When baby Azaria Chamberlain died in mysterious circumstances at Ayres Rock in 1980, many Australians were quick to believe that something fishy was going on, especially when they learned that Michael Chamberlain was a pastor of a religion they didn’t know much about – the Seventh Day Adventists.
The general consensus of the media was that the Chamberlains had killed their baby so they ran newspaper articles and television interviews to support this theory. Azaria meant “Sacrifice in the Desert” they said when in fact it was Hebrew for “Blessed of God”. Lindy often dressed the baby in black which had sinister connotations, there was no way that a dingo would take a sleeping baby from a tent and then the clincher – the expert witness who said that blood found in the Chamberlain’s car was foetal. Everyone seemed satisfied that justice was done, Linda was found guilty and sent to prison and Michael was found to be an accessory after the fact.
It didn't matter that there were attacks on children around the Rock leading up to Azaria's death, earlier that month a three year old girl was seized around the head by a dingo and dragged from the family car. Chief ranger Derek Roff posted notices around the camp area, motels, visitors' block and store to warn people not to feed the dingoes.
NT Coroner Elizabeth Morris will hold a fresh inquest into Azaria’s disappearance in February and this time, they will focus on new evidence about dingo attacks on infants and children. Clinton Gage was killed by two dingoes on Fraser Island in 2001 and a three year old girl was stalked by a pack of dingoes, pinned to the ground and bitten on both legs. The Coroner said that no witnesses would be called but evidence would be tendered and submissions received.
After 30 years, three inquests, a trial, a royal commission and a pardon, let’s hope they get it right this time.
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