Previously unpublished Michael Chamberlain emails show details of a troubled marriage

FINAL emails from Michael Chamberlain reveal his private pain after the marriage breakdown to Lindy and his daughter’s death.

Michael and Lindy Chamberlain with a poster portrait of Lindy and Azaria Chamberlain taken four weeks before the baby's death. Picture: NT News, Nigel Adlam.

EXCLUSIVE

MICHAEL Chamberlain remained haunted by sadness after the breakdown of his marriage and death of his daughter Azaria until the final months before his death.

In some of his final public comments on one of Australia’s most famous mysteries, Mr Chamberlain was reflective, humble and candid as he shared intimate details of his troubled private life to news.com.au.

Michael, 72, whose nine-week-old daughter Azaria was killed by a dingo in 1980, died yesterday in Gosford Hospital, NSW after a battle with acute leukaemia.

His children Reagan and Zahra and were reportedly by his side as his son Aiden and daughter Kahlia made their way from interstate and overseas to also be with their father.

In the months leading up to his death, Michael spoke exclusively to news.com.au about the impact the death of Azaria had on his marriage with Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton with whom he became estranged.

In previously unpublished emails, Michael said he “always maintained that (Lindy and I) had the ingredients of a good marriage, we had beautiful children, and it could have remained a good marriage ... but we couldn’t quite get there”.

“I remain very saddened by this, despite having had to move on,” he wrote.

“The estrangement has nothing to do with Azaria’s death but certainly the legal attacks on us following was terrible to both personas and our social self worth.”

“Nevertheless, the way we approached her death was quite different. Lindy was very emotional, behind the scenes and I was trying to hold it together.

“My response, I believe, was very male and stoic, distinctly opposite to the caricatured role by Craig what’s-his-name purporting to be me in the Channel 7 mini series of 2004.” [Sic]

Michael Chamberlain’s relationship with his ex-wife never recovered. Picture: AAP Image/William Carroll.

Lindy and Michael Chamberlain enter the Supreme Court in Darwin in 1982. Picture: News Limited.

The comments came after Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton said she struggled to forgive her ex-husband more than anyone else, including those who played a role in wrongly convicting her for the murder of their daughter Azaria.

Speaking at a National Christian Family Conference in Sydney last July, she said she did not hold a grudge against the NT Police, media, general public or the jury that convicted her.

“It’s my ex-husband,” she said when asked about who she struggled to forgive. When asked to elaborate, she refused, saying only “that’s private”.

At the time, Lindy told the audience she had fought not to “get stuck on bitterness and resentment”.

“If you’re holding the anger … you’re not hurting them at all. They’re succeeding well beyond their wildest dreams. It’s you that’s dying,” she said.

In response, Michael said he and Lindy once “had a wonderful marriage” but that he had “moved on”.

“I wish her well in any path she chooses to follow,” he said.

The couple leave NSW Supreme Court in 1987 after they were pardoned. Picture: Colin Murty.

Both parents were later cleared after the death of baby Azaria Chamberlain. Picture: Syd News Corp

Ms Chamberlain-Creighton said in a statement: “I am on my way today to support and be with our children. Given Michael’s death was unexpected, I would ask that the media please consider that Michael’s wife and all of his children are deeply grieving and need some space.”

In one of Australia’s most high profile cases, Lindy and Michael Chamberlain tragically lost their nine-week old daughter Azaria in 1980 when a dingo crept into her tent at Uluru and took off with her in its mouth. Azaria was never seen again.

Lindy was charged with murder and Michael, an accessory after the fact. Lindy spent years in jail until new evidence came to light and proved their innocence. The couple was exonerated and Lindy was released in 1986.

But the pair, who found themselves at the centre of one the most high profile cases in Australia’s history, had been through the wringer. They divorced in 1991.

In 2012, Lindy and Michael fronted the Supreme Court in Darwin together when a Coroner ruled that a dingo had taken and killed Azaria. It had taken 32 years, four inquests, a trial, jail time, an exoneration, and a whole lot of heartache — but the case into Azaria’s death was finally closed.

Both remarried but in July last year Michael said he still faced many challenges.

His second wife Ingrid suffered a stroke about five years ago and he became her primary voluntary carer.

“My life — I don’t wish it on anyone,” he said at the time. .

“I’m looking after my profoundly disabled wife in what is essentially our hospital home.

“I’ve done that for the past five years, except the last seven months when we got three attendants to support us.

“She had a massive stroke … she’s paralysed. She needs care in every way.

“This is a hell of a thing to happen.”

Michael said at the time that things were looking up thanks to National Disability Insurance which had enabled him to return to work at Newcastle University in 2015.

“I’m starting to regain my strength. It’s a wonderful success story, really,” he said. He died six months later.

News.com.au has approached Lindy for comment after Michael’s death.

Originally published as Previously unpublished Michael Chamberlain emails show details of a troubled marriage