Estelle Blackburn
Encyclopedia
Estelle Blackburn is a journalist who has played a crucial role in the review of some controversial criminal cases in Western Australia
.
, to Margaret Mercer Blackburn (1920–90) and George Everard Blackburn (1917–82), and younger sister to Dr Gregory Blackburn (born 30 May 1947), Estelle Blackburn spent her pre-school years in Northam, Western Australia
.
In 1956 her father's employment as a Personnel Manager with AMP Limited
required the family to return to Perth, where she attended Floreat Primary School in 1956 and Presbyterian Ladies College, Perth Primary School, from 1957 to 1961.
She attended and completed high school at Methodist Ladies' College, Perth
, from 1962 to 1967, obtaining a Western Australian High School Leaving Certificate with distinctions in the subjects English and Music.
as a full-time student. She succeeded in entering the journalism cadetship program in 1969. While working for WA Newspapers, she completed a Bachelor of Arts
degree part-time with a double major in psychology
and anthropology
, progressing from general news and minor features to coverage of the proceedings of the WA state parliament. In 1974 she travelled to Europe contributing some articles to Western Australian journals as a freelance correspondent.
In 1980 she returned to Perth and joined the ABC
as a radio and television reporter. In 1985 she was invited to apply for a position in the media office of the WA government as the media advisor to the minister for police and local government, Jeff Carr, and later Gordon Hill. In 1990 she became junior media advisor in the office of the premier of Western Australia
, Carmen Lawrence
, until the defeat of the Lawrence government in 1993.
's brother, who met Blackburn at a dance in November 1991, claimed his older brother had been framed for a murder committed by Eric Cooke
. Though skeptical Blackburn met John Button in February 1992. After hearing his testimony and reading the appeal books kept from his previous court actions, decided that his case would be an appropriate topic for a book.
During the following ten years this project became a combined exercise in authorship and citizen advocacy which led to the re-opening of the cases of both Button and Darryl Beamish
and the quashing of their long-standing convictions. The key discovery in the revision of the case histories was that Eric Cooke had been a multiple-method killer. His offences show a significant deviation from the pattern generally accepted as the orthodox serial killer
template, which holds that such killers target the same type of victim in the same way, impelled by the same underlying motive, police at the time didn't make public Cooke's deviation from this.
Following the initial publication of Broken Lives in 1998, Blackburn became the recipient of a number of awards, the most significant being the Medal of the Order of Australia and a Walkley Award. Renewed public interest in the cases led to several appearances in the electronic media, including two on ABC Television
's high-profile programme, Australian Story
, in 1998 and 2002. This increased media profile afforded an opportunity to engage in paid public speaking and invitations to contribute to true-crime anthologies.
Blackburn assisted in the preparation of the appeal cases for John Button and Darryl Beamish and acted as media liaison for the defence team. In 2002, the conviction of John Button for manslaughter was quashed with Darryl Beamish's wilful murder conviction being quashed in 2005.
.
•
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
Early life
Born in PerthPerth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, to Margaret Mercer Blackburn (1920–90) and George Everard Blackburn (1917–82), and younger sister to Dr Gregory Blackburn (born 30 May 1947), Estelle Blackburn spent her pre-school years in Northam, Western Australia
Northam, Western Australia
Northam is a town in Western Australia, situated at the confluence of the Avon and Mortlock Rivers, about north-east of Perth in the Avon Valley. At the 2006 census, Northam had a population of 6,009. Northam is the largest town in the Avon region...
.
In 1956 her father's employment as a Personnel Manager with AMP Limited
AMP Limited
AMP Limited is an Australian financial corporation. It operates primarily in Australia and New Zealand. AMP formed in 1849 as the Australian Mutual Provident Society, a non-profit life insurance company. In 1998 it was demutualised and listed on the Australian and New Zealand stock exchanges...
required the family to return to Perth, where she attended Floreat Primary School in 1956 and Presbyterian Ladies College, Perth Primary School, from 1957 to 1961.
