Originally published October 25, 1954
FIVE boys, who left yesterday with a party on a bird-spotting expedition, are lost in the Hattah Lakes area.
The boys, whose ages range from 12 to 16 years, are all members of the Merbein Higher Elementary School Bird Club.
They became separated from the main body of 38 pupils who went to the lakes area under the supervision of Mr K. C. Hollingsworth.
Mr Hollingsworth, a teacher at the school, studies ornithology as a hobby.
The lost boys, who all come from Merbein, are: Max Smythe (15), Len Mann (16), Harold Mann (14), Peter Sheridan (13), Bill Tyers (12).
The boys were last seen at 3pm. They were to have reported back at a pick-up point at 4pm.
When there was no sign of them, Mr Hollingsworth and another adult went in search of them around one of the lakes.
The two men returned at 7pm as it became dark. They had seen no sign of the missing boys.
Fires were lit at vantage points around the main lake in the hope that the boys would see one of them and go to it.
Red Cliffs police were notified that the boys were missing when, after a number of hours, the fires had not attracted them.
A group of Merbein people remained at the lake throughout this morning keeping the fires burning.
There was still no news of the boys when this issue went to press.
Sunraysia Daily will make aerial search of the lakes area soon after daybreak if no trace of the boys is found before then.
On the ground search parties will be formed.
The boys were without food and had only normal clothing when they became lost.
The eldest of them, Len Mann, is considered to have a good knowledge of the bush.
He should be able to keep them out of harm until they are found.
The area where the boys are believed to be lost is thickly timbered.
There is a possibility that the fires kept going throughout the night could not be seen by them.
Police will probably go out from Red Cliffs early today to organise the ground search.
They fear that the boys could become ill from exposure after a night out in weather such as was experienced last night.
The only way they could escape exposure would be if they were able to find sufficient shelter.
One of the men who helped organise the fire lighting last night will remain at his home until 8am for the word from the searchers.
If he does not hear from them he will seek help from Merbein people to organise a large party for an extensive search as soon as possible.
“A piece of orange peel led searchers to a makeshift shelter of leaves and branches where they found the five schoolboys.”
Lighting fires and firing rockets, the boys’ fathers and 22 other men had searched all night through miles of rain-soaked and thickly-timbered country.
The boys were in good spirits when they were found about 7am the day after they disappeared.
They had built their shelter after dark when they realised they were lost, and it had protected them from rain during the night.
Mr N. Taylor and Mr E. A. Izard, moving on foot, had been about to return to the search base near the main lake when they found a piece of orange peel which they believed had been dropped by the lads.
The two men walked another quarter of a mile, and saw the boys moving round the shelter.
When they were found they had been discussing how to find their way to a road or fence, which they intended to follow.
The boys said they had stopped to examine an eagle’s nest and had lost track of time.
They had been unable to find their way back to the others.
After dark they had heard men calling, and had called in reply.
Later they had heard a dog barking, but could not tell from what direction the sound was coming.
Late yesterday morning the boys were resting at their parents’ homes.
“We got a school holiday out of it, anyway,” they said.
