Today In History with The Retrospectors

The Dingo Baby-Snatcher


Listen Later


When two month-old Azaria Chamberlain was taken from her tent by a dingo on the night of August 17th, 1980, the majority of the Australian public believed that her mother, Lindy Chamerlain, had done the deed herself.


Prosecuting authorities charged her with murder. She was imprisoned, but in 2012, a coroner found Azaria's death was "the result of being attacked and taken by a dingo".


In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly ask why the Australian public were so inclined to disbelieve Lindy’s version of events; revisit the injustices perpetrated against the Chamberlains; and consider how on Earth the phrase ‘A Dingo’s Got My Baby!’ became a comedy meme...  


Content Warning: Includes detailed description of true crime and harm against children


Further Reading:

• ‘Horrifying story of Lindy Chamberlain - jailed for murder after her baby daughter was 'eaten by a dingo' on camping trip’ (The Sun, 2020): https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/13418625/lindy-chamberlain-jailed-murder-baby-dingo/

• ‘The Messed Up True Story Of "A Dingo Got My Baby"’ (Grunge, 2020): https://www.grunge.com/291293/the-messed-up-true-story-of-a-dingo-got-my-baby/

• 'Lindy Chamberlain Reflects On The Horror Of Losing Baby Azaria' (The Project, 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2PV4kD5-dg


For bonus material and to support the show, visit Patreon.com/Retrospectors

We'll be back tomorrow! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts: podfollow.com/Retrospectors


The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.

Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Emma Corsham.

Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2021.


#80s #Person #Crime #Sad #Australia


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Today In History with The RetrospectorsBy The Retrospectors

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

103 ratings


More shows like Today In History with The Retrospectors

View all
The Allusionist by Helen Zaltzman

The Allusionist

3,016 Listeners

More or Less by BBC Radio 4

More or Less

878 Listeners

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 by BBC Radio 4

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4

239 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,999 Listeners

Answer Me This! by Helen and Olly

Answer Me This!

827 Listeners

No Such Thing As A Fish by No Such Thing As A Fish

No Such Thing As A Fish

4,880 Listeners

Comedy of the Week by BBC Radio 4

Comedy of the Week

480 Listeners

Curious Cases by BBC Radio 4

Curious Cases

826 Listeners

The Week Unwrapped - with Olly Mann by The Week Unwrapped

The Week Unwrapped - with Olly Mann

76 Listeners

Evil Genius with Russell Kane by BBC Sounds

Evil Genius with Russell Kane

372 Listeners

The Modern Mann by Olly Mann

The Modern Mann

148 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,166 Listeners

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford by Pushkin Industries

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

5,180 Listeners

We Can Be Weirdos by Global

We Can Be Weirdos

193 Listeners

Lunchbox Envy by Lunchbox Envy

Lunchbox Envy

52 Listeners