Tripwire theatre company is in the early stages of recreating the infamous disappearance of three lost children back in 1867, a mystery which to this day has never been solved. 

Ballarat-based director Megan Riedl said she, like many, first came across the tale when undertaking the lost children walk, which seeks to retrace the steps of the youngsters. 

She said rather than producing a blow-by-blow historical account of the tragedy, the play would focus on the relationships between the families of the boys and the community reaction. 

“One of the most interesting things about the story was the politics and why they searched for so long, given it was pretty clear the children were not going to be found alive,” Ms Riedl said.  

“I’ve tried to be really sensitive to the story and how people feel about it but there's certainly conflict in there.”

For 16 days following their disappearance a group made of family and members of the community searched for the children, returning each night empty handed. 

A joint funeral held for the children in the following days was a major affair, with people lining the streets of Daylesford to mourn their collective loss. 

During the creation of the script Ms Riedl worked closely with Daylesford historian Yvonne Fix and the Daylesford and District Historical Society, filing through the stacks of articles which were written on the mystery by both the local and national press. 

Ms Riedl said while the production would feature both experienced and new actors, she hoped to source the majority of talent from central Victoria. 

“We don’t want to come in and try and have people from outside the area tell a local story,” Ms Riedl said.  “Central Victoria has a wealth of people with a creative bent who we’d love to have involved in the production.” 

The play will be performed at the Daylesford Town Hall from June 30 to July 2.