On 30th June, 1867, during our winter, 3 young boys left their homes to go on an adventure. Brothers William Graham (6 1/2) and Thomas Graham (4) along with their friend Alfred Burman (5) went to look for wild goats.

When they didn’t return home for lunch the alarm was sounded. Over the coming days, 100 men on horseback and a further 600 people on foot did what they could to find them. Aboriginal trackers and dogs were also involved and the boys town of Daylesford was so concerned it shutdown the shops so everyone could help.

Unfortunately the night of the boys disappearance saw the coldest night in the area in 20 years. Despite a few sightings of the boys during their travels during the day there was no further sign of them and nearly a month later the largest search in Australia’s young history was called off.

The following Spring on the 13th September a local dog brought a child’s boot complete with his foot home to his master. The next day, the boys remains were found at Musk Creek in Wombat Forest. The two younger boys were found huddled together in the hallow of a large tree and the elder boy was found next to the tree, where he was believed to be on lookout for a rescue party. It is believed that the boys most probably didn’t make it through the night due to the extreme conditions and lack of food and water.

Over a 1000 people attended the boys funeral. It was a chance for the community to grieve and say goodbye to the three young boys who had changed their lives.

To mark 100 years since this tragedy The Lost Children’s Memorial was built in the approximate area that the boys were found. When my husband and I found the sign indicating The Lost Children’s Memorial was down a side road on our way to explore Daylesford, we had no idea what it meant. We turned off to investigate and were rewarded with a very significant part of our Australian history that we knew nothing about. Spending time at the monument and reading the love left behind by fellow travels to the spot over the last 50+ years was heartwarming.

In 1889, in honour of the boys created the Graham Dux Award which has been given to a boy and a girl each year since. The children each recieve a medicllion and a certificate that states ” In Memory of the Lost Children.”

There is also a formal Three Lost Children’s Walk which takes visitors along the path that the boys traveled that fateful day. The walk is 15 kilometres in length and takes 6 hours one way with breaks to complete.