Fears raised for famous restaurateur John Kilroy after he disappeared while on a night walk

By SARAH BROOKES - SENIOR REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 03:21, 29 June 2026 | Updated: 03:27, 29 June 2026 Fears are growing for a prominent restaurateur who vanished during a late-night walk along the Brisbane River. John Kilroy, 74, was last seen on Sunday night after heading out for a stroll along the Brisbane River but never returned. Mr Kilroy has been battling cancer for five years and kept it a secret from most people around him. He had been undergoing treatment and staying with friends when he disappeared. 'We are worried about him,' a friend told the Courier Mail.  'He was in great pain and went for a walk and we haven't seen him since. Born on a remote grazing property in far western Queensland, Mr Kilroy started out as a humble waiter in Townsville before rising to build a glittering restaurant empire spanning Cha Cha Char, Jellyfish and Giardinetto alongside stakes in pubs including The Fox and The Exchange. John Kilroy, 74, failed to return after leaving for a walk along Brisbane River on Sunday night But the high-flying hospitality mogul was hit hard by Covid-era dining restrictions, which dealt a crushing financial blow and ultimately forced him to offload many of his prized venues. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.