The daughter of Kym Mackinnon has paid tribute to her mother after the 51-year-old was found dead at Tamborine Mountain in Queensland, days after her sister, actress Simmone Jade Mackinnon, appealed for help to locate her.
Queensland Police confirmed that a woman’s body had been discovered in the Gold Coast hinterland on Monday. Officers said the death was not being treated as suspicious and that a report would be prepared for the Coroner.
Kym had last been seen on Guanaba Road at Tamborine Mountain. Simmone, best known for playing Stevie Hall in the Australian drama McLeod’s Daughters, had urged members of the public to share an appeal for information.
Following the discovery, Kym’s daughter Rayne Johnsen shared a moving message remembering her mother’s support throughout her childhood and adult life.
She described Kym as the woman who drove her to dance classes during the week, accompanied her on weekend trips and encouraged her ambitions.
“You made me believe that I could do anything,” Ms Johnsen wrote, before describing her mother as “the showgirl, the dancer, the star”. She ended the tribute with the words: “I love you, DANCE IN PEACE MUM.”
Kym was also remembered by a former dance student, who said she had possessed an “incredible ability” to make people feel seen.
The student described her as humble and reluctant to take credit, adding that Kym had been one of the first teachers to show her how to express emotion through movement.
Police have released no further details about the circumstances of the death.
Simmone Jade Mackinnon joined McLeod’s Daughters in its third season and remained with the series until it ended. She also appeared in Baywatch Hawaii and recently returned to television, winning the Australian adventure reality series The Summit.
