![The elderly man and woman were found east of Princetown on Friday last week. The elderly man and woman were found east of Princetown on Friday last week.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/4MhkJ8SfhCqb4cUfcgRRmJ/0cbf7ed9-968c-462f-ac07-6b8640475a04.jpeg/r0_84_790_590_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Updated, Tuesday, 7.22am:
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A Geelong charity worker has remembered a colleague who passed away at Lower Gellibrand 10 days ago in a double tragedy as a 'true gentleman'.
Buckley's Bart Wissink, 78, and his partner Kaye Salisbury, 74, were found deceased about 10.45am on Friday, June 21, on a walking track at Wreck Beach, east of Princetown.
Two shotguns were found at the scene and police believe there are no suspicious circumstances.
It's been revealed by a number of sources a terminal illness diagnosis precipitated the tragedy.
A woman, who does not wish to be named, said she worked as a volunteer at a charity shop with Mr Wissink for the last five years.
She said volunteers only realised the couple had passed away when they were named late last week.
"Bart was lovely - softly spoken, educated and articulate," she said.
"He was worldly but could keep his opinions to himself.
"Bart had strong opinions about certain things, but he knew when to be quiet.
"He was a true gentleman."
The volunteer said she knew Mr Wissink lived at Buckley and Ms Salisbury at suburban Melbourne in Windsor.
"She didn't like the farm. They lived apart," the woman said.
"I miss him. We all miss him.
"We only heard about it last Thursday when he was named in the Geelong paper.
"We had no inkling that was Bart."
The woman said she communicated via text message with Mr Wissink on June 5, a week before the double tragedy.
"They were leaving on a holiday from the 16th, going down to the coast and then up to the Murray," she said.
"He messaged. He had been on holidays from the end of March and that was to be through until the end of May, but they extended that.
"He wanted to be home for lambing season and everything was fine, I thought.
"They just seem to have made a decision.
"It's just a shock."
On Saturday, June 29:
A witness who stumbled across two bodies on a Lower Gellibrand walking track last week has described finding what "appeared to be a well thought out and simultaneous act".
A local couple who discovered the bodies of two elderly people at Wreck Beach last week, who do not want to be named, have been left distressed.
Buckley's Bart Wissink, 78, and his partner Kaye Salisbury, 74, were found deceased about 10.45am on Friday, June 21, at Lower Gellibrand.
Two shotguns were found at the scene and police believe there are no suspicious circumstances.
It's been revealed by a number of sources a terminal illness diagnosis precipitated the tragedy.
It's expected forensic tests, especially gunshot residue, will determine exactly what happened.
One of two witnesses said it appeared to be a well thought out and simultaneous act.
A woman stumbled across the scene went and told her husband what she found, which included two shotguns.
There was no mobile phone service so the couple had to drive kilometres to make a report to emergency services.
They were a bit distressed and very worried anyone else could come across the scene while they were calling authorities.
They turned away cars who were trying to get to the Wreck Beach car park.
A report is being prepared for the coroner.
- Phone Lifeline 13 11 14
On Thursday, 7am:
An art loving elderly couple suspected of taking their own lives, who donated to the Port Fairy Spring Music Festival, have been named.
The Geelong Advertiser has named the deceased couple as Bart Wissink, 78, and his partner Kaye Salisbury, 74.
The elderly man and woman were located by a woman about 50 metres from the Wreck Beach car park at Lower Gellibrand, east of Princetown, about 10.45am last Friday, June 21.
At this stage police believe Mr Wissink and Ms Salisbury had decided to take their own lives.
Two shotguns were found at the scene, licensed to the deceased.
Ballistic and forensic experts spent Friday examining what has been described as a "catastrophic" scene.
It's expected that only forensic tests, including gunshot residue, will reveal exactly what unfolded on the Great Ocean Walk on Thurfsday afternoon last week.
Mr Wissink shared his time at Buckley property, mid way between Winchelsea and Mount Moriac, and a house in the Melbourne suburb of Windsor, where Ms Salisbury was based.
The couple had previously donated to the arts, including the National Gallery of Victoria, Victorian Opera and the Melbourne Recital Centre.
Mr Wissink, a retired mechanical engineer, immigrated from South Africa many years ago and was a supporter of nuclear energy, speaking at inquiries and writing letters to newspapers.
It's understood there was no note left at the Wreck Beach scene, or other explanation, and Warrnambool police detectives are preparing a report for the Coroner.
- Phone Lifeline 13 11 14
On Tuesday, 7.15am:
The bodies of an elderly Surf Coast Shire couple may have been in place for 18 hours before being discovered east of Princetown last Friday morning, June 21.
There is evidence to suggest the 78-year-old man and 74-year-old woman arrived at the Wreck Beach car park at Lower Gellibrand about 2pm on Thursday afternoon.
The elderly man and woman were located by a woman about 50 metres from the Wreck Beach car park at Lower Gellibrand on a walking track about 10.45am.
She is understood to have only got a fleeting glimpse of the scene before realising that something was majorly wrong and contacted emergency services.
There were fears that a scout group in the area had come across the "catastrophic scene" on the walking track, but that did not happen.
Mystery surrounds the deaths as there was no note or other explanation left at the scene, which was cordoned off by police as ballistic and forensic tests were conducted throughout Friday.
There has been speculation about what prompted the deaths, with gunshot residue tests likely to be crucial in determining exactly what happened.
Two shotguns were found at the scene.
Victoria Police have said there were no suspicious circumstances and they are not looking for anyone else in relation to what happened last Thursday.
Police detectives are preparing a report for the coroner.
- Phone Lifeline 13 11 14
On Monday, 7am:
It's been revealed that two shotguns were found with the bodies of an elderly couple east of Princetown last Friday, June 21.
The elderly man and woman from the Surf Coast shire were located by a witness about 50 metres from the Wreck Beach car park at Lower Gellibrand on a walking track about 10.45am.
Victoria Police have said there were no suspicious circumstances and they are not looking for anyone else in relation to what happened last Friday morning.
Ballistic and forensic experts visited the cordoned off crime scene and examined the area.
The scene was described as "catastrophic".
It is expected that tests, including gunshot residue, and the examination of evidence will reveal the exact circumstances of what took place.
On Sunday, June 23: A report will be prepared for the coroner after the death of an elderly couple near Princetown on Friday, June 21, 2024.
Next of kin have now been notified in relation to the deaths of a 78-year-old man and 74-year-old woman who were both from the Surf Coast Shire area.
The pair's bodies were found by a passerby on a walking track near Wreck Beach in Gellibrand Lower about 10.45am on 21 June.
Police are not treating either death as suspicious and will prepare a report for the coroner.
Earlier: Forensic tests are expected to reveal how an elderly couple died on a walking track east of Princetown on Friday morning, June 20.
The man and woman were found by a passerby on a walking track near Wreck Beach, at Gellibrand Lower, about 10.45am.
Police do not believe the deaths are suspicious and have not revealed the identity of the man and woman.
A shotgun was found at the scene and tests, including gunshot residue examinations, are expected to reveal exactly what happened.
The man and woman were found about 50 metres from where their car was parked at Wreck Beach.
Victoria Police said officers had cordoned off the area and a crime scene was established.
"At this early stage, police are not searching for anyone else in relation to the incident," a spokesperson said.
Victoria Police ballistics specialists attended at the crime scene on Friday.
As of Saturday morning police are still in the process of contacting next of kin at this stage so they are unable to release further details.
Officers are preparing a report for the coroner.
Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
The walk where the couple was found is linked to the Great Ocean Walk, a 110 kilometre track between Apollo Bay and Port Campbell.