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]