Kill property hits market
GRACE MASON AND ELIZABETH TILLEY A GRAZING and mining station linked to the murder of a gold prospector has been listed for sale.
Bruce Schuler’s wife Fiona Splitt said she planned to make contact with the new owners when it sold and hopefully go there and look for his remains.
A court ruled Mr Schuler was murdered at Palmerville Station although his body has never been found.
“Whoever buys it, please contact me,” she said.
“I want to make contact with the new owner.
“I want to go up there and search for as long as it takes to bring Bruce home.”
She said a large group of family and friends and probably “half of Cooktown” where she currently lives, would likely want to join a search.
Ms Splitt only received Mr Schuler’s death certificate last year after a coronial finding, despite him being murdered in 2012.
The property owners Stephen Struber and Dianne Wilson-Struber were found guilty of his murder in the Cairns Supreme Court in 2015.
They have never revealed the location of Mr Schuler’s body despite being questioned by police.
Ms Splitt helped spearhead a public campaign which led to the introduction of the ‘no body, no parole’ laws in Queensland two years ago. But while it might have a dark past, Palmerville Station is on prime grazing land.
It has aabout 70km of double frontage on to the Palmer River and a rolling term lease to 2035.
It is about 70km southwest of Laura and is a mix of undulating ridge country and rough broken ranges associated with the Great Dividing Range.
There are several creeks and gullies extending to the south across eroded plains and it has extensive infrastructure including a homestead, machinery sheds, cattle yards and various grazing and holding paddocks.
It is currently being used for cattle breeding and is being sold with its existing mixed Brahman and short horn cross cattle breeds.
The area is also known as one of Queensland’s largest alluvial gold deposits and hosts more than 30 mining leases.
During the murder investigation, police described the difficulties surrounding the search for Mr Schuler’s body, saying the crime scene was “the size of Hong Kong”.