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
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
The Trial of Lindy and Michael Chamberlain – Famous Trials
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