Long-lost sisters reunite after more than 50 years to find missing brother in Toowoomba

After 60 years of searching for her missing father, a Queensland woman never imagined finding a secret sister. Now they are determined to find their long-lost brother – do you know Gary?

Judith Bronwyn Murphy with her father's World War II medals at the Townsville Bulletin office in 2019. Picture: Shae Beplate/ NewsCorp Australia.

For almost six decades, Bronwyn Murphy has been searching for answers to the mystery of the whereabouts of her father.

The Proserpine grandmother of 25, who was born Judith, last saw her father, Albert Thomas Williams, when she was two.

“I really don’t remember him,” Ms Murphy said.

“Since I was about 10 I’ve been trying to get in touch.

“I’ve been looking for him ever since I realised that he was gone.”

With barely more than a few photographs and his name, Ms Murphy has spent roughly 60 years of her life searching for any information that could lead her to the mysterious man.

“Every time we’d go to a different town, I’d go through the phone book and ring up every Williams in there and I’d ask them: ‘do you know an Albert Thomas Williams? Have you heard of him?’,” she said.

“When I was 24 I actually paid for an advertisement in the Brisbane papers to try and find him.

“It was only when I contacted his family that I was able to find out more about him.”

Bronwyn Murphy spent 60 years searching for her father, when she was 24 she placed an ad in the Queensland papers pleading for information. Years later, she discovered her father had died in South Australia, one year later. Picture: Supplied

Ms Murphy discovered her father was a decorated war hero, a British Able Seaman who helped evacuate 4000 soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk in 1940.

He was awarded multiple medals of honour, including a Distinguished Service Medal bestowed by King George VI himself at Buckingham Palace.

In a strange moment of prophetic coincidence, as a child, Ms Murphy dreamt up her father’s military achievements.

“I knew nothing about him, but I made this story up in my head,” she said.

“I had this big, chunky plastic bracelet in a pretty blue colour and I made up in the head that he gave it to me.

“That was my hero present from my hero father and it was going to look after me.

“I had this idea that he was a hero in the war, I made it up in my head, and then it was true.”

Judith Bronwyn Murphy's father's World War II medals and memorabilia. Picture: Shae Beplate.

In 2019, Ms Murphy shared her story with NewsCorp Australia’s Mackay Daily Mercury and Townsville Bulletin in the hopes of finally finding her father; but another person altogether found her – almost five years later.

Albert Thomas Williams last saw his daughter Bronwyn Murphy when she was two years old, she then went on a 60 year journey to find him. Picture: Supplied

“Both of the (papers) did stories for me, trying to find my father,” Ms Murphy recalled.

“Because of those stories, I have a new-found sister in Bendigo.”

Last year, Ms Murphy’s half-sister Rhonda George was searching for answers herself when she came across a picture of her father with a mysterious baby girl.

“She was looking for information on her father, she typed in his name and there’s a photo of her father and me as a baby – she must have thought, ‘what’s this child doing with my father?’.”

Ms George knew little about her father as well, growing up without him from a young age.

Mr Williams, their father, died in South Australia 50 years ago – one year after Ms Murphy wrote her message in the Brisbane papers.

“I was just jumping out of my skin when she contacted me because I’ve been looking for my father all my life and it turns out he died when I was 25 which is 50 years ago, so it was bittersweet,” she said.

The sisters are yet to meet in person, but are in constant contact, sharing stories of their father and family history.

“We’re just aching to meet each other,” Ms Murphy said.

“I’m just dying to claim her and make her part of my family.”

Rhonda George and Judith Murphy are searching for their long-lost brother Gary Williams who moved to Toowoomba when he was a young boy. He is pictured here, as a child, at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane. Picture: Supplied

In swapping stories, the pair discovered another sibling, their half-brother Gary Williams.

“Together we realised we do have a brother called Gary somewhere,” Ms Murphy said.

“I went to England and met my father’s people and they knew about Gary; they knew he had a son called Gary between me and Rhonda.”

Rhonda George and Bronwyn Murphy are searching for their long-lost half brother Gary Williams, pictured here as a child. Picture: Supplied

“We don’t know much, only two or three little photos of him with snow white blonde hair, which both Rhonda and I had when we were born.”

Before Ms George was born, Gary lived with her father and mother but moved to Toowoomba with his mother to be with her family shortly after.

Rhonda George and Bronwyn Murphy are searching for their brother, Gary Williams, pictured here with Rhonda's parents before he moved to Toowoomba with his birth mother. Picture: Supplied.

“If he wants nothing to do with us, we will absolutely respect that, but we just want to know so we can end our search,” Ms Murphy said.

“He’s part of us, isn’t he? We’ve got a bloodline.

“(If he is open), I would love to get in touch and for him to know that he’s not alone in the world.

“Say G’day Gary. Hello brother.”

Ms Murphy believes her brother could have been a navy man himself, and may have ties to Far North Queensland or Brisbane.

He was born in Australia between 1950 and 1964 to father Albert Thomas Williams, born 1918 in London, England.

Do you know Gary? If you have any information please contact Ms Murphy at [e-mail].