Grief for Tanya Farrington’s family
05 Aug 09 @ 08:08am by BOEL ERIKSSON - The Mosman Daily
Tanya Farrington disappeared in 1979 at age 14.
Police and family of Tanya Farrington (pictured), who disappeared in 1979 at age 14, have made a final plea to the public for information before the brief is due for the State Coroner on August 21. They hope they will finally get some answers.
Tanya’s brother Anthony Farrington said the disappearance of his only sibling “destroyed the family”, and that he had suffered “30 years of grief” since that fateful night on March 22, 1979, when she was last seen by her family.
Tanya had gone to bed as usual at their family home in Nicholson Place. The next morning she was gone and she has not been seen since.
“Every night after that I used to hear my parents cry,” said Mr Farrington, who was 18 at the time of her disappearance. “It was a pretty miserable time.”
He said in the following months his dad, Anthony, would walk the streets of the lower North Shore, the city and Manly looking for his daughter.
Clutching a photo of Tanya in his hand, he would walk up to strangers, asking if they had seen her.
“Sometimes I would go with him,” Mr Farrington said. “He would walk the streets day and night, looking for her.”
The case received media coverage, including on the popular Mike Walsh Show, yet no vital information came through.
He said the family had lived at Crows Nest for just over a year when it happened, after they moved from the Central Coast due to work opportunities.
“Moving to Sydney was the worst mistake we could have done,” Mr Farrington said. “Tanya was a fun-loving, friendly and happy country girl turning into a woman when she was exposed to the city.”
Mr Farrington said it soon became too hard for him to live with his parents, and when he was 19, he left to travel Australia.
``I sort of hit the track,’’ he said. ``The family was destroyed.’’
Two years later his mother Irene was hit by a car and suffered brain damage and serious injuries to her legs and hip.
``That more or less slowed down the search process,’’ Mr Farrington said. ``My dad had to look after her.’’
Both his parents have since died. Mr Farrington now lives in Canberra with his wife Lianne and two daughters.
Tanya would have turned 45 on October 31 this year.
He said although he was hoping the inquiry would bring out more information, he did not see it as a closure.
``(An inquiry) might be legal closure on paper but, to me, it can’t be a closure because we still don’t know what happened to her,’’ he said.
Sen-Constable Naomi Martin, from Harbourside detectives, said the brief was due for the Coroner on August 21, and a date would then be set for the inquiry to go to court.
She said they were keen to speak to anyone who could remember anything about Tanya, who attended Cremorne Girls’ High School.
``It is also believed that Tanya had a boyfriend about the time she disappeared, although her parents did not know his name,’’ she said.
``Police are very keen to speak with anyone who may have information about her boyfriend, if only to discount him from the investigation.’’
Sen-Constable Martin said the boyfriend was believed to have lived in the Manly area.
``The NSW Police Force investigation remains open and we are hoping someone - even after all these years - may recall something about Tanya which can assist us.’’
Crying every night for Tanya
06 Aug 09 @ 09:15am by Boel Eriksson - North shore Times
Police and family of Tanya Farrington, who disappeared on March 22, 1979, at age 14, have made a final plea to the public for information before the brief is due for the State Coroner on August 21.
They still hope to get answers.
Tanya’s brother Anthony said the disappearance of his only sibling “destroyed the family” and that he had suffered “30 years of grief” since that fateful night. Tanya had gone to bed as usual at their Nicholson Pl home but next morning she was gone.
“Every night after that I used to hear my parents cry,” said Mr Farrington, who was 18 at the time.
He said in the following months his dad, Anthony, would walk the streets of the lower North Shore, the city and Manly looking for Tanya. Clutching a photo of Tanya, he’d ask strangers if they had seen her.
Despite wide media coverage no vital information came through.
He said the family had been living at Crows Nest for just over a year after moving from the Central Coast for work.
“Moving to Sydney was the worst mistake,” Mr Farrington said. “Tanya was a fun-loving, friendly and happy country girl turning into a woman when she was exposed to the city.”
Mr Farrington soon left home and two years later his mother Irene was seriously injured when hit by a car. The search for Tanya slowed as his father cared for his wife.
Mr Farrington’s parents have died and he now lives in Canberra with his wife Leanne and two daughters.
Senior Constable Naomi Martin, of Harbourside detectives, said the brief was due for the Coroner on August 21 and a date would then be set for the inquiry to go to court.
She said they were keen to speak to anyone who could remember anything about Tanya, a Cremorne Girls’ High School student.
“It is believed Tanya had a boyfriend (who lived in the Manly area) about the time she disappeared. Police are very keen to speak to anyone who may have information about him, if only to discount him from the investigation.”
Help end 30 years of grief
05 Aug 09 @ 05:44pm - Manly Daily
Tanya Farrington was 14 when she disappeared from her home on March 22, 1979.
Her boyfriend at the time is believed to have lived in the Manly area although her surviving family members do not know his name.
Police and family have made the final plea to the public for information before the brief is due for the State Coroner on August 21.
Tanya’s brother Anthony said the disappearance of his only sibling destroyed the family, and that he had suffered 30 years of grief.
Tanya had gone to bed as usual at their family home in Nicholson Place, Crows Nest. The next morning she was gone and she has not been seen since.
“Every night after that I used to hear my parents cry,” Mr Farrington, who was 18 at the time of her disappearance, said. “It was a pretty miserable time.”
He said in the following months his dad, Anthony, would walk the streets of the lower north shore, the city and Manly looking for his daughter.
“Clutching a photo of Tanya in his hand, he would walk up to strangers, asking if they had seen her. Sometimes I would go with him,” Mr Farrington said. “He would walk the streets day and night looking for her.”
Mr Farrington said the family had lived at Crows Nest for just over a year when it happened, having moved from the Central Coast due to work opportunities. “Moving to Sydney was the worst mistake we could have done,” Mr Farrington said.
“Tanya was a fun-loving, friendly and happy country girl turning into a woman when she was exposed to the city.”
He said it soon became too hard for him to live with his parents and, when he was 19, left to travel Australia.
“I sort of hit the track,” he said. “The family was destroyed.”
Two years later his mother Irene was hit by a car and suffered brain damage and serious injuries to her legs and hip.
Both his parents have since died and Mr Farrington now lives in Canberra.
Tanya would have been 45 on October 31 this year.
Mr Farrington said although he was hoping the inquiry would bring out more information, he did not see it as a closure. “(An inquiry) might be legal closure on paper but, to me, it can’t be a closure because we still don’t know what happened to her,” he said.
Sen-Constable Naomi Martin, from Harbourside detectives, said they were keen to speak to anyone who could remember anything about Tanya, who attended Cremorne Girls High School.
