Vanished in Kalgoorlie: The Unsolved Disappearance of Lisa Govan
Lisa Govan, 28, was known to be a friendly, outgoing woman with a close-knit relationship with her parents, particularly her mother. She was described as a warm-hearted and generous person who was very family-oriented, never missing birthdays, holidays or regular phone calls.
She was working at the Mount Charlotte Hotel in Kalgoorlie and was well-known around town. To those who frequented the Mount Charlotte Hotel, she was known to be outgoing and had a strong sense of humour. She was considered a reliable employee.
Her sudden disappearance from both her job and personal life raised flags. She had no prior history of disappearing or going off the radar. She was not a runaway type. Which made many friends and family of Lisa believe that she was met with foul play.
Despite various reports suggesting she may have left town or gone missing voluntarily, her family has always firmly believed that Lisa would never have disappeared without contacting them, especially not without speaking to her mother.
Her case has haunted the Kalgoorlie community for more than two decades. A $1 million reward remains in place for information that leads to solving the case. Her parents have tirelessly pushed for answers, and recent coronial proceedings have shed new light on events from the day she disappeared, including allegations of serious violence at the bikie clubhouse.
Lisa Govan was more than a headline—she was a daughter, friend, and member of her community whose life was stolen far too soon.
Background of the Case
Before October 1999, Lisa was a social and outgoing woman who lived and worked in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, a mining town with a population of 30,000 at the time. Lisa had a boyfriend, Tim Hammel, at the time of her disappearance, who worked at one of the mines in town. They had moved from Perth for work.
Most of the people who came to the Mount Charlotte Hotel were locals and visitors. Including those affiliated with motorcycle clubs and FIFO miners.
Lisa was known to frequent local pubs and social spots in town where bikies also drank a mingled, such as the Foundry Hotel, the Exchange and other bars associated with Club Deroes’ territory.
Club Deroes and Gypsy Jokers are both outlaw motorcycle gangs that originated in WA in 1960s and 1970s. Both these motorcycle clubs had a Karlgoolie chapter.
Both clubs were heavily entrenched in Kalgoorlie, with their networks and a reputation for retaliation.
She was known to occasionally socialise in the same circles of bikie gang members, this was more casual and friendly. Lisa wasn’t a member or had no direct involvement with the Club Deroes or Gyspsy Jokers.
Her sister Ginette and her mother Pat knew about Lisa’s friendly relationship with the club members. To her, these people were just her friends. To be granted access to the clubhouse, visitors had to be associated with the club members and be invited in, so it seems clear Lisa knew some of the bikies.
However, a lot of young people in Kalgoorlie went to the clubhouse if pubs were closed. In a way, it was just another venue.
Anyone who crossed them or simply witnessed anything risked danger. This context is crucial in understanding why Lisa Govan’s disappearance — reportedly involving these groups — has remained shrouded in fear, silence, and mystery.
Timeline of Events, Investigation and Inquest
On the evening of October 7th 1999, Lisa went out with her friends in Karlgoorlie. Her boyfriend, Tim, was working a 12-hour night shift at the gold mine. Lisa had dropped him there in the ute, as it was pouring rain at the time he started work.
Lisa made a phone call to her mother Pat on the evening of October 7. According to her mother nothing in Lisa’s tone seemed unusual. This call occurred before Lisa went out clubbing, reinforcing that she had regular check-ins with her family and was not acting erratically.
She started her night out at the Exchange Hotel, where she met a work colleague. Lisa moved on to the Safari Nightclub in Hannan Street, Kalgoorlie.
Tim had been phoning Lisa throughout the evening, unhappy that she was out having a good time without him while he was stuck at work, and he asked her to please go home because he didn’t want her out and naturally, he was worried about her. This resulted in the couple arguing, and perhaps to spite Tim, Lisa switched off her phone.
According to witnesses and those with her that night she was in good spirits. She was according to witnesses, ‘not intoxicated’ - she was alert, coherent and socialising.
CCTV shows her mingling with other patrons inside and outside the club. At around 4:30 am on October 8, she was seen interacting with Trefor Atkinson, a former associate of the Club Deroes motorcycle club. Then, an altercation occurs between the two where Trefor attempts to strike her.
