True Crime Conversations

53 Years Ago Robyn & Her Classmates Were Kidnapped. This Is Her Story.


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On a Friday afternoon in 1972, in the small town of Faraday, Victoria, 10-year-old Robyn Howarth was playing musical chairs with her classmates when something unexpected caught her eye. She turned to the classroom door and saw two men standing there—one wearing a black mask, the other with dark sunglasses and a hat.

The taller man raised an enormous gun, aiming it at Robyn, her five classmates, and their 20-year-old teacher, Mary Gibbs. As Mary desperately pleaded with them, the men ordered everyone to "get in the van... now."

More than 50 years later, Robyn has written a book, Faraday: A Community Rediscovered, where she recounts, in vivid detail, the traumatic events that unfolded that day. For decades, she has kept her story to herself—until now.

You can buy Robyn's book here.

THE END BITS 

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CREDITS

Guest: Robyn Howarth

Host: Gemma Bath

Producer: Tahli Blackman

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

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If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

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