When Mr Mackay went missing and was declared dead in 1977, many Hay residents were left in shock that such a thing could happen so close to home.

Mary-Anne Towler was just 11 when Mr Mackay was killed, and she remembers it as a dark period for the region.

“I remember it being absolutely devastating. It was a terrible, terrible thing,” she said.

“It brings up sad feelings because he was a hero of his time.

“He was the only one who stood up to the mafia.

“Everyone knew it had gone too far, for someone to be murdered so close to our community.

“I was only young when it all happened – do I think they’ll find him? I just don’t know. I hope they do find his remains, for his family’s sake.”

Others aren’t so sure.

“It could be a wild goose chase, you don’t know,” another Hay resident, who asked not to be named, told The Daily Advertiser.

“Thirty-six years later, someone gives some information. Then again, the other story is they increased the reward money not long ago – are they (the informant) going to live long enough to spend it, when they’re tipping against the mafia?

“There are that many stories getting around these little country towns, you don’t know what’s true. You’ve got to remember (that back then) we had Mr Al Grassby in parliament – and he said there are no drugs in the Riverina.”

With police estimating the search could take another three to five days – and even more if bad weather hits – there won’t be much else happening at the farm.

Lettuce patches will be left empty of workers as stringent protocols are enforced, with anyone going onto the property reportedly having to sign in and vehicles being searched.

Matt Dowse has worked on the farm for five years, but doesn’t think much will be uncovered by police.

“I don’t think they’ll find anything – I’ve been there five years and I’ve never seen anything ... or found any bones,” he said.

“There’s not much we can do, I’ll only miss a week out on a week's work. It’s got Hay talking, that’s for sure.”

And that it does. The town’s main street is still buzzing, and it’s likely to stay that way until something is uncovered or the police leave. Mrs Towler echoed community concerns that even if nothing is unearthed during the search, Hay’s reputation could be tarnished.

“The locals also think this is a misrepresentation of Hay … and Hay is not like that,” she said.

Barbara Mackay passed away in 2001, not knowing where her husband’s body was deposited, a fact that haunts Hay woman Trish Pearson and has her hoping for a happy ending to the search.

“Poor old Mrs Mackay went to the grave not knowing,” Mrs Pearson said.

“I’d like it to be a positive thing, that they do find him because it’ll be closure for the family. (It’d be hard) to lose a kid or a loved one and not know what’s happened to them.”