In 2002, 18-year-old Niamh Maye had made plans to go home for Easter, but instead, she suddenly disappeared without a trace.
More than 20 years have passed, and her family is still heartbroken with many unanswered questions.
Was she harmed by a stranger? Was it someone she knew and trusted? Or was it something even more disturbing?
No matter what the truth is, Niamh Maye’s family strongly believe that someone out there knows exactly what happened to her, but has refused to speak up.
Let's get into the details.
Who Was Niamh Maye?
Niamh Maye was born on 21st June, 1983.
She was the youngest daughter of Brian and Anne Maye, a close-knit Irish-Australian family from Armidale, New South Wales.
She had six siblings—five sisters, Catherine, Susan, Justine, Thomasine, and Fionnuala, and one brother, Kieron— and their home was full of love and happy memories.
Niamh was a bright and determined student who had just finished high school and was planning to study film production at university.
She was known for being smart, curious, and adventurous, with a good sense of humor and a deep love for storytelling.
When she went missing, she was carrying her Pentax SLR camera, which she loved using to capture the world through her creative eyes.
In early 2002, during her gap year before university, Niamh left home for Batlow, a small town in the Riverina region.
She planned to work as a fruit picker to save money for university, but sadly, she never made it back home.
The Details And Timeline Of her Disappearance
In the early hours of February 16, 2002, Niamh Maye arrived at the Batlow Caravan Park alongside her friends Jess and Brodie from Armidale.
Over the next few weeks, they trio worked in nearby orchards picking fruit and spending time with other fruit pickers from around Australia and abroad.
On March 21, two men—Jason Jack Nicklason and his friend Garth Gemmel—showed up at the caravan park in a black 1969 HK Holden hearse with Victorian license plates (KFT 560).
Two days later, on March 23, Niamh and Brodie moved to the Ardrossan orchard in Batlow for cheaper accommodation and new picking jobs.
While there, Niamh booked a Countrylink bus and train ticket to Sydney, which was set to leave Batlow on Easter Thursday, March 28.
She had planned to meet her sister Fionnuala in Sydney, and head home to Armidale for the holiday weekend.
However, on March 27, there was a problem with her ticket—it had been resold, leaving her without a seat and forcing her to rebook her trip for Easter Sunday, March 31.
That same day, Brodie left Batlow for Healesville, Victoria, with two other travelers, leaving Niamh alone with no close friends in town.
She called her mum, Anne, and her sister Fionnuala to tell them that she was upset about the delay, and disappointed she wouldn’t be home for Easter.
She also said she was worried about what to do during the four days she had to wait in Batlow before her new travel date.
On March 28, which was Easter Thursday, Niamh managed to get a new ticket for a bus which was supposed to leave Batlow on the morning of March 31.
In the days leading up to her departure, she spent time with Jason Nicklason, visiting Adelong Falls and Blowering Dam in his black hearse.
On Good Friday, March 29, Niamh went with Nicklason and his friend Gemmel to Jingellic.
They initially stopped in Tumbarumba to briefly have lunch at the Jingellic Pub, but later decided to camp overnight at the Jingellic campground.
Niamh was reportedly not comfortable with the idea, but Nicklason promised to take her back to Batlow in time for her bus.
On Easter Saturday, March 30, between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m., Niamh and Nicklason left the Jingellic campground in his hearse, reportedly on their way back to Batlow.
But the next morning, March 31, her friend Joel waited at the Batlow bus stop to tell her goodbye—Niamh never showed up, and her bus ticket was never used.
Joel searched Batlow, asking locals if they had seen her, but no one had.
When Niamh didn’t arrive in Sydney that night, her family grew concerned and began searching for answers—answers they’re still desperately looking for more than 20 years later.
When Niamh went missing, she was described as Caucasian, around 170 cm tall, slim, with shoulder-length dark blonde hair and blue-grey eyes.
She was last seen carrying a backpack, tent, sleeping bag and metre-long stick.
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| Garth Gemmel |
The Search and Investigation into Niamh’s Disappearance
On April 3, 2002, Niamh Maye was officially reported missing to Armidale police after failing to arrive in Sydney as planned.
Two days later, her brother Kieron traveled to Batlow to search for her personally, questioning locals and retracing her last known movements.
