15 of Bundaberg's most perplexing mysteries
MYSTERIES - every region has them, but there are some that remain unsolved and may stay that way forever.
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MYSTERIES - every region has them, but there are some that remain unsolved and may stay that way forever.
Here are some of Bundaberg's most enduring enigmas, some recent, some enduring and some lost to history.
A year ago, the NewsMail reported on the Onesie Bandit - a man who dressed in a Jake the Dog onesie to rob the United servo.
So far, no one has come forward with information on who the man was.
2. Are there bunkers hidden under the airport?
It's an urban legend that refuses to quieten with time, but is there any merit to it?
A representative of the Australian Bunker and Military Museum arrived at the airport in 2009 to hunt for the bunkers, claiming one had been filled in at the site, but then Mayor Lauraine Pyefinch said the council would not be wasting ratepayer money to further investigate.
3. Did bricks of cocaine wash up on our beaches?
Earlier this year, the community was thrown into confusion when mysterious parcels of a white powder washed up on the region's beaches.
Police told the Australian there was a high chance the powder was cocaine but where it came from and how it got to our shores remains a mystery.
4. What happened to Marjorie Norval?
Bundaberg's Marjorie Norval was 30 when she was last seen walking up the steps of the Brisbane Central Station on November 11, 1938.
Rumours went wild, including one saying she was pregnant by a prominent politician and was killed to prevent a scandal, or that she had died during an illegal abortion.
In the end, no one knew what happened to the young woman.
5. What happened to Bundy businessman?
In 1963, Bundaberg businessman Michael John Toohey vanished while flying a light aircraft from Sydney back to his home.
It was thought the plane may have crashed somewhere near Coffs Harbour, but no wreckage could ever be found despite the man's family offering a large reward.
6. What happened at the cemetery in 1970?
Police investigated after the discovery of charred remains of timber and metal at the Bundaberg General Cemetery in 1970.
Detectives probed suggestions the fragments were part of a coffin which had been burnt at the scene.
A local funeral director identified the pieces as parts of coffin wood and the metal was believed to be part of metal coffin handles.
7. What happened to man found on highway?
In 1970, the body of Robert John Stower was found on the Central Burnett Highway.
A detective told the Bundaberg Coroner's Court that the man's body was found two miles from Mundubbera.
It appeared he had been run over but no other information was discovered.
8. Had Bundy woman been kidnapped from the UK as a girl?
It sounds like a movie script.In the 1800s, a young girl is kidnapped and brought to Australia as a servant.
That girl - Mary Caroline Harwood - would come to live in Bundaberg and during the Second World War penned a letter from her Barolin Rd home detailing the mysterious events of her past.
9. Who is making art at Bargara?
In a lighthearted mystery, residents were baffled by beauty in May when pretty artworks started to appear along Bargara's foreshore.
They had not been officially sanctioned, but the council said they wouldn't be removed.
10. Was a woman thrown into the Bywash?
It started with an eight-year-old boy running to his house - screaming.
The boy told his family he'd witnessed something chilling - a woman falling from a bridge into the Bywash, but baffled investigators failed to find any trace.
11. What actually happened at Dr May's house?
Rumours of deaths and murders have continued for decades, with people once daring each other to enter the old house.
The NewsMail delved into the case in 2017 to finally shed some light on what actually happened and whether any of the tales were true.
12. What caused these footprints at the mouth of the Kolan?
A local man photographed off footprints at the mouth of the Kolan, with residents baffled by their origin.
While the Queensland Museum believed it solved the mystery, the man did not agree.
13. Was a crocodile really sunning itself at Elliott Heads?
Social media users were divided when a photo did the rounds showing a "crocodile" at Elliott Heads beach.
But was it a crocodile, or simply a log?
14. What caused a surge in reported UFO sightings?
Bundaberg saw a surge in UFO sightings from 2012 to 2013, with many locals coming to the NewsMail with their reports.
In the years since, reports have dwindled considerably.
15. Who killed Florence Broadhurst?
One of the region's most famous designers, Florence Broadhurst launched Florence Broadhurst Wallpapers featuring stunning designs.
Broadhurst was exporting her work to countries including England, France, the US and Peru, and her repertoire of designs at this point was said to comprise about 800 designs in different colours.
In 1977, she was bludgeoned to death in her Paddington studio. Her murder has never been solved.
Do you have an opinion on these mysteries or know of one you'd like to see solved? Email crystal.jones@news-mail.com.au.
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