Police to review testimony on suspicious items found near 1970s disappearances

Police will review the testimony of a youth camp manager who found a number of suspicious items in bushland near Newcastle, including a shovel, a knife and women's clothes, around the time of multiple disappearances in the 1970s.

This week, Steve Smith made a written submission to a New South Wales parliamentary inquiry looking at cold cases dating back to 1965.

In 1979 Mr Smith was a YMCA vacation camp leader and was leading boys on a hike when he came across a palm tree in thick bushland at Crangan Bay and became alarmed by what he saw.

"A trenching shovel was also found at the base of the tree and a large area of the soil/gravel at the base of the tree has been recently disturbed."

The camp was set on about 2.4 hectares of land between Budgewoi on the Central Coast and Swansea in Lake Macquarie.

Mr Smith told the inquiry the items were found at a time when three locals vanished without a trace.

University student Leanne Goodall, 20, disappeared in December 1978, while Robyn Hickie, 18, was allegedly abducted in April 1979.

A fortnight later, Amanda Robinson,14, was grabbed near the Pacific Highway, never to be seen again.

A case, dress and shoes

Mr Smith told the inquiry the knife and shovel were not the only concerning things he saw during that 1979 holiday camp.

"The case contained a floral type dress and a pair of clunky style woman's shoes."

Mr Smith told the ABC he reported the matters to police multiple times over many decades to no avail.

"It's just been such a frustrating process," he said.

"We have reported this so many times and have never had a response.

"And it's pretty serious business. I mean, we knew at the time it was a cluster of people never to be seen again."

A police review

The ABC approached police for comment and they issued a statement, vowing to revisit Mr Smith's police reports.

"Lake Macquarie Police District is working closely with the Unsolved Homicide Team in these ongoing investigations," the statement read.

A former Scout Camp at Nords Wharf has already been searched in connection to the missing girl and women.

Mr Smith said it would be prudent to look at the former Crangan Bay campsite.

"Given what we found and where we found it, really it needs to be looked at," he said.

"We've got to tip over every stone in this matter."

Mr Smith said the camp could also be linked to other crimes, telling the inquiry about witnessing girls in distress decades later.

"In 1998 I was living at the campsite with my family and one night two very distressed young girls appeared at our door," he said.

"They complained that they had been raped by a man who had offered them a lift."

He said he reported that incident to police as well.

'Police never give up'

New South Wales Police Minister Yasmin Catley said detectives were working tirelessly with advanced technology to solve cold cases.

"These days the technology is so advanced and the policing methods are so advanced,"

"New South Wales police never give up. These cases all remain open and the work that they do is second to none."

"I have all the confidence in the Unsolved Homicide Squad to continue to do the incredible work that they do."