The disappearance and murder of Barbara Western - Perth, Western Australia - June 27, 1986
Barbara Anne Western, a 38-year-old mother of two from Perth, Western Australia, disappeared on June 27, 1986, after spending an evening at two pubs in Victoria Park, an inner suburb of Perth. She was last seen that night at Irene’s Park Tavern around 11:30 pm. Five years later, on March 14, 1991, her skeletal remains were found in bushland near Karragullen, her death considered a crime.
Barbara, born in 1948, married young and had two children. After her divorce in 1972, she largely raised her children on her own. Barbara was known as a good mother and a social woman, loved by friends and family, always ready to lend a listening ear. She had been living with her partner in St. James, Perth, since 1983.
On Friday, June 27, 1986, Barbara left her home in St. James early in the evening. She first visited the Balmoral Hotel on Albany Highway. Acquaintances saw her there around 8:00 pm. Later that evening, she was at Irene’s Park Tavern (now Franklins Sports Bar and Bistro), where she stayed until about 11:30 pm. After that, she vanished without a trace.
When Barbara did not return home the next morning, her family raised the alarm. Police launched a large-scale investigation, but weeks and months passed with no trace of her. Her disappearance left a void for her children, family, and friends, who lived for years in uncertainty about her fate.
Only on March 14, 1991, did a breakthrough occur. Two people collecting wood at a track known as ‘Sand Track’ near Canning Dam in Karragullen stumbled upon human bones, just fifteen meters from a side path. Nearby, personal belongings -items of clothing, various personal effects and jewelry- of Barbara were found under a fallen tree trunk. Police confirmed that it was Barbara Western.
The circumstances in which Barbara Western’s body was found indicated she was the victim of a crime, but no suspects were ever arrested. The case drew extra attention because her remains were left in a way similar to the “signature” of serial killer duo David John Birnie and Catherine Margaret Birnie, who committed the Moorhouse murders between October 6 and November 5, 1986.
Although the Birnies’ known murders occurred between October 6 and November 5, 1986, it is possible Barbara was an earlier victim. There are notable similarities, such as the fact that Barbara was last seen at a bar on Albany Highway—a location also linked to another victim who was found buried in Gleneagle National Park near the same highway. The remote bushland site and the arrangement of her personal belongings further suggest possible involvement by the Birnies. No conclusive evidence was ever found, and the case remains unsolved.
Barbara’s children and family still hope for answers. The police have offered a $1 million reward for the tip that leads to the resolution of the case, hoping that someone will finally come forward after all these years.
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