A “bubbly” young woman from Dubbo with a “massive big smile” remains in her brothers’ hearts almost 25 years after her disappearance.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The family of Amelia Hausia still have no answers about where she is or what happened to her.
The Dubbo girl was just 17 years old when she vanished in Canberra in 1992.
This Missing Persons Week Amelia’s brothers, John and Paul, have reflected on the long years without their cherished sister, ‘Mia’.
As the 25th anniversary of her disappearance approaches, John, two years younger than Amelia, told of the heartache he feels.
“There’s always that sorrow and anger and sheer grief, I suppose, that is relived, just talking from my own perspective,” he said.
“Especially at anniversaries, her [recent] birthday... the date where she was last reportedly seen in Canberra.
“For me personally, it’s like a wound that never heals.”
Amelia attended Dubbo West Primary School and Delroy High before going to Canberra to finish her secondary education, staying with relatives.
The teen was last seen by family on the night of December 17, 1992 and was upset after a fight with her boyfriend, the National Missing Persons Coordination Centre website reports.
The last sighting of Amelia was at the Woden Plaza Shopping Centre five days later, the website says.
Not knowing takes its toll.
John, who contacted the Daily Liberal this week, said for years he had “abused alcohol” to deal with the pain, but now had learnt to cope with the trauma in more positive ways “especially through my Aboriginal heritage”.
“Proud as punch about my Tongan heritage, but it’s my connection to country and connection to my culture that helps me heal, stay strong each year,” he said.
“Hence why I think I was trying to make this call and start getting it out there a bit more about Amelia’s loss.
“To help my own healing process as well, but also to get it out there to community that you need to really cherish the ones you’ve got because you don’t know when they’re going to be gone.”
John’s 16-year-old daughter with her “bubbly, beautiful personality” reminds him of his sister, an aunt his children have never met.
Paul, older than Amelia by one year, said there were testing times, especially when it was close to her birthday in July, and not having closure was a big factor.
His memories painted a strong picture.
“She’s a very bubbly sister, who is always enjoying life, very athletic, but loved to dance and sing,” he said.
“I think the biggest thing that really strikes you with Mia that she’s always had that big massive smile that no matter happy or how bad you may feel, she’s always had that massive big smile that I’ll always remember.”
Every year in Australia 38,000 people are reported missing, and while most are located fairly quickly, 1600 people are placed on the missing persons list.
“I mean, these type of things happen every year, every day, and we were one of those families that never thought it would happen to us,” Paul said.
“Click of a finger it happens, and now 25 years down the track, we’re all still saying the same thing.”
Faye Wheeler
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
