An elderly Tasmanian man missing for three weeks has been found dead in a Sydney shopping centre stairwell, and an investigation is under way to determine why his body went unnoticed.
Staff at the high-end stores in Westfied Bondi Junction close to where Brendan Gore's body was found said the stairwell was not used by shop employees.
But one worker told AAP he thought the centre's own security was meant to regularly check the stairwell.
The fire safety door on level four leading to the stairs is marked "Do not keep open".
The shopping centre's owners said on Friday "investigations are still under way to determine exactly how these sad and tragic circumstances could have occurred".
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"Scentre Group offers its deepest condolences to the family of the man found today ... and will continue to work with police in their investigations," a spokeswoman told AAP in a statement.
Mr Gore's death is not being treated as suspicious.
The 71-year-old had not been seen since he left his daughter's unit block in Woollahra after noon on January 6 to go shopping at Bondi Junction.
Police were contacted when he failed to meet a family member as arranged.
Mr Gore and his wife had been staying with his daughter's family at the time.
Mark Gore said his father was in the early stages of dementia but the condition was helped by medication.
He said Mr Gore had made the journey between his daughter's home and the shopping centre several times previously.
Mark Gore on Friday told News Corp Australia: "Unfortunately, we didn't get the result we wanted."
"It's just a hard time for us.
"We appreciate everyone's efforts."
