Two air force women who spoke to The Courier-Mail have recalled conversations they had with Gaye Baker about her desire to earn more money to pay for her mother’s medical costs.

Queensland’s cold case detectives open file on 1972 disappearance of Gaye Baker

Police

Crime read: RAAF Police Officer Gaye Baker mysteriously vanished without a trace on July 2, 1972

Gaye was 23 when she disappeared in 1972 from Clayfield after driving to meet a man who’d given a fake name and details to a Fortitude Valley escort agency.

The agency booked “hostesses” for men who wanted dates to events or corporate functions.

The case is the subject of a new Courier-Mail true crime podcast called Person of Interest, and is currently being reviewed by cold case homicide detectives.

Lola Brinton and Kay Densmore lived with Gaye in 1972 in air force accommodation at Archerfield.

“I can remember one day distinctly, we were sitting at the desk, having lunch, and she was reading the paper,” Ms Brinton said.

“She said she was looking for a part-time job. She wanted some more money. She needed to have money in case her mum needed it and she wanted to put money aside for a trip.

“She was reading through all the different ads and I think one of them was hostessing and she asked me if I knew anything about (it) and I said I had met a girl once who had been a hostess.”

Ms Brinton said she’d warned Gaye there were “rules to be followed” to stay safe.

“(The hostess) said she earned good money, but it was something we had to be careful with, or follow the rules and that sort of thing, you know, it wasn’t something you lightly entered into,” she said.

“The girl I had mentioned … she said, you only meet the client at the venue and that part of your fee is a taxi fare to the venue to meet the client.

“You have your dinner and everything, but you never leave the venue with the client. You again have a taxi waiting and you go home. And they are the rules.

“I said to her, you know, you must follow the rules.”

Mrs Densmore said Gaye had also mentioned to her that she wanted a part-time job to supplement her air force income.

“Within probably 24 or 48 hours afterwards, she said, I’ve already found something to do,” she said.

“(Gaye) said, I’m going to do some escort work. I thought, goodness me, a policewoman? Escort work? It’s a bit risky.”

Gaye was interviewed by Fortitude Valley company ABCO Services and was given a position. Within days she was assigned her first job – meeting a “John Taylor” in Clayfield for a work pool party.

But police would later determine the party never happened and John Taylor had given false details.

Detectives yesterday made a fresh appeal for information on Gaye’s disappearance, asking that anyone with information come forward now.

Homicide Detective Senior Sergeant Tara Kentwell said police want to hear from anyone who recalls seeing Gaye or her yellow 1971 Datsun 1200 in the Clayfield area on July 2, 1972, or a dark brown or maroon Monaro or Valiant charger seen near the Datsun.

“I would caution persons responsible for cold case murders to take no solace in the passage of time,” she said.

Gaye’s sister Robyn Johnson said: “We please, please ask anyone out there if they have any information - regardless of how small they think that information is - if anyone knows anything, could they please call the Queensland Police.”

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