General News
6 May, 2025
Memorial for Terry Floyd to be unveiled
Soon to be 50 years since Maryborough boy Terry Floyd went missing a memorial will be placed in Avoca's main street.
Next month marks 50 years since Maryborough boy Terry Floyd disappeared, with a memorial to be placed in Avoca’s main street to mark the anniversary and a new podcast shedding light on the case.
Last seen on the side of the Pyrenees Highway outside Avoca on June 28, 1975, a coroner determined in 2001 that 12-year-old Terry had been abducted and murdered, however a body is yet to be found.
Pyrenees Shire Council voted at its meeting last week to locate a plaque and forget-me-not rose on the median strip in High Street, Avoca outside the post office.
The idea of local resident Tammy Wardlaw, the memorial will ensure Terry’s legacy is remembered and will provide comfort to the family, she hopes.
“I grew up in Avoca and as a kid, Terry’s story was very much how we learned about stranger danger — it was etched into our childhood to be very careful of strangers,” she said.
“There is no real memorial for Terry and that’s what got me started on this.
“Terry’s story will now be a part of our town and it’s going to hopefully help make sure nothing like this ever happens again in our community.
“Having this memorial in town will be a clear sign that as a community we don’t put up with this, and I hope it brings the family some level of comfort.”
The memorial will be jointly funded by the Pyrenees Shire Council and Terry Floyd Foundation, an initiative started in 2019 to help build brighter futures for children.
Terry’s brother and founder of the foundation Daryl Floyd said the memorial recognises an important part of the community’s history.
“I think having the memorial outside of the post office is appropriate because that’s where Terry left from the day he went missing,” he said.
“It’s a really nice gesture and something that’s important for the community, it’s been 50 years and that’s a significant anniversary.
“It is bitter sweet as well though, we’re still fighting to get answers about what happened to my brother.
“At the end of the day, I think what everyone has to sit down and remember is that this is about a little 12-year-old boy who disap-peared from the side of the road.”
Pyrenees Shire Council mayor Tanya Kehoe said the memorial would be a fitting way to remember Terry half a century after he disappeared.
“It is only fitting that 50 years after he went missing, his family, friends and their supporters have somewhere they can go to remember Terry. I think the idea of a plaque and a forget-me-not rose is a beautiful way to honour his memory,” she said.
While almost 50 years have passed since his brother’s disappearance, Daryl has never given up hope of unearthing the truth and is backed by retired homicide detective Charlie Bezzina and a group of dedicated volunteers.
In the lead up to the anniversary of Terry’s disappearance, a new nine-part podcast has been released to further shed light on the case.
An investigative true crime podcast by journalist and former 3AW radio host Dee Dee Dunleavy, the series explores Terry’s disappearance, initial investigations, searches, suspects and new evidence that continues to come forward.
“I was familiar with Terry’s story, having previously interviewed Daryl on radio, but I was shocked by some of the things I learned in researching this case, and I was left completely frustrated at learning of information that appears to have been overlooked over the years, that could possibly have led police directly to Terry’s killer,” she said.
The first three episodes of the podcast have already been released and are available on streaming services, with additional episodes releasing weekly.
“We are continuing to work on finding answers with regards to Terry and we’re following leads that were never followed up back in the day,” Daryl said.
“There is still new information coming to hand and already from this podcast we’ve had people come forward with their information.
“We have no plans to give up the search for answers, that’s never been part of the equation.”