By April 8, the New South Wales Police established Strike Force Yola, a dedicated investigative team under the Riverina Police District, to coordinate the search and probe her disappearance.
Initial investigations focused on Jack Jason Nicklason, the last person seen with Niamh.
He claimed to have dropped her off on Gocup Road near Tumut on March 30, but police found inconsistencies in his version of events.
Detectives conducted ground searches along Gocup Road but discovered no trace of Niamh or her belongings.
In the following weeks, officers interviewed seasonal workers, backpackers, and locals in Batlow, Jingellic, and surrounding areas, tracking down anyone who might have seen her in the days before she vanished.
Despite this effort, nothing concrete emerged.
In 2005, the investigation took a tragic turn after Nicklason was arrested in Brisbane for the rape of a woman in West End.
While being escorted to the city watchhouse, he fell from the top floor of a three-story building in what appeared to be suicide
His sudden death while in police custody cut off a crucial lead in the search for answers about Niamh’s disappearance.
But despite this setback, Strike Force Yola continued pursuing leads, including reported sightings of Niamh that were later dismissed as unsubstantiated.
A significant development came in March 2012 when a coronial inquest was held in Glen Innes.
Deputy State Coroner Hugh Dillon formally ruled that Niamh had died as a result of homicide, likely at or near Tumut on March 30 or 31, 2002, though her remains were never found.
The inquest heard testimony suggesting Nicklason may have been involved, but without physical evidence or witnesses, no charges were filed.
Police also followed a tip from a psychic who said they should search around the edge of Blowering Dam, but they didn’t find anything.
A separate search was later carried out in an undisclosed location based on new leads, though officials did not reveal the reason or purpose for the search.
During the investigation, detectives noted that none of Niamh’s belongings—like her tent, backpack, or Pentax cameras—were ever recovered.
This raised serious concerns that they may have been deliberately discarded, pointing to possible foul play.
Despite all their efforts, Strike Force Yola’s progress slowed over time due to a lack of fresh evidence, and the case eventually went cold.
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| The type of car Niamh Maye was last seen in which was driven by Jack Nicklason |
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| The type of backpack Niamh Maye was carrying |
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| The type of Tent Niamh Maye had |
Recent Developments and Ongoing Efforts
On June 21, 2023, which would have been Niamh Maye's 40th birthday,
NSW Police announced a $250,000 reward for information leading to the discovery of her remains or to an arrest and conviction in connection with her disappearance.
Riverina Police District Commander, Superintendent Andrew Spliet, emphasized that investigators remain committed to solving the case.
He clearly stated that any information, no matter how small, could provide the missing piece needed to bring closure to Niamh's family.
The investigation, still active, and has been formally reviewed by the NSW Police's unsolved homicide team.
Niamh's mother, Anne Maye, now in her 80s and living in a retirement village in Sydney, still pleads for help from the public.
Her biggest wish is for the family to find Niamh’s remains and give her a proper burial.
The Maye family continues to hope that the reward will encourage someone with information to finally speak up after more than 20 years of silence.
Police have specifically highlighted that Niamh's personal belongings remain unaccounted for, and have asked anyone who may have encountered these items to contact authorities.
These are the personal belongings Niamh had with her when she disappeared:
- A tent
- A backpack
- A Pentax SLR Camera (ME 35–70 + 8 lens with tripod)
- A black Pentax PC 50 compact camera
- A men's style foldable wallet containing: Her Her driver's license, National Australia Bank card, Commonwealth Bank card and Medicare card
- ADEC girl’s chrome wristwatch (model ETI-316-15 with a slim stainless steel band)
- TEAC slimline portable Discman (model PD-P215, serial number 533)
- Black sunglasses with medium-thick plastic frames and narrow, wraparound lenses
If you ever came across any of the items listed above —maybe dumped somewhere near Batlow, in the Riverina region, or even further away — please consider coming forward.
It could help bring long-awaited answers to Niamh’s family.
It's also possible that some of her things ended up in second-hand stores or pawn shops, even though her family searched many of them over the years.
Anyone with information about Niamh Maye’s disappearance is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
The case remains open, with all information received by Crime Stoppers being treated confidentially.
Sources
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