Courtroom sketch 'Michael Chamberlain in the witness box. Chamberlain Trial, Darwin '82.' by Veronica O'Leary.

View this record on the National Museum of Australia's website

Type: Courtroom drawings
Date: 13 September 1982 - 29 October 1982
Place: Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia; Uluru, Northern Territory, Australia
Materials: Coloured pencil, Ink, Paper
Collection: Veronica O'Leary collection no. 1
Accession number: 2011.0024.0074

Description

An ink and coloured pencil drawing on pale blue coloured pastel paper. The drawing depicts a courtroom scene featuring a judge, a man in the witness box with a microphone facing towards him, two figures in legal attire and a woman seated in the foreground. Handwritten text reads 'Michael Chamberlain in the witness box. Chamberlain Trial, Darwin '82.'. The drawing is signed 'V O'Leary' and is mounted on black card.

About the collection

The Veronica O'Leary collection consists of drawings made during the criminal trial of Lindy and Michael Chamberlain in Darwin in 1982. Veronica O'Leary was an artist and teacher living in Darwin who applied for the position of courtroom artist for the Australian Broadcasting Commission (now the Australian Broadcasting Corporation). The ABC paid for the rights to broadcast the drawings as part of the television news coverage of the events in court. The disappearance of Azaria Chantel Loren Chamberlain (11 June - 17 August 1980) has become one of the most infamous events in contemporary Australian history. The explanation of her disappearance, that she was prey to a dingo at Ayers Rock (now Uluru), was soon treated with suspicion by the general public. After two coronial inquests, Lindy Chamberlain was convicted of murder and imprisoned for over three years, until mounting evidence forced a royal commission that ultimately resulted in the exoneration of Lindy and Michael Chamberlain by the Supreme Court of Darwin. The National Museum holds the largest public collection of material culture relating to the case.

Read live from the Museum's Collection API (12/11/2026, 5:11:52 am). Record last updated by the Museum 2025-02-17. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.