A coroner has found that an Australian soldier who went missing 45 years ago probably died near Mt Ossa, Tasmania's highest peak.
Bushwalker Dan Kokholm, 24, from New Zealand was due to leave for Vietnam, and was holidaying in Tasmania, when he disappeared in April 1970.
Coroner Simon Cooper found he made entries in the log books of huts in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, with a final notation from him in the Kia Ora hut log on April 29, 1970.
Mr Cooper said he was satisfied that Mr Kokholm made the entry which said he was "going to climb Ossa", and that referred to Mt Ossa.
He said the log book entries were found months after his disappearance after what was a reasonably extensive search "by the standards of the time".
But Mr Cooper said the search was influenced by the wholly baseless police view that Mr Kokholm was avoiding going to Vietnam.
He said no searches of the national park were made until months after Mr Kokholm's disappearance.
The coroner noted the soldier had volunteered to go to Vietnam, and was highly regarded in his unit.
"I find it likely that Mr Kokholm became lost or injured some time on or after 29 April 1970," Mr Cooper said.
"Despite his apparent experience as a bushwalker he was unable to survive his injury or get himself back to the Kia Ora hut or any other place of safety.
"Despite searches in the national park months after his disappearance his body was never found."
There was no finding as to the cause of death.
