the road; who is doing a burn-off (nothing to do with fast cars) and it’s perfectly OK as long as they have council permission; whose very reliable child is looking for odd jobs; or who can sow a few acres for someone else.
But it all took on a different look and feel back on 16 July when Tina Quinn was last seen on a property on Yass River Road.
Police, rescue crews, SES volunteers and locals moved into the road, mostly up at the Gundaroo end, in the search for Tina.
Some sort of mobile phone alert system was rigged up where locals were asked if they had seen her or anything that would lead to her being found, but only a few people got the message. Word of mouth with neighbours worked better.
Residents started looking around their properties in a new way. A more thorough way, with the feeling that time really was of the essence. Are they different footprints or vehicle tracks? Is there washing missing from the line? Food from the fridge?
It’s believed Tina was travelling in a white Toyota LandCruiser when last seen. Police have since found the vehicle, but no Tina.
Today, the search crews have gone. Locals aren’t talking much about Tina any more, except to ask if anyone has heard anything new. All anyone knows is that she’s still missing.
A small community in which she was last seen tried to do its best to help authorities find her, but without luck.
So, as Missing Persons Week 2023 comes to an end, spare a thought for this young woman, where she is and why.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1300 333 000 or go to the website.
Original Article published by Sally Hopman on Riotact.