But despite this, she shares a taxi with him and a work colleague at 4.45 am. They caught a taxi, which took them a short distance, but Lisa asked the taxi driver to take her back to the Safari, as she wanted to see her female friend, who had been out front of the club. The taxi doesn’t do this. Police have interviewed this man extensively and have stated he is not a suspect.
At 5:00 am, Lisa arrived to the Deroes clubhouse, reportedly with Atiskon and others such as Andrew Edhouse.
On October 8, 1999, the day of Lisa’s disappearance, she was last seen walking on Boulder Road near the Club Deroes Clubhouse around 7:30 am.
Witnesses claimed she was with two men and was possibly on the back of a motorcycle ridden by Billy Grierson, a Gypsy Jokers member.
Other reports say she was seen entering the Club Deroes clubhouse and possibly assaulted inside.
Other witnesses claim they saw her outside the Foundary Hotel bottleshop on Boudler Road, adjacent to the clubhouse. Then she re-enters with Edhouse and Atkinson.
Later that morning, Lisa’s car is found at the Railway Motel car park with her belongings still inside.
When Tim finished work later in the day, he came home to find no sign of Lisa. Ginette then gets a phone call from Tim, who rarely calls, and asks if they have spoken. He was immediately worried and reported Lisa as missing to Kalgoorlie Police.
Then Tim rode around Kalgoorlie on his motorcycle, looking for Lisa. He was panicking and went out searching for his girlfriend.
Initial investigations focused on her known whereabouts the night and early morning she went missing. But there was limited cooperation from bikie groups and most people.
Police raided the clubhouse of Club Deroes on October 15 1999. "At this stage, we don't know if the bikies are connected with the disappearance or not, but obviously, we are taking seriously the fact that she was last seen outside the clubhouse," Detective Sergeant Louise Ball said at the time.
Over a year later in 2000, Crime Stoppers received two anonymous calls providing specific, detailed information about Lisa’s disappearance. While the content of these calls was never publicly disclosed, WA Police and Lisa’s family made public appeals for the callers to come forward again. Sadly, those individuals never made further contact, and the tips could not be substantiated.
The case then remained unsolved for two decades until it was reactivated by the WA Police. In 2017, the WA Police Cold Case Squad raid the Club Deroes clubhouse in Kalgoorlie as part of their investigation. Although no charges were laid at the time, this operation signalled a turning point, bringing Lisa’s case back into public focus.
"Because we've received a large volume of information from the public, we're trying to timeline the movements of witnesses to try and verify the time that Lisa was last seen," Detective Sergeant Atkinson said “We've had a number of people who were living in Kalgoorlie at the time come forward and provide us with times and their movements when they saw Lisa on the 8th of October, 1999”.
The Coronial Inquest
A six-day coronial inquest then start in November 2024 into the suspected death of Lisa Govan.
The inquest heard from multiple witnesses, including bikie associates, civilians, and investigators.
A key figure in the inquest was Andrew Edhouse, a senior member of the Club Deroes, who was reportedly with Lisa on the day she disappeared. Witnesses shockingly testified that Edhouse was seen jumping on Lisa's head as she lay unconscious on the clubhouse floor - possibly killing her. However, Edhouse vanished shortly before he was due to testify, and police have been unable to serve him with a summons.
Atkinson was confirmed in the testimony had striked Lisa in the neck on October 8. "I'm not proud. I could very well [have hit her] and I apologise for that," Mr Atkinson said.
During the coronial inquest into Lisa's suspected death, Atkinson's testimony was marked by a lack of cooperation. He frequently answered questions with "I don't know" or "I don't remember," frustrating investigators and Lisa's family. Atkinson claimed he had never discussed Lisa's disappearance in the 25 years following the incident, despite living with Edhouse, who was considered a key witness.
One significant testimony came from Ross Kimberley Edwards, a tradesman who worked with Kevin Smith, a friend of Club Deroes members. Edwards told the inquest that Smith had informed him he witnessed Andrew Edhouse, a senior Club Deroes member, jump on Lisa Govan’s head while she lay unconscious on the clubhouse floor on October 8, 1999.
Smith allegedly said, "We need to get our story straight," implying an attempt to conceal the incident.
Raymond Fisher, a former associate of the Club Deroes motorcycle gang, positively testified he saw Lisa on the back of Grierson’s motorcycle. This sighting is significant as it suggests Lisa may have been in contact with members of both the Club Deroes and the rival Gypsy Jokers gangs around the time of her disappearance.