She attended and completed high school at Methodist Ladies' College, Perth
Methodist Ladies' College, Perth
The Methodist Ladies' College, Perth , is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for girls, located in Claremont, a western suburb of Perth, Western Australia....
, from 1962 to 1967, obtaining a Western Australian High School Leaving Certificate with distinctions in the subjects English and Music.
Education and early career
When unsuccessful in her initial application for a journalism cadetship with West Australian Newspapers she was offered a position with the company as a clerk in the newspaper library which she occupied for three months. In 1968 gaining a Commonwealth government scholarship to attend the University of Western AustraliaUniversity of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
as a full-time student. She succeeded in entering the journalism cadetship program in 1969. While working for WA Newspapers, she completed a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree part-time with a double major in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
, progressing from general news and minor features to coverage of the proceedings of the WA state parliament. In 1974 she travelled to Europe contributing some articles to Western Australian journals as a freelance correspondent.
In 1980 she returned to Perth and joined the ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
as a radio and television reporter. In 1985 she was invited to apply for a position in the media office of the WA government as the media advisor to the minister for police and local government, Jeff Carr, and later Gordon Hill. In 1990 she became junior media advisor in the office of the premier of Western Australia
Premier of Western Australia
The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...
, Carmen Lawrence
Carmen Lawrence
Carmen Mary Lawrence is a retired Australian politician; a former Premier of Western Australia and the first woman to become Premier of a State of the Commonwealth of Australia....
, until the defeat of the Lawrence government in 1993.
Broken Lives
John ButtonJohn Button (campaigner)
John Button, born in Liverpool, England on 9 February 1944, is a Western Australian who was the victim of a significant miscarriage of justice.-Conviction:...
's brother, who met Blackburn at a dance in November 1991, claimed his older brother had been framed for a murder committed by Eric Cooke
Eric Edgar Cooke
Eric Edgar Cooke nicknamed The Night Caller was an Australian serial killer. From 1959 to 1963, he terrorised the city of Perth, Western Australia, by committing 22 violent crimes, eight of which resulted in deaths....
. Though skeptical Blackburn met John Button in February 1992. After hearing his testimony and reading the appeal books kept from his previous court actions, decided that his case would be an appropriate topic for a book.
During the following ten years this project became a combined exercise in authorship and citizen advocacy which led to the re-opening of the cases of both Button and Darryl Beamish
Darryl Beamish
Darryl Beamish is a Western Australian who was wrongfully convicted of willful murder in 1961 and sentenced to hang. The death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment and he served 15 years....
and the quashing of their long-standing convictions. The key discovery in the revision of the case histories was that Eric Cooke had been a multiple-method killer. His offences show a significant deviation from the pattern generally accepted as the orthodox serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
template, which holds that such killers target the same type of victim in the same way, impelled by the same underlying motive, police at the time didn't make public Cooke's deviation from this.
Following the initial publication of Broken Lives in 1998, Blackburn became the recipient of a number of awards, the most significant being the Medal of the Order of Australia and a Walkley Award. Renewed public interest in the cases led to several appearances in the electronic media, including two on ABC Television
ABC Television
ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
's high-profile programme, Australian Story
Australian Story
Australian Story is a national weekly documentary series, produced and broadcast on ABC Television.Since 1996 Australian Story has featured many Australians from diverse backgrounds and reputations...
, in 1998 and 2002. This increased media profile afforded an opportunity to engage in paid public speaking and invitations to contribute to true-crime anthologies.
Blackburn assisted in the preparation of the appeal cases for John Button and Darryl Beamish and acted as media liaison for the defence team. In 2002, the conviction of John Button for manslaughter was quashed with Darryl Beamish's wilful murder conviction being quashed in 2005.
