Case 136

Azaria Chamberlain

*** Content Warning: child victim ***

On August 17 1980, the Chamberlain family were camping at Uluru when Lindy Chamberlain went to put her nine-week-old daughter Azaria to sleep in the tent. Moments later, the other campers heard Lindy cry out, “My God, my God, a dingo has got my baby!”

Lindy insisted she’d seen a wild dog take her baby daughter, but many members of the Northern Territory police and the wider public weren’t convinced. The Chamberlain case divided the people of Australia in what became one of the country’s most high profile true crime stories.

CREDITS

 

Casefile Presents

 

EPISODE:

Research – Erin Munro

Writing – Elsha McGill and Erin Munro

Creative direction – Milly Raso

Narration – Anonymous Host

 

MUSIC:

‘Flatline intro’ and ‘Come play with me’ intro and outro – www.dl-sounds.com

Audio production – Mike Migas 

Scoring – Mike Migas and Andrew Joslyn

 

OTHER:

Logo and website design – Paulina Szymanska

 

PREMIUM

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RESOURCES

 

BOOKS

Evil Angels – John Bryson, edition published in 2000

New forensic evidence in support of an inquiry into the convictions of M. and L. Chamberlain – Chamberlain Innocence Committee, 1985

 

DOCUMENTARIES

Dingo’s Got My Baby: Trial by Media  New York Times, Retro Report

 

WEBSITES

Timeline – The Age

Timeline – Lindy Chamberlain

Lindy Chamberlain biography

The Trial of Lindy and Michael Chamberlain – Famous Trials

National Museum of Australia

Australian Museum

Bush Heritage Australia

Australian Geographic

Queensland Government 

Wikipedia 

 

ARTICLES

Sydney Morning Herald newspaper archives as located at newspaper.com

Blood from animal or child – Sydney Morning Herald, December 19, 1981

The riddle of the clothing – The Age, January 20, 1981

Dingo killed baby, unknown person took body: coroner – The Canberra Times, February 21, 1981

Azaria met death when attacked by a wild dingo – The Age, February 21, 1981

Lindy Inc, an industry resurrected – Sydney Morning Herald, February 7, 1986

It brought it all back to her… she was very much upset – Sydney Morning Herald, February 7, 1986

For Lindy, a full pardon – Sydney Morning Herald, June 3, 1987

Lindy silent as legal saga draws to a close – The Age, May 26, 1992

Fees eat up payout: Lindy – Sydney Morning Herald, June 1, 1992

Melbourne man claims to have found Azaria’s body – ABC – PM, July 5, 2004

Chamberlains say they bear no grudge towards Frank Cole – ABC – The World Today, July 7, 2004

Accident prompted Azaria story, says neighbour – The Age, July 10, 2004

Azaria Woman? Lived Here – Warwick Daily News, August 27, 2005

A dingo ate their ethics – ABC – Media Watch, September 26, 2005

Jury notes shed light on Azaria mystery – Stuff, August 9, 2010

This vast stupendous fraud – The Courier Mail, February 18, 2012

Australia asks again: did a dingo kill the baby? – Newsday, February 23, 2012

Azaria’s fateful night reverberates 30 years on – ABC, March 2, 2012

Three decades to reach justice – Sydney Morning Herald, June 9, 2012

Dingo to blame for Azaria’s death: coroner – The Age, June 12, 2012

Four Coroners – The Monthly, July 2012

Michael Chamberlain dies after battle with leukaemia – The Herald Sun, January 10, 2017

 

COURT DOCUMENTS

1982 Coronial Inquest

Chamberlain v R (No 2) (“Chamberlain case”) [1984] High Court Appeal  7; (1984) 153 CLR 521 (22 February 1984)

1986 Royal Commission

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