Grierson, a member of rival bikie gang the Gypsy Jokers (who allegedly had Lisa on the back of his motorcycle), was shot dead in 2000 by a sniper outside the Ora Banda pub, north-west of Kalgoorlie, allegedly on the orders of publican and former senior Perth detective. This also made it harder to determine if this was true about Lisa being on the back of his motorcycle.
The inquest concluded that Lisa Govan is likely deceased as a result of foul play.
Coroner Ros Fogliani delivered an "open finding", acknowledging the strong suspicion of homicide but unable to definitively determine the cause or location of Lisa’s death.
Lisa’s family continues to seek justice, and a $1 million reward remains in place for information that leads to the resolution of the case.
Both Edhouse and Atkinson were arrested during the investigation but were never formally charged.
Smith's current whereabouts and willingness to testify remain unclear, posing challenges to the investigation
Tim wasn’t found in time to be summoned for the inquest.
Theories
The main core theory in all of this is Lisa’s disappearance and presumed death were linked to the outlaw motorcycle gangs. Police and Lisa’s family have been exploring this theory through the ongoing investigation, with no charges being laid despite significant suspicion.
Testimonies from several sources, including those given in the inquest, suggest that there was a significant altercation inside the Club Deroes clubhouse, where Lisa may have been physically attacked, possibly by gang members. Some theories suggest she was either killed or left unconscious in a compromised state, leading to her presumed death.
The other theory is that Lisa’s disappearance could have been the result of a personal conflict, possibly linked to her boyfriend Tim. However, Tim was concerned when Lisa didn’t return home and actively searched for her; no definitive evidence supports this theory, and it seems less likely given the violent circumstances described in witness accounts. He was also at work.
However, some theories speculate because he had a motorcycle and worked with some Gypsy Jokers at the mines - this could be why Lisa was targetted.
This also supports another theory that posits that Lisa’s death may have been a result of her actions or words threatening the reputation or hierarchy within the Club Deroes or Gypsy Jokers, leading to her death as a way to maintain control or silence her. Witness accounts and inquest testimonies, including those of gang members like Atkinson and Edhouse, indicate that Lisa’s interaction with members might have led to retaliation.
New Evidence, CCTV Footage Emerges and Documentary
In April 2025, previously unreleased CCTV footage resurfaced.
The footage, captured on the night she vanished, shows Lisa interacting with patrons both inside and outside the Club Deroes clubhouse in Kalgoorlie. This footage had been withheld from the public and investigators for years, raising questions about its delayed release. The newly available footage has been pivotal in piecing together Lisa's movements and interactions on the night of her disappearance.
The footage is recorded at various locations both inside and outside the Club Deroes clubhouse in Kalgoorlie. This includes moments where she is seen talking, laughing, and engaging with members of the gang and others present. It paints a picture of a woman who was socialising, rather than showing signs of distress or being in immediate danger.
The footage also shows Lisa outside the clubhouse, where she appears to be interacting with people near the entrance. Some reports indicate that she may have been speaking with or waiting for someone, suggesting that she was still in communication with other individuals at the time.
One of the most significant aspects of the footage is that it shows moments leading up to a potential altercation between Lisa and Trefor Atkinson. While the footage does not directly capture the assault, it does provide critical evidence of the moments just before the alleged conflict took place. Atkinson can be seen approaching Lisa, and based on witness testimony, this is the time when the dispute escalated, with Trefor reportedly attempting to strike her. The sequence of events just before and after this altercation has raised questions about the level of violence involved.
A special documentary titled Catching Lisa’s Killer: Fear and Murder in Kalgoorlie was released in April 2025. This documentary delves into the circumstances surrounding Lisa's disappearance, uncovering startling details about her interactions and movements. The documentary includes interviews with witnesses, law enforcement officials, and experts, providing a comprehensive look at the case. It has been instrumental in bringing new attention to the case and has sparked renewed public interest in seeking justice for Lisa.
The resurfacing of the footage has played a crucial role in refocusing the investigation. It has provided new leads, especially by offering a clearer picture of the altercations that took place and offering more insight into the relationships between Lisa and key figures involved. It has raised new questions about the nature of her interactions with members of Club Deroes and their potential involvement in her disappearance.
It is hoped that this new evidence will help to finally resolve the mystery surrounding Lisa Govan’s tragic end.