In June 1980, 19-year-old Elizabeth Herfort was seen hitch-hiking towards Commonwealth Avenue. She was never seen again.

In July 1984, 17-year-old Megan Mulquiney finished work at Big W in Woden. She never arrived home.

In December 1992, 18-year-old Amelia Toa Hausia disappeared from Canberra.

Decades later, police and families are still hoping for answers.

The three young women are the faces of National Missing Persons Week in the ACT.

Their portraits are on display at Tuggeranong Arts Centre this week as part of Still Missing, Still Loved, a police campaign that recognises how their disappearances — and those of seven other long-term missing people — still affect families and friends.

The portraits, created by Canberra artist Harriet Mitchell, will be given to the women’s families after the exhibition.

“Not knowing really causes distress for [families],” Detective Acting Inspector Craig Marriott said. “With each year passing and information not being received, they feel more and more hopeless.”

Elizabeth was last seen at the ANU Bar on 13 June 1980. Later that night, a person matching her description was seen hitch-hiking south towards Commonwealth Avenue, and is believed to have accepted a lift to the Coronation Drive intersection.

Megan finished her shift at Big W in Woden at 12.05pm on 28 July 1984. She was last seen about 10 minutes later outside the western entrance to Woden Plaza, near the car park. She was expected to catch a bus home, but never arrived.

Amelia was last seen by her family at her Downer home on 17 December 1992. The last reported sighting was at Woden Plaza five days later. Police have received numerous reported sightings over the years, but none has resulted in a positive identification.

“These were young women with hopes, plans, families and futures ahead of them,” Assistant Commissioner Richard Chin said. “These young women and seven others are still missing, but they are not forgotten. We hope this campaign encourages people to reflect on their stories and come forward with any information that may assist the police.”

He said someone might now be willing or able to share information they had withheld years ago, while others might not realise the significance of what they knew.

Detective Acting Inspector Marriott said police were ready to investigate any information, however small or innocuous, and were willing simply to speak with people who had known the women.

“The people who hold it might not recognise the importance of that information,” he said. “Perhaps it isn’t important – but perhaps it is. We don’t know what we don’t know.”

In recent years, he said, witnesses had provided new information that opened up “some very powerful lines of inquiry”.

Ms Mitchell said she wanted the portraits to tap into empathy, which could inspire memories.

“There were different aspects to their stories that I could relate to, like working at Woden Plaza at the same age as Megan. Elizabeth went to the ANU Bar when my mum was actually at uni, so they would have been going in the same bar. I lived in Downer, I know the suburb, the same suburb that Amelia lived in.  

“There were so many connections. I talked to my friends and family about the project, and they told me ‘Oh, I remember when that was on the news’, or ‘I remember hearing about that disappearance’, or ‘I went to school with that person’.”

Anyone with information about Elizabeth, Megan, Amelia or another long-term missing person can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or through the Crime Stoppers ACT website. Information can be provided anonymously.

For more information, visit ACT Policing.