Conversation with Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton

Speakers
Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton and Sophie Jensen

Title
Conversation with Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton

Series
Eternity

Date recorded
14 October 2007, National Museum of Australia

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The night baby Azaria Chamberlain was taken from a tent at Uluru resulted in one of the biggest legal and media events in Australia in the 1980s.

In this conversation with Senior Curator Sophie Jensen, Lindy reflects on justice, the media, grief and the public's continuing fascination with the loss of her daughter.

The Chamberlain case

Lindy Chamberlain was camping at Ayers Rock, now Uluru, with her husband Michael and three children, when the youngest, Azaria, was taken from the family tent on 17 August 1980.

An initial inquest supported the Chamberlains' statement that a dingo had entered the family tent and taken the baby. A subsequent trial found Lindy guilty of the murder of her child and she was imprisoned for three years.

Lindy's fourth child was born while Lindy was serving the sentence. Further investigations and legal proceedings eventually cleared the Chamberlains of any connection with the disappearance of their daughter.

Throughout the process there was a media frenzy and intense speculation about Lindy's innocence or guilt. This interest continues today.

The Museum's collection

The National Museum holds material including courtroom sketches, camping equipment, outfits worn by Lindy and the number from her prison door. Collecting in this area has proved controversial.

The collection includes a black dress worn by Azaria. This dress is a powerful illustration of the frenzy of speculation which surrounded the story. Despite the dress being a one-off creation originally crafted for one of Lindy's sons, rumours emerged that she always dressed her daughter in black – a colour which was perceived by some to be an 'unnatural' colour in which to dress a child - and another sign of her apparent guilt.

A piece of the dashboard from the Chamberlain family's car, used in evidence, is currently on show in the Eternity gallery. Original analysis of the dash indicated that it may have been sprayed with blood. This spray was later found to be sound deadening fluid.

Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton. Photo: Nigel Wright.

Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton has worked with the National Museum of Australia for many years, to document the 250-plus artefacts which relate to the Chamberlain's ordeal.

Lindy and Azaria's story feature in the National Museum's Eternity gallery.

Lindy and Michael were divorced in 1991 and Lindy later married Rick Creighton, who she met on a speaking tour of the United States. They lived in the States until moving to Australia in 1998.

Lindy continues to write and speak about her experiences. She and Rick share a home in the Hunter Valley and work together on home renovations across Australia.

Sophie Jensen

Sophie Jensen is a Senior Curator at the National Museum of Australia.

Sophie has worked with the Chamberlain family on their collection over a number of years.

Sophie is currently located at the National Museum's Centre for Historical Research.

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