Dingo ate my baby

"A dingo ate my baby!" is a cry popularly attributed to Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton, as part of the 1980 death of Azaria Chamberlain case, at Uluru in the Northern Territory, Australia. The Chamberlain family had been camping near the rock when their nine-week-old daughter was taken from their tent. Prosecuting authorities rejected her story about a dingo as far-fetched, securing convictions for murder against her, along with her then-husband Michael Chamberlain as an accessory after the fact. After years of challenge in the courts, both parents were absolved of the crime, and a coroner found that Azaria was indeed killed by a dingo.[1]

The phrase was popularised via the case, but Chamberlain is reported to have called out to her husband either "the dingo's got my baby," "a dingo took my baby!",[2] "that dog's got my baby!" or "my God, my God, a dingo has got my baby!"[1]

Cultural impact

The phrase has evolved beyond its origins to become a widely recognised cultural reference. Media analysis has noted how the phrase transformed from a cry for help into a global catchphrase, representing broader themes of media misrepresentation and public perception.[3]

The phrase has been adopted in various forms of cultural expression, including street art. Academic research has documented the phrase's adoption in Australian street art, with scholar Samantha Edwards-Vandenhoek noting parallels between Chamberlain's treatment by the media and the vilification of graffiti writers in press coverage.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b "Inquest into the death of Azaria Chantel Loren Chamberlain [2012] NTMC 020" (PDF). Coroners Court of the Northern Territory. Northern Territory Government of Australia. 12 June 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-06-12. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  2. ^ "Using the Chamberlain Case to explore evidence in history" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 11, 2011. Retrieved 2014-10-25., National Museum of Australia, p. 7, 2001. Accessed 2014-10-25.
  3. ^ "The Real Story Behind "The Dingo Ate My Baby"". On the Media. WNYC Studios. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
  4. ^ Edwards-Vandenhoek, Samantha (2012). Graffiti archaeography: the poetics of engagement in Sydney's inner suburbs (PDF) (PhD thesis). Western Sydney University. p. 209. Retrieved 10 August 2025.

Further reading

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