Search efforts look to bushland for missing mother Pauline Sowry over 30 years from the day of her disappearance.

Pauline, also known by her married name Pauline Lawrence, was 49-years-old when she vanished in the northern suburbs of Wollongong in 1993.

Information obtained by police directed the search to the bushland in the Illawarra escarpment in the southern suburb of Wollongong, Figtree last week. 

Strike Force Athena was set up in 2022 to re-examine the circumstances surrounding Pauline’s disappearance. 

Police issued an appeal for information about a potential vehicle Pauline may have been travelling in at the time she went missing. The car is described as a 'pristine' white 1968 Holden HK Kingswood sedan.

Despite ongoing investigations and extensive searches, Pauline’s whereabouts remain unknown. A coronial inquest in 2008 found that Pauline had died, following an unconfirmed sighting in 1994. 

Pauline is survived by her son, Jason Lawrence, who says the ongoing search has brought renewed hope that his family may finally get answers and closure.

“We’ve been robbed of not knowing my mother, I’ve been robbed of not seeing what I’ve become over the years, how strong I’ve been, my career, my children. I’ve been robbed of a mother and robbed of a grandmother to my children. I’ve been robbed of a normal life, I don’t wish it on anybody.”

NSW Police have previously focused search efforts along the Illawarra Escarpment in Figtree and have offered a $500,000 reward for any information. 

Southern Region Assistant Commissioner Joe Cassar says NSW Police remain committed to finding out what happened to Pauline.

“We don’t want to leave any stone unturned, this latest search is another step in trying to find crucial answers for Pauline’s family. Someone out there knows what happened to her and we believe this search could help unlock some vital information, as to where Pauline is.”