John Steenbergen: Police finalise Gympie ‘rockhound’ death investigation

Police have given an update on the investigation into the death of John Steenbergen at his beloved business site near the Gympie Aerodrome.

Police on Tuesday “finalised” a crime scene south of Gympie, where the body of well known Queensland “rockhound” and businessman John Steenbergen was found on Sunday morning.

Police on Tuesday “finalised” a crime scene south of Gympie, where the body of well known Queensland “rockhound” and businessman John Steenbergen was found on Sunday morning.

Mr Steenbergen, 90, had lived at the site for decades with his wife Cecile, who died in 2016.

He ran Cooloola Rocks and Minerals there and hosted annual Rock Fests.

The driveway into the home and its outbuildings on Lobwein Road was blocked on Monday by police tape and guarded by two police officers, as the investigation into his sudden death was carried out.

Police on Tuesday “finalised” a crime scene south of Gympie, where the body of well known Queensland “rockhound” and businessman John Steenbergen was found on Sunday morning.

The large acreage had well kept lawns and a two-storey home with blue station wagon parked underneath, and sits adjacent to the Gympie Aerodrome, on the corner of the old Bruce Highway and Lobwein Road.

Police said were waiting on the results of a post-mortem to determine the cause of Mr Steenbergen’s death, and said late Tuesday they would now prepare a report for the coroner.

“A crime scene initially declared at a Lobwein Street property is in the process of being finalised,” a statement from Police Media said.

“No further details are available.”

The driveway into the home and outbuildings of Cooloola Rocks and Minerals was blocked by police tape and guarded by two police officers at midday on Monday, as an investigation was carried out into the sudden death of 90-year-old John Steenbergen.

Cooloola Rocks and Minerals was a Kybong institution, and Mr Steenbergen was one of the local businesses on the old Bruce Highway impacted by the progression of the Cooroy to Curra Bypass.

In 2018, the softly-spoken then 83-year-old said his business had seen better days, with a steady decline of tourist numbers in recent years impacting its viability.

The driveway into the home and outbuildings of Cooloola Rocks and Minerals was blocked by police tape and guarded by two police officers at midday on Monday, as an investigation was carried out into the sudden death of 90-year-old John Steenbergen.

For decades, the Kybong Rocks and Minerals Fest was a feature on the local calendar, and rock enthusiasts from kilometres around would converge on the site.

Gympie Gem Club secretary Keith Russell described Mr and Mrs Steenbergen as stalwarts of the “rockhound” community.

Mr Steenbergen especially was a font of knowledge on the subject and one of the first members of the Gympie Gem Club back in its heyday, he said.

“If you needed to know something he could help you out a lot. And if someone came to us with a question and we didn’t know, we would send them out to him.”

Detective Inspector Craig Mansfield said at a police press conference at the Gympie police station on Monday morning a crime scene had been established at the site.

“An elderly man there has been located deceased,” Inspector Mansfield said.

Police started their investigations overnight, and continued on Monday.

In a statement Monday afternoon police said they are awaiting “the results of a post mortem to determine the circumstances surrounding the man’s death and the course of the investigation”.

Originally published as John Steenbergen: Police finalise Gympie ‘rockhound’ death investigation