SHE was the Miss Havisham of Sydney. Like the jilted bride-to-be in the Charles Dickens novel Great Expectations, Audrey Mountford was rejected by a man she was to marry.

To recover from the heartbreak and humiliation Ms Mountford, an artist, lived out her life until the age of 49 in a cave in remote bushland in the Blue Mountains.

Audrey Mountford and the sunbed she was found on in her cave. Credit:Ben Rushton

Her remains were found on a banana lounge, and she was surrounded by household items including toothpaste, handbags, a knife and fork and a vinyl record of The Last Waltz, recorded in French.

Believing she might have gone overseas to recover from the shock, Ms Mountford's family had not contacted police to report her missing.