Standing Beside Families When They Need It Most
The Wesley Lockyer Foundation was established with one clear purpose: to ensure that no missing person is forgotten and no family is left to navigate the search for answers alone.
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Every year, families across Australia experience the unimaginable trauma of a loved one disappearing. While emergency responses and police investigations begin immediately, many families eventually reach a point where official searches are scaled down, investigative activity becomes less visible, and they are left asking the same question:
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"What do we do now?"
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For many, there is no clear answer.
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The Wesley Lockyer Foundation exists to bridge that gap by providing practical support, professional expertise, and compassionate guidance to families throughout every stage of their journey.
Who We Are
Our story
The Foundation was inspired by the disappearance of Wesley Lockyer and established by his mother, Joanne, and their family after experiencing firsthand the isolation, uncertainty, and overwhelming sense of helplessness that can follow when active investigations and searches diminish.
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Like many families of missing persons, they found themselves navigating complex investigative processes, organising searches, engaging with media, seeking specialist advice, and trying to keep hope alive—all while carrying the emotional burden of not knowing what had happened to someone they loved.
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From that experience came a simple but powerful belief:
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No family should have to face this journey alone.
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What began as a family's determination to continue searching for answers has grown into a professional organisation bringing together experienced investigators, former police officers, search specialists, counsellors, legal advocates, volunteers, and community supporters committed to helping other families facing the same uncertainty.
Our Mission
The Wesley Lockyer Foundation exists to provide families of missing persons with the professional support, practical resources, and specialist expertise they need to continue searching for answers.
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We are committed to:
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Supporting families with compassion, dignity, and respect.
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Coordinating practical assistance when official resources become limited.
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Connecting families with experienced professionals and specialist services.
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Promoting collaboration between families, communities, and relevant agencies.
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Advocating for improvements that strengthen responses to missing persons and unresolved cases.
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Our mission is not only to support families through one of life's most difficult experiences but also to ensure that every missing person remains important, every lead deserves consideration, and every family has somewhere to turn.
The Heart of Our Foundation
Joanne Taylor
Executive Director
We are a dedicated team of professionals and volunteers committed to providing compassionate support and guidance to families navigating the search for their loved ones.
Peter van den Berg
Executive Director
What Makes Us Different
Our Vision
Our Commitment
We envision an Australia where every family affected by the disappearance of a loved one has access to ongoing support, professional expertise, and practical assistance—regardless of how much time has passed.
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A future where families are never left feeling isolated or forgotten.
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A future where collaboration, compassion, and innovation help bring more families the answers they deserve.
Behind every missing person is a family living with uncertainty.
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Behind every unresolved case is someone who is loved, remembered, and missed.
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The Wesley Lockyer Foundation is committed to ensuring that families are treated with compassion, dignity, and respect while providing the professional support, practical assistance, and coordinated expertise needed to continue the search for truth and resolution.
Because no family should ever have to search alone.
The Wesley Lockyer Foundation is more than a support organisation.
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We are a multidisciplinary network that brings together professional expertise, practical assistance, and compassionate care under one coordinated approach.
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Rather than referring families from one service to another, we work alongside them to help coordinate the many aspects of an unresolved missing persons case.
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Our network includes:
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Former Police Officers
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Experienced Investigators
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Intelligence Analysts
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Search Coordinators
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Tracking Specialists
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Legal Advocates
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Counsellors
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Community Volunteers
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Specialist Advisors
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Every family's circumstances are unique, and our role is to help identify what support may be appropriate while providing a central point of guidance throughout the journey.
Our Approach
When families contact the Wesley Lockyer Foundation, they are not expected to navigate the process alone.
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We work collaboratively with each family to understand their circumstances, identify immediate priorities, and connect them with the appropriate support, expertise, and resources.
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Depending on the needs of the case, this may include:
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Case investigation and analysis
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Search planning and coordination
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Family liaison and ongoing support
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Legal advocacy and guidance
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Access to specialist services
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Community awareness and media support
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Counselling and wellbeing resources
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Our focus is on providing practical assistance, coordinated support, and a clear path forward during a time when many families feel overwhelmed and isolated.
Our Team
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Robyn Cottman - Former Police Officer / Investigator / Analyst
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David Kehlet - Case Support Coordinator
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Sally-Ann Kehlet - Case Support Coordinator
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Brooke Mathews - Media / Marketing / Funding Strategist
Collaboration
The Wesley Lockyer Foundation believes that the best outcomes are achieved through collaboration.
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We value respectful partnerships with families, communities, law enforcement agencies, emergency services, Aboriginal organisations, specialist professionals, researchers, and other organisations working within the missing persons sector.
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Our role is not to replace existing services but to complement them by providing additional support, coordination, and specialist expertise where families need it most.