Solving a 23 year old mystery

William Sanson Collier’s death wasn’t registered until 1920, 23 years after his death. Because he was missing all that time.
William had been living in Rongokaka near Eketahuna in February 1897 with his son ,who had gone away.
William was never heard from again.
A search was mounted and there was some thought he might have gone to Otaki to another son. But after a while police seemed to come to the view he might have harmed himself.
He had been in good health and for a while search parties combed the area off and on for weeks but there was no sign of William.
Slowly hope faded and William was consigned to the pile of missing people to which no one has the answer.
William was born in Dorset, England to George and Elizabeth Collier in 1832.. The pair, and their six children came to New Zealand aboard the Lady Nugent in 1841.
George and the family settled in Karori and he was, along with others, a trustee of the old chapel there built in 1844. It is now the library.
Collier Avenue is named after this early settler family.
In 1920, a resident of Rongokaka discovered a boot in the bush on his property. It was on top of a ridge and on further investigation a skeleton was also found.
Along with the skeleton was a pocket knife, the other boot, and a hat, all in a pretty good state considering they had been out there for more than two decades.
It was from the items found that William was able to be identified.
An inquest was held and the finding was death by starvation and exposure after losing his way in the bush.
Only then was his death registered.
William had been married to Georgina Swift. She had died in 1889 and was buried in Greytown.
William is buried in the Mangaoranga Eketahuna Cemetery.​