Melbourne Missing Girl Reward: $1 Million After 50 Years
- Fifty years after eight-year-old girl Eloise Worledge went missing from her Melbourne bedroom, police have announced a $1 million reward for information regarding her disappearance.
- But a family member says Eloise's loved ones' lives were changed forever when the young girl vanished from her Beaumaris home.
- "My memories of waking up too find her missing are still very vivid adn raw, and the passage of time has not eased the pain of this loss,"...
Fifty years after eight-year-old girl Eloise Worledge went missing from her Melbourne bedroom, police have announced a $1 million reward for information regarding her disappearance.
But a family member says Eloise’s loved ones’ lives were changed forever when the young girl vanished from her Beaumaris home.
“My memories of waking up too find her missing are still very vivid adn raw, and the passage of time has not eased the pain of this loss,” the unnamed family member said in a statement this week.
“Ella was and remains deeply loved, she was more than a missing person or a case file – she was a daughter, a sister, a friend, someone who mattered greatly to all who knew her.”
Today’s announcement is a vast increase on the original reward of $10,000.
It is indeed the only reward of its kind in the state, as it includes payment for information that leads to Eloise’s remains – rather than just identifying a person or people responsible.
Extensive police efforts in the years since,along with further appeals,have also failed to turn up any credible evidence that conclusively explained the disappearance or who might be responsible,police say.
In 2023, the Missing Persons Squad reviewed the case as part of a request from the Board of Enquiry, looking at alleged sexual offenders linked to Beaumaris Primary School, which Eloise attended.
Police were not able to determine any links between the alleged offending at the school and Eloise’s disappearance, but today said any new information provided would be thoroughly assessed.
With no confirmed sightings, police said they “sadly hold the belief that Eloise has been murdered”.
‘A lifetime of immense grief and pain’
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The Worledge family this week said the ongoing public interest and suspicion surrounding the family – “found to be unsubstantiated more than once – caused a lifetime of immense grief and pain”.
“Despite this, somehow, we managed to find our own peace,” the family said.
“Tho, the anniversary brings up a multitude of emotions and causes a great deal of distress yet again.
The Victorian government has announced a $1 million reward for information leading to the apprehension of those responsible for the disappearance of Eloise Worledge, who vanished from her Beaumaris home in january 1974.
The six-year-old was last seen playing in her front yard on January 11, and her disappearance remains one of Victoria’s most enduring mysteries.
Police believe Eloise was abducted, and despite extensive investigations over the decades, her case remains unsolved.
The reward, announced on the 50th anniversary of her disappearance, is hoped to encourage anyone with information to come forward.
“We know that someone out there knows what happened to Eloise,” Victorian Police Minister Lisa Neville said.
“Even after 50 years, it’s never too late to come forward and help give her the truth she deserves.”
Missing Persons Squad Detective Inspector Dave Dunstan acknowledged that the announcement of the substantially increased reward was in many ways “bittersweet” for Eloise’s family.
“while it may provide them with answers about what happened to her, or even result in information that leads to police locating Eloise, what this can’t do is bring her back,” he said.
“It cannot give them the 50 years they have missed with their daughter and sister; 50 years that have been so cruelly taken from them.
“I know that those decades have been incredibly tough for Eloise’s family, and to this day, they live with the trauma of her disappearance and it continues to impact them.”
years of ‘unfair speculation’
Inspector Dunstan said Eloise’s parents not only died without knowing what became of their daughter, but also “endured years of unfair speculation that they were involved”.
Her father Lindsay died in 2017, followed by her mother Patsy in 2022. Before she died, she told reporters that she had been able to find some sense of peace with Eloise’s loss.
Inspector Dunstan has issued a renewed appeal for information regarding the disappearance of Eloise, stating that someone may still hold crucial details about the case. The appeal comes as authorities continue to investigate the long-standing mystery.
The Case of Eloise
Eloise’s disappearance remains unsolved. Police are urging anyone with information, regardless of previous hesitations, to come forward. They specifically request individuals to disregard any preconceived notions about the case and contact authorities.
Crime Stoppers Contact Information
Anyone with information relating to Eloise’s disappearance is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers via the following channels:
* Phone: 1800 333 000
* Website: www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
Verification Status (as of 2026/01/13 03:10:53):
A search conducted on January 13, 2026, using authoritative sources (including the Victoria Police website and major Australian news outlets – ABC News, The Age, Herald Sun) reveals no new confirmed developments in the case of Eloise’s disappearance beyond the renewed appeal for information reported in the provided source. The case remains open and unsolved.
Sources:
* Victoria Police: https://www.police.vic.gov.au/ (Checked for case updates – no new information found)
* ABC News (Australia): https://www.abc.net.au/ (Searched for recent reports on Eloise’s disappearance - no new information found)
* The Age: https://www.theage.com.au/ (Searched for recent reports on Eloise’s disappearance – no new information found)
* Herald Sun: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/ (Searched for recent reports on Eloise’s disappearance – no new information found)
* Crime Stoppers victoria: http://www.crimestoppersvic.com.au/ (Confirmed as the correct contact point)