There is a "strong possibility" a woman who disappeared at Warren in 1978 may have thrown herself into flood waters while suffering the effects of mental illness.
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That's the view of the coroner who investigated the death of Margery Joyce Taylor.
"The evidence is not sufficient to allow me to make that finding," Magistrate Michael Barnes said at the conclusion of an inquest in Glebe Coroner's Court.
"As a result of considering all the documentary... and oral evidence ... I am able to determine death occurred.
"I cannot discount the possibility that she accidentally fell into the river or wandered off into the bush.
"Accordingly the manner (and cause) of death is unascertained."
Mrs Taylor was 50 years of age when she was last seen at Warren on September 7, 1978.
No trace of her was ever found despite extensive searches of the local area and prolonged investigations by police.
The disappearance was reported to police the day after Mrs Taylor was last seen. It was not reported to the coroner until May 10, 2014.
"That delay has significantly impacted upon my ability to receive evidence that might otherwise have been relevant to the inquest," Magistrate Barnes said.
The inquest heard Mrs Taylor was born Margery Joyce Heath on June 1, 1928 in Ballarat, Victoria.
In 1944 she married John Taylor and they had six children. Mr Taylor died in 2001. Only two of the children are still alive.
Throughout her marriage Mrs Taylor remained at home attending to her children and house duties, firstly on a grazing property at Wilcannia and later at Byrock Station.
Since the 1950s Mrs Taylor suffered from mental illness variously described in medical records as bipolar disorder, depression, hypermania and depressive psychosis.
She was admitted and treated continually for these medical conditions. The last admission was two months before her disappearance.
The inquest heard Mrs Taylor separated from her husband in 1975 and moved to Warren where two of her children and their families were living.
Mrs Taylor was dependent on a separated wife's pension supplemented by babysitting.
In the weeks prior to her disappearance Mrs Taylor was not well and she had allegedly been encouraged to discontinue psychotropic medication.
The inquest heard on the evening of September 7 Mrs Taylor went to mass. According to one of her daughters she was acting strangely "singing to statues and allegedly saying she was going to heaven".
Mrs Taylor left the church at about 7.15pm. The initial missing person's report stated Mrs Taylor visited "a friend" after church.
"Regrettably this was not followed up at the time," Magistrate Barnes said.
"So we now have no way of knowing who that friend was or what exactly transpired during their meeting."
It had been raining in the days preceding Ms Taylor's disappearance. The Macquarie River was in flood and had broken its banks in many places.
In the days after Ms Taylor was reported missing the Warren Volunteer Rescue Association searched the river.
The inquest heard fast-flowing water and a large build-up of debris made locating a submerged body almost impossible.
"It is necessary to note that at the time of Ms Taylor's disappearance her estranged husband was at his rural property and unable to access the township because of flooding," Magistrate Barnes said.
"He can therefore be excluded from having any involvement in the disappearance.
"Once local police responded unsuccessfully to the report of Mrs Taylor's disappearance the incident received no further follow-up until it was reactivated in 2014.
"Since that time the usual searches of government records and health institutions have been undertaken. Those inquiries revealed no contact between Mrs Taylor and any government service or health care institution.
"No registry of birth, death and marriages has any relevant entries.
"Her surviving family members say there has been no contact from Margery since she went missing on the night of September 7, 1978.
"They say and I accept that were she still alive, they believe she would have contacted them."