Mystery Bay

In the Tilba Tilba area of the NSW south coast, between Bermagui (south) & Narooma (north).

Lamont Young was a geologist working for the NSW Mines Department, who was sent from Sydney to inspect the new goldfields at Bermagui in 1880.

Wanting to investigate possible sites further north Young and his assistant were offered passage on a small boat with the owner, Thomas Towers of Batemans Bay, and two of his friends. On the way all five disappeared. At 11 am a passer-by saw the boat at Mutton Fish Point, noted it was stationary and concluded there was only one man on board. On his return journey he noted that the vessel was stranded on the rocks and that no-one was on board. He raised the alarm and the authorities found that the boat contained five bags full of clothing, Young's books and papers, a bullet in its starboard side and some vomit. The craft was staved in and there was no sign of the men. Subsequent searches, rewards, government inquiries and wide media coverage turned up the remnants of a fire, some food and three shirt studs. The mystery was never solved.
(from www.smh.com.au/news/New-South-Wales/Bermagui/2005/02/17/1...

There is also a similar alternate story here:
www.eurocoast.nsw.gov.au/CulturalMap/history/MysteryofMys...