The mystery of the missing Beaumont children remains one of Australia’s most puzzling cold cases.
In January 1966, three siblings, Jane, Arnna, and Grant Beaumont, disappeared from Glenelg Beach in Australia. The children, aged 9, 7, and 4, were seen with an unknown man before they vanished. Their parents, Jim and Nancy Beaumont, reported them missing when they didn’t return home that evening, sparking a search that continues to this day.
Despite extensive investigations, numerous eyewitness accounts, and several searches, no trace of the children has ever been found. The case led to increased awareness of children’s safety and greater vigilance among parents.
Jim and Nancy Beaumont never gave up hope of finding their children. “We’ve just got to wait and hope and pray,” Jim said months after their disappearance. “I don’t believe that the children are dead, and I’ll cling on to the hope until there’s any evidence found otherwise.”
On January 26, 1966, the Beaumont children left their home to visit Glenelg Beach, a short bus ride away. The bus driver remembered them, and the neighborhood postman also saw them. Later, a classmate of Jane’s and her mother saw the children interacting with a man near the beach. Other witnesses also reported seeing them with the man, described as tanned with short blonde hair.
The last confirmed sighting was at a bakery in Glenelg, where the children bought food with a £1 note. This was considered a significant clue, as their parents had only given them a small amount of money.
When the children didn’t return home by 2 p.m., their parents contacted the police, who began searching that night.
Police searched the coastline and nearby areas, with hundreds of volunteers joining the effort. A psychic was even brought in to help, but his leads didn’t produce any results.
In 1968, the family received letters supposedly written by Jane, but they were later determined to be a hoax.
Over the years, many theories have emerged, the most common being that the children were abducted by the man they were seen with at the beach. Two main suspects were investigated: Bevan Spencer von Einem and Arthur Stanley Brown, but neither was charged.
Decades later, Haydn Phipps claimed he saw the Beaumont children with his father in their backyard shortly before they disappeared. He said his father, Harry Phipps, then took them away. Two brothers also came forward, saying Harry Phipps paid them to dig a large hole at the Castalloy factory he owned.
Based on this information, searches were conducted at the factory site in 2013, 2018, and 2025, but no evidence was found.
Most recently, in February 2025, another search was carried out at the factory site. Despite turning over tons of soil, investigators found nothing.
To date, no one has been arrested in connection with the Beaumont children’s disappearance. The case remains open, and investigators continue to seek answers.
Jim and Nancy Beaumont remained out of the public eye but never stopped searching for their children. They later divorced. Nancy passed away in 2019, and Jim died in 2023.
