Several books have been written about the Wonnangatta mystery, each with a conclusion yet to be proven. This book gives you something to really think about and through the photos and story, gives an insight into another part of the high country’s early days.
The Homestead in the 1950s

About the story:

To this day the mystery has captured the imagination of many and has become folklore. Various people claim to know the truth of the story and theories abound, but all are contradictory. The facts themselves have become obscured by time and memory.

Wonnangatta Valley view	Wonnangatta Station area in 1956

Authors, Keith Leydon and Michael Ray, have studied the killings and the subsequent investigation, seeking clarity through the fog of history. Sourcing many unpublished documents and photographs, names in dusty files and archives have been given new life.
For many readers, the mystery may still remain but this story of the Wonnangatta killings will take its place in history.

You will be drawn in from the opening lines of the story:
"On further inspection we noticed the skull of someone exposed from the sand, it had evidently been unearthed by some animal, the skull was totally bare of all flesh and skin, leaving it totally unrecognisable."
This was what Harry Smith, a man whose name is interwoven with the Wonnangatta mystery, told police about discovering the remains of his friend Jim Barclay.

Be transported back to a time in Australian history when people’s pioneering spirit was high and many braved the harsh conditions to eke out an existence in places of great isolation and beauty.

From page 58 of the book: an artist's impression of the crime scene (Click on the map for an enlarged version)

Keith Leydon, full time builder, part-time historian and member of Friends of Wonnangatta, has lived in Mansfield for over 30 years. He has been fascinated by the Bryce story for many years and since his first visit to Wonnangatta in 1986 has made 35 trips there, including six in one year.

The book was a collaborative effort between Keith and Michael Ray.
Michael Ray boasts a long career as a journalist and is the owner and editor of the High Country Times newspaper in Mansfield.

The research for the book spanned seven years, with countless hours spent talking to old timers and collecting a wealth of information. Keith's collection of photographs and documents has been invaluable to this narrative.

Cemetery and burnt widowmaker	Homestead site - present day

   
Friends of Wonnangatta is a group of dedicated volunteers who for many years have worked hard to preserve the Wonnangatta Station site, battling with the effects of the elements, neglect and human intervention.