Mark Rohan HULME

Hope for missing man
March 19 2003
By Jamie Berry - The Age

The family of a man missing since Friday were still hoping he would be found yesterday, despite unsuccessful attempts by police and emergency services in the past three days to find him.

Police found Mark Hulme's car about noon on Saturday in the Yarra Ranges National Park at Cambarville, north-east of Melbourne. The late-model blue Holden sedan was parked near a walking trail with Mr Hulme's keys, clothing and camping equipment inside.

"Obviously we're all still very concerned but everyone's holding up as well as can be expected," said Mr Hulme's brother, Paul Hulme, yesterday.

"Of course, it's getting tougher, you get more concerned as each hour passes by, but again, we are holding out hope."

Senior Constable Matthew Roberts said he was "fairly confident" that Mr Hulme, a mathematics honours student and experienced bushwalker, was still alive, assuming he had plenty of water.
The search continues today.

Fears for missing bushwalker
AAP

POLICE remain baffled by the plight of a man lost in remote bushland north-east of Melbourne.

The search for Mark Hulme, of Cheltenham in Melbourne's south-east, will enter its fourth day tomorrow after more than 100 police, emergency service personnel and volunteers had no success combing difficult country near Marysville today.

Mr Hulme, 38, has not been seen since Saturday when he parked his car at Marysville-Woods Point Road in Marysville.

Police said his car was found still loaded with camping gear and its keys in the ignition.

Mr Hulme's brother Paul said his family was losing hope that he would be found alive.

"Of course it's getting tougher," he told reporters.

"You get more concerned as each hour passes by." Senior Constable Tony Aulich said police would continue to search at first light tomorrow.

"There's no suggestion there has been foul play and there's nothing up there to suggest suicide," Snr-Const Aulich told AAP.

"He's left his vehicle in a bit of a hurry."

He said the rugged terrain was hampering search efforts.

"It's extremely difficult for the helicopters to see because the canopy is so dense," he said.

"As long as we believe he's likely to be alive we're morally bound to keep looking."


Mark Hulme
We want our brother back. - With thanks to Woman's Day Magazine


Fourteen months ago, Lauren Thompson and Bradley Hulme's brother, 40-year-old Mark Hulme, set off from his hometown of Melbourne for what the Hulme family thought was a short hiking trip. Except for a vague sighting, Mark hasn't been seen or heard from since.

Mark went hiking on March 12 last year near the Lake Mountain Ski Resorts 120km from Melbourne. He was an experienced hiker and it was a trip he had marked in his diary. A logging-truck driver saw Mark that day in an apparently distressed state, driving up and down looking for a hiking track.

He was under a lot of pressure at the time as he was studying for a doctorate as well as running his own IT business. It was two days before we knew he was missing - he had left his car keys in the car, with the doors open and there were two backpacks still inside, so we don't know what he had with him when he set off.

The police did a five-day search but they didn't know in which direction he had gone and the bush is dense around the area.

It is just the uncertainty - he could have had an accident or he could have chosen to remove himself...if someone could tell us either way.

The police did a press release in November and there was a sighting in Sandringham (a Melbourne suburb) but nothing came of it.

Mark is a very intelligent person; he's reserved and gentle, he wouldn't hurt anyone. I guess in the 12 months prior to leaving he was quite solitary. He was working extremely hard and that made it difficult to understand him in a way. But we would catch up when we had a chance. We're a close family and Mark's disappearance has created a lot of stress on everyone, especially our parents. There is so much frustration, not knowing the truth.

I don't know what it would be like if we saw him again. There would be a mixture of relief and, I suppose, anger - but not knowing the full circumstances I just couldn't tell you how anyone would react. He had talked before of going to live somewhere but kept his personal life private.

If you have any information, please call the National Missing Persons Unit on 1800 000 634.