ABC staffer Jill Meagher has sadly been missing since the early hours of Saturday morning. CCTV footage has provided police with the last glimpse of Meagher, who was last seen walking north along Sydney Road in the Melbourne suburb of Brunswick, just south of Hope Street at 1:41am after leaving her favourite bar, Bar Etiquette – the same bar which yesterday received a bizarre implicating write up in the Herald Sun.
The article goes to great lengths to detail – with an uncommonly lyrical degree of exposition – the hipster furnishings and clientele of the bar as if they’re somehow responsible for a recent spate of abductions in the area.
Here are some unintentional highlights lifted directly from the story, titled “Brunswick’s Sydney Rd nightlife attracts hipsters in the vicinity where Jill Meagher went missing”:
“It’s a place which perfectly represents the Brunswick revolution; subtly cool but not pretentious. It attracts a mix of young hipsters and local drinkers but the music is mellow enough for an older crowd to enjoy a beer by the wood fire.”
“Outside Sydney Rd is bustling as trams rumble up and down the old tracks and locals dash out for some of the delicious foods on offer.”
“It’s hard to imagine somebody could just vanish from this evolving suburb where elderly immigrants live next door to terrace houses packed with university students.”
“It looks more like a 20-something’s living room than a stylish nightspot but is perfectly suited to the young inner-city types sipping on their boutique beers.”
“The furniture is retro chic with decorations that look like they were left over from a dress-up party.”
It’s quite hard to tell whether the journalist is condemning Brunswick through a scathing shopping list of ‘hipster bar’ tropes, or if she’s actually trying to convince readers to pop down to Bar Etiquette for a few boutique beers. Either way this is without question the strangest and most impotent news piece relating to the case we’ve come across yet. There must be more effectual ways for a large media outlet to use its reach and extensive audience than an extraneous nightlife review of a hipster-friendly suburb?
The latest development in the case comes from CCTV footage recorded moments before Meagher was last seen. The Age reports that police are currently looking for four unknown people who were seen in the footage walking along Sydney Road at the same time of the disappearance.
For the sake of Jill Meagher’s family and loved ones we hope answers will be found soon. Anyone with information should contact Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.
Main image via the Help Us Find Jill Meagher Facebook Page.
