In August 1980, an Australian family suffered a tragedy while camping in Uluru (also known as Ayer’s Rock) in Northern Territory, Australia. Lindy and Michael Chamberlain’s baby, Azaria, was taken from their tent by a dingo, a breed of wild dog. Lindy reportedly screamed “A dingo ate my baby!” which became a punchline across the country, and even the world.
After a wide search, Azaria’s body was never found. Even though an inquest initially accepted Lindy's word that Azaria had been taken by a dingo, she was later accused of murdering her own child. She was tried for murder and sentenced to life in prison. Her husband, Michael, was later convicted of being an accessory after the fact. But the discovery of new evidence vindicated the couple years later, and Lindy was freed.
Th
e whole saga exposed numerous issues in Australian society: attitudes towards women, the role of the media, the entertainment industry, the judiciary, and the process of investigations. There was even a film about the tragedy released in 1988 called “A Cry in the Dark,” with actors Meryl Streep and Sam Neill portraying the real-life couple.
The actual quote, “A dingo ate my baby,” often varies in popular culture. The night Azaria was taken, some news outlets quoted Lindy as saying “A dingo’s got my baby,” while others stated that she said, “A dingo stole my baby.” Regardless, variations of this quote became ubiquitous and often a running joke.
