This week, Michael Chamberlain sat in the Darwin Coroner’s Court for the news he had waited 32 years to hear – that a dingo was responsible for the death of his daughter Azaria and a new death certificate was prepared to state that fact
For
thirty years, the story of Lindy and Michael Chamberlain and the death of their
baby daughter Azaria has been the subject of controversy, sparking intense
interest both here and overseas. It was a seminal moment; most people remember
when they heard the first reports of a dingo taking a baby at Ayers Rock.
It was an international story that played out through several court cases and
inquests and even captured the attention of Hollywood. Meryl Streep and
Sam Neil starred as Lindy and Michael in the film Evil Angels (1988),
and thirty years on is still referred to in popular culture,
referenced in shows like Seinfeld and The
Simpsons.
HEART
OF STONE
is the missing link in the story of Azaria. For the first time, after 32 years
of relative silence, Michael Chamberlain tells his story. He takes the
reader back to the place where it all began – Ayers Rock (before it was
re-named Uluru). In a detailed, methodical and emotional account he writes of
the tragic moment when Lindy heard the ‘cry in the dark’ and the discovery of
Azaria’s empty bed. Michael describes that long night, with Aboriginal
trackers springing to their aid, and the head ranger who had agonised for three
months previously about the troublesome dingoes in the camping areas.
He
describes in detail the heartache of the first inquest (Dec 1980 - Feb 1981) at
Alice Springs – the first to be broadcast live - which declared that the dingo
had taken the baby. Then the incredible
turnaround, when he and his wife were charged with suspected murder.
Michael
relives the painful and horrendous lead up to the arrest and persecution of his
wife Lindy and her wrongful imprisonment for the murder of her own child in the
‘trial of the century’. He takes the reader through the ordeal of the following
inquests and the tragic breakup of their marriage.
When
an English tourist fell off the Rock in 1986 the subsequent police search led
to the discovery of the ‘matinee jacket’ in an area surrounded by dingo lairs.
This led to Lindy’s release ‘on compassionate grounds’ and yet another inquiry.
Despite
both parents being declared resoundingly innocent by a Northern Territory
Criminal Court of Appeal, Michael Chamberlain was not satisfied. His ‘holy
grail’ was to force the NT Government to come clean and declare publicly how
his daughter was killed. This was achieved following the fourth coronial
inquest and on June 12 he received the result he was hoping for.
In
writing HEART OF STONE Michael Chamberlain hopes to finally end this
saga which highlights an incident in Australian history that has proven to be a
gross miscarriage of justice.
HEART OF STONE
Justice for Azaria
Justice for Azaria
By Michael Chamberlain
Published by New Holland Publishers, RRP NZ$45.00 - Friday 6th July 2012
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