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Azaria Chantel Loren Chamberlain born.
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9 weeks, 4 days, approx. 10lb. (4.5kg) Azaria was taken from the tent at Ayers Rock by a dingo
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Fellow camper Wally Goodwin finds Azaria's jumpsuit, booties, nappy & singlet but her matinee jacket is still missing.
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Police statements (ROI's) given by all four Chamberlains at Mt. Isa, and car searched
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Alice Springs Coroner Denis Barritt finds that a wild dog or dingo took Azaria and that no member of the Chamberlain family was responsible for her death, but there was interference with the clothing by 'person or persons unknown'. Ken Brown requests permission to do further tests on the jumpsuit.
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Operation Ochre - Chamberlain's home raided simultaneously with the homes of all other key and some eye-witnesses.
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Northern Territory Supreme Court (Darwin) reject's first inquest and orders a new one.
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Second Inquest Coroner Gerry Galvin commits Lindy Chamberlain to trial on the charge of murdering Azaria. Michael Chamberlain is charged as an accessory after the fact. (dubbed "Inquest by Ambush" in the media) $5,000 bail and $5,000 surety.
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Trial begins in Darwin, NT Judge Justice James Muirhead of the Supreme Court presiding. Called the "Trial of the Century".
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Lindy, heavily pregnant, is found guilty of 1st Degree Murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. Michael, as accessory after the fact, receives an eighteen month suspended sentence.
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Azaria's sister Kahlia born in custody.
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Federal Court bail application upheld pending 1982 appeal. Decision held overnight. $300 bail.
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Federal Court unanimously rejects appeal. Lindy is held at Mulawa Women's Prison, then transferred to Darwin after application for bail pending High Court appeal fails. Kahlia goes to live with foster parents Wayne & Jenny Miller.
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Solicitor Stuart Tipple applies for Lindy's temporary release due to Reagan's eye accident. Request not granted by court.
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High Court Appeal fails in a split judgement of 2 to 3.
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A Petition of 131,000 signatures (later 150,000) presented to Sir Ninian Stevens, the Governor-General.
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Applied for release on licence because of transfer of Kahlia's foster parents. Application denied. Kahlia goes to new foster parents, Dr Owen and Jan Hughes.
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Recently formed "Innocence Committee" submits new evidence to the NT government, and makes an application for an inquiry.
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Stuart Tipple is tipped off that the missing matinee jacket of Azaria has been found during a search for missing body parts belonging to a fallen climber at Ayers Rock. The matinee jacket had been held at the Alice Springs Court House since January 31.
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Lindy finally sees the matinee jacket and positively identifies it.
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February 7, 1986
Senator Bob Collins forces local reporter Frank Alcorta to check his sources. He does, and is so infuriated he writes an article for the local paper and shows it to the NT Government, threatening to print it if Lindy is not released from jail by 12 noon, or an Inquiry is called. They do both. -
After a fourteen month Royal Commission Justice Trevor Morling hands down his finding and clears the Chamberlain's of all guilt or responsibility. If he had been asked he finds support for the view that Azaria was taken by a dingo. In response the NT offers them a Pardon. (This still indicates guilt in Australia.)
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A new act of Parliament is forced through to allow the Chamberlain's to return to court to clear their convictions.
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The Supreme Court of Darwin quashes all convictions and declares the Chamberlain's totally innocent. The court also adopts Morling's view that Azaria was taken by a dingo if they had been asked.
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Release of the film Evil Angels (A Cry in the Dark). It polarises the nation.
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Lindy tells Michael she wants a divorce.
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The Chamberlain's divorce becomes final. Kahlia chooses to live with Michael and visit Lindy, Reagan stays with Lindy and visits Michael. Aidan divides his time between the two homes.
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Compensation paid to the Chamberlains by the Northern Territory government.
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Kahlia asks to return to live with Lindy and custody proceedings are started.
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Lindy is given custody of Kahlia and Reagan (at the request of both children).
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Findings of the Third Inquest are announced. NT Coroner John Lowndes reiterates that neither Lindy nor Michael were in any way involved with the disappearance of their daughter. He leaves the cause of Azaria's death 'open' however.
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Frank Cole contacts the producers of telemovie Through My Eyes and claims he shot a dingo at Uluru in 1980 and found Azaria in its jaws.
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Mr Cole goes public with his claims and says he believes his friend buried Azaria's body in Melbourne.
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NT Police say they will investigate Mr Cole's claims and prepare a report for the coroner.
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The NT Coroner's office decides not to reopen the inquest into the death of Azaria, saying it is not satisfied there were new facts or evidence from the Cole investigation to reopen the inquest.
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Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton calls for the case to finally be closed, and for an apology from the NT government.
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Northern Territory Coroner Elizabeth Morris told a packed courtroom today that a dingo was to blame for the death of nine-week-old Azaria Chamberlain, who disappeared at an Uluru campsite in 1980.
