Inquest proceedings are underway to find out what happened to a teenager who went missing in the Coalfields five years ago.
The Newcastle Herald reported in June that a Coronial investigation into the 2016 disappearance of Dylan Ray Dickie near Cessnock had been granted.
The hearing began in Cessnock Coroners Court on Thursday. It was left part heard and Magistrate Andrew Miller adjourned the matter to the same court on November 5.
It came amid National Missing Persons Week - an annual awareness campaign calling for information that could help bring closure to families of the 2500 people who remain unaccounted for across Australia.
"We are looking forward to seeing what information comes to light from the inquest as we believe there is a lot more to this story," Dylan's mother Nicole Dickie told the Newcastle Herald this week.
The 19-year-old was last seen leaving his family's home on a Yamaha 250 trail bike on June 23 2016.
He was reported missing after he failed to return.
The trail bike, a helmet and a pair of gloves were discovered during a search of Corrabare State Forrest, about 20km outside Cessnock, about a week after he vanished. Dylan has not been seen in the past five years.
According to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) Missing Persons Register, there are at least 29 people unaccounted for across the Hunter and Central Coast.
Those on the register are long-term missing persons, meaning they have not been seen for at least three months. Many have been missing for years or even decades.
Zac Barnes, Dylan Dickie, Amanda Robinson, Robyn Hickie, Gordana Kotevski, David Webber, Lawrence Anderson, Rhydian Trent Morgan, Christopher Chillingworth, Michael Fowler and Steven Fenwick are just some of the names on the register with a link to the Hunter.
More than 51,000 missing persons reports were made across Australia in 2020, according to the AFP.
Anyone with information that could help in the search for a missing person can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. National Missing Persons Week runs until August 7.
