The disappearance of two girls at Adelaide Oval in 1973 became one of South Australia's most notorious unsolved crimes, linked to the 1966 Beaumont children case.
Key Facts
- Date of disappearance
- 25 August 1973
- Venue
- Adelaide Oval, South Australia
- Age of Joanne Ratcliffe
- 11 years old (born 1962)
- Age of Kirste Gordon
- 4–5 years old (born 1968)
- Linked prior case
- Beaumont children disappearance, 1966
- Case alias
- Adelaide Oval abductions
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
On 25 August 1973, Joanne Ratcliffe and Kirste Jane Gordon attended an Australian rules football match at Adelaide Oval. The circumstances leading to their disappearance remain unknown, but South Australia Police have long suspected the involvement of an unidentified perpetrator, possibly the same individual linked to the 1966 Beaumont children case.
Joanne Ratcliffe, aged approximately 11, and Kirste Gordon, aged approximately 4–5, went missing during the football match at Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, South Australia. Their disappearance is presumed to have been an abduction, and both girls are believed to have been murdered, though no bodies have ever been recovered and no one has been charged.
The case remained unsolved and became one of South Australia's most infamous cold cases. Police and media have consistently linked it to the earlier Beaumont children disappearance, suggesting a possible serial offender. The two cases together have had a lasting effect on public awareness of child safety in Australia and have been the subject of ongoing investigations.