The Lost Boy: A Search for Life, a Triumph of Outback Spirit

by Robert Wainwright

In the stifling Australian heat of October 1993, a campsite the size of a small town was spontaneously created at a lonely desert roadhouse by the side of the Stuart Highway, which links Darwin with Alice Springs. The 1200 men and women who swagged on the unforgiving ground beside their horses, cars, trucks and even helicopters had come to this isolated place——Dunmarra——to help solve a mystery and save a life.

A local son had disappeared without a trace. No-one was certain if he had been abducted or lost in the hostile bush around the roadhouse, but all knew it was a search where hours could mean the difference between life and death.

But there was much more at stake. They came from all corners of the far-flung Northern Territory——townspeople, stockmen, tourists, police, soldiers and emergency services——to help their friends, emotionally and physically, in a land untamed by more than a century of European settlement. It would be a desperate search for a life and a triumphant assertion of the human spirit.

Robert Wainwright followed this unfolding drama as a journalist and now, a decade later, he explores the raw, gripping story of an outback family embroiled in one of Australia's biggest manhunts to find that the core of our national identity——mateship in troubled times——is indeed, real and alive.

Genres: Nonfiction

196 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2004

Reviews

[Sarah (is clearing her shelves) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continuing with my ‘read the first chapter to see if I want to keep it’ experiment. First chapter was only three pages long, but it was enough to interest me. So this one gets to stay a bit longer.

Well, I finished it. It was well-written and that’s what I’m rating, because I don’t feel capable of rating the true, and ultimately heartbreaking, tale of the search for a little boy lost in the outback (a little boy who would have been my age if he’d lived). I came very close to crying at the end (a number of deep, cleansing breaths were needed to forestall the blocked nose that crying while lying in bed would have caused) and finishing it kept me up till after 6 am 🤦‍♀️. I did enjoy it, but I don’t see myself reading it again, so it’s going in the box.

[Sandy Saunders · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that will leave your heart feeling bitterly sad.
For days it will play on your mind when you least expect it.
You will think about a small boy lost in the bush and the terror he felt when he realised darkness was coming and he didn’t know how to get home to mummy and daddy.
You will think about his parents feeling helpless and hopeless, the disbelief that their youngest son was missing and scared of the darkness. How powerless they felt as each day went past without their boy.
You will think about his older brother confused and upset, being naughty and cheeky to get a small amount of attention.
You will think about 1200 friends and strangers willing to spend days searching and desperate to find little Clinton but then fearing they would be the one to find his body.
You will think about an isolated little roadhouse suddenly swelling to a population of 1200 and the logistics of organising a search party, supplying drinks and food and medical attention to so many people.
You will think about the Aboriginal Women’s Ancestors looking after Clinton until he is home with his family again.
I went to Dunmarra several years ago on my way to a holiday in Darwin. It is isolated and hot and the bush land is a thick, tangle of forest. I thought of Clinton and his family that day and also went to Katherine School of Air to lay flowers in his Memorial Garden. This is one book that I wish never had to be written. The sadness gets to my heart but the outback spirit also lifts it.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the engrossing true story of the search for 8-year-old Clinton Liebelt, who went missing in the harsh scrubland of the central-northern Northern Territory in 1993. The first half of the book sets out the history of the Liebelt family and of their widespread network of friends, colleagues and acquaintences who would later join the search for Clinton. I found this a fascinating exploration of life in the Territory, the challenges of climate and distance, the awe-inspiring scenery and the sense of community among the far-flung residents.
The second half of the book focussed on the progress of the search for the missing child, after he rode off on his trailbike after lunch one Saturday and didn't return home. It's a heart-wrenching story, as time goes on and the realisation grows that no person, let alone a small child, could survive this period of time without food, water or shelter. Nevertheless, the courage, perseverance and selflessness of those who converged on the Dunmarra Roadhouse to help in the search itself, or in support of the search effort and the Liebelt family, was truly inspiring. This is a story that will stay in my mind a long time.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in a little over a day, simply because I was unable to put it down. It's a heart breaking read, but poignant as it restores your faith in community spirit and country values. It had me in tears more than once and highly recommend it to other readers.

[Cathy Smith]

It was an awkward start, as the opening chapters talk about all sorts of people, events and time periods. Interesting though because I have been to most of the places along the Stuart Highway. The point when they finally found his body was powerfully written and captured the trauma and closure the parents felt.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A true and sad story. Enjoyed the read as a fellow Australian.

[Glenn Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lost Boy is the true story of a terrible and tragic incident that occurred in 1993 in Australia’s Northern Territory. I found it very emotional and heartbreaking to read having recently travelled through this area and passing through most of the places mentioned in the book. A number of times I teared up just imagining this poor boy and what he went through. I know everything was done to find him but i still found it hard to comprehend that with all the volunteers and trackers and support at their disposal (helicopters, planes, 4wd’s, sniffer dogs, aboriginal trackers etc), and that they started searching within hours of him going missing, that they still couldn’t locate him. I wonder whether 30 years on with the different technology and techniques at our disposal, whether we would see a happier outcome. All in all a well researched and written account of a terribly sad event, and very emotional to read.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to give this book four stars as it had a really profound affect on me. For days after I read it I just couldn't get it out of my head. Having lived in the Northern Territory for five years I could picture the harsh terrain, the heat and the friendliness of the people you meet. I've been to places like the one in this story and I knew people with small children that this type of thing could have happened to.
This is a sad story but also a story that, to a point gives you hope. It is a very journalistic style of writing and the story involved more than just a missing boy. It is true, it is real.
I won't give anything away but if you get the chance to read it - do.

[Coly P · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so moving and having not only visited the very roadhouse where the events took place but also lived and worked in Australia for two years as a jileroo on outback properties I connected with the story on many levels. It was hard reading at times, as anything would be when a young child goes missing; but that is not to say that it's not a good book.

[Carol Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read was disappointed at the ending.

[Benjamin Stahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a heartbreaking story, a good bit of journalism and a testament to the altruistic spirit of Australia.

[Kimberley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the first half of this book a little slow going as it talked about friends, family and various members of the community that were connected to the Liebelt family. I understand that it was trying to educate the reader with the back stories of the people who searched for Clinton, but at the time of reading it, my interest was waning and I kept waiting for it to get to his disappearance.
I read the second half of the book with a lot more interest and a very heavy heart. I felt so sad for Clinton for dying alone, scared, dehydrated and defeated in the harsh bush and for Clinton's family for losing their youngest son in such futile, tragic circumstances.
It was a very emotional story and has me tearing up thinking about it. I give it 3.5 stars.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know the story so was not aware of the outcome and was left guessing until the very end, which in my mind shows a clever author. This is the true story of a young boy who went missing in Australia. Compelling read.