Locals baffled as human remains discovered near Mildura

Police have revealed more details about the “very old” human remains discovered on a bush track at Red Cliffs last week. Read the latest.

Victoria Police are investigating after human remians were found in Red Cliffs.

Police have revealed more information about the human remains discovered in Red Cliffs last week.

The discovery of the “very old” human remains has been shrouded in mystery since the discovery on January 20.

Police on Friday confirmed the remains, which were found on a bush track about 15 minutes from Mildura, to be Aboriginal ancestral remains.

Police are working with a number of agency's to insure the remains are properly managed. Picture: Zizi Averill

“Mildura Crime Investigation Unit are working with the Managing Country Together program at Parks Victoria, Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council’s Ancestral Remains Unit, and the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council to return the remains to Traditional Owners and manage the site,” police said in a statement.

They also asked residents to stay away from the riverfront east of Edey Rd while the site was managed “in preparation for the repatriation of the ancestral remains”.

Last week police discovered human remains at Red Cliffs. Picture: The Weekly Times

The “very old” human remains were found off a bush track which had recently been flooded, police said at the weekend.

Throughout the week locals weighed in on the mystery.

“I’ve been out here for 18 years and I’ve never heard of anyone going missing or anything like that,” Red Cliffs newsagent Alan Harris said.

“We’re a pretty tight knit community out here, if someone were to go missing we’d probably hear about it.”

Local potter Renae Pennicuik said people did go missing from time to time but people usually turned up, despite what has been published in books.

“There is a book about a murder in the Mallee … so there is a lot of history with crime in this whole area, bodies in a hot water service in the river that have never been found.”

Ms Pennicuik said the body may have come from somewhere upstream.

“There are quite a few itinerant people that get around and they’ll camp for free down the river,” she said.

“Who knows, we don’t know the state of the remains …

“I would imagine it’s come up from somewhere else and when the water has come down that’s when they’ve found it.”

The remains will be transported to the coroner’s office in Melbourne for examination.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report online.