The End of Innocence
In 2007, Blackburn's next book, The End of Innocence, was published. A partial autobiography (memoir), it revisited the topics covered in Broken Lives and told the story of the investigation which produced it. This work contained a background story of Blackburn's own experience of violence at the time of writing her first book. Blackburn speculated that a former partner may have been the offender responsible for the Claremont serial murders. This attracted media attention and led to further appearances on radio and television programmes (including a return to Australian Story in November 2007).Awards
Blackburn has received the following awards and honours:- Medal of the Order of Australia. Date granted: 10 June 2002 Citation: "For service to the community through investigative journalism in Western Australia."
- Walkley Award for Most Outstanding Contribution to JournalismWalkley Award for Most Outstanding Contribution to JournalismThe Walkley Award for Most Outstanding Contribution to Journalism recognises long-term commitment and achievement in the Australian media. It has been awarded annually since 1994.The List of winners:* 1994: Robert M...
in 2001. This award recognises long-term commitment and achievement in the Australian media. It has been awarded annually since 1994.
- Western Australian Premier's Book AwardWestern Australian Premier's Book AwardsThe Western Australian Premier's Book Awards is an award for books, scripts, digital narrative and a People's Choice. Awards are provided by the Government of Western Australia, and the awards process is managed by the State Library of Western Australia...
in 1999 in the category Historical & Critical Studies for Broken Lives.
- The Crime Writers Association of Australia's Ned Kelly Award for Best True CrimeNed Kelly AwardsThe Ned Kelly Awards are Australia's leading literary awards for crime writing in both the crime fiction and true crime genres...
(Non-Fiction) in 2001 for Broken Lives.
- Perth Press Club Award for sustained excellence in journalism - 1999
- Clarion Award for greatest contribution to the profession, WA - 1999 See Media and Entertainment Alliance, WA.
- Magazine Publishers' Associaiton Story of the Year - 2002
- Brownes Yoghurt WA Woman of the Year - 2005
- Churchill Fellowship - 2007 to look at innocence projects in UK, US and Canada
- WA Citizen of the Year in the category of Arts, Culture & Entertainment - 2010
- Induction into the inaugural WA Women's Hall of Fame, 100 women, March 2011
Published works
- A condensed version of Broken Lives was published by Readers Digest, Australia and New Zealand, in Encounters in November, 2002, and in 2008
.
•
See also
- Eric Edgar CookeEric Edgar CookeEric Edgar Cooke nicknamed The Night Caller was an Australian serial killer. From 1959 to 1963, he terrorised the city of Perth, Western Australia, by committing 22 violent crimes, eight of which resulted in deaths....
- John ButtonJohn Button (campaigner)John Button, born in Liverpool, England on 9 February 1944, is a Western Australian who was the victim of a significant miscarriage of justice.-Conviction:...
- Darryl BeamishDarryl BeamishDarryl Beamish is a Western Australian who was wrongfully convicted of willful murder in 1961 and sentenced to hang. The death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment and he served 15 years....
- Ronald WilsonRonald WilsonSir Ronald Darling Wilson, AC, KBE, CMG, QC was a distinguished Australian lawyer, judge and social activist serving on the High Court of Australia between 1979 and 1989 and as the President of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission between 1990 and 1997.Wilson is probably best known as...
- Claremont serial murders
External links
- Estelle Blackburn's Website
- Walkley AwardsWalkley AwardsThe annual Walkley Awards, under the administration of the Walkley Foundation for Journalism, are presented in Australia to recognise and reward excellence in journalism. Finalists are chosen by an independent board of eminent journalists and photographers. The awards cover all media including...
website Home Page. - Australian StoryAustralian StoryAustralian Story is a national weekly documentary series, produced and broadcast on ABC Television.Since 1996 Australian Story has featured many Australians from diverse backgrounds and reputations...
episodes featuring Estelle Blackburn:
- 2002
- Transcript of Interview from Episode Murder He Wrote - Part 1 (Broadcast 8:00pm on Monday, 29 July 2002.)
- Transcript of Interview from Episode Murder He Wrote - Part 2 (Broadcast 8:00pm on Monday, 5 August 2002.)
- 2007
- Transcript of Interview from Episode Before You Leap - Part 1 (Broadcast 8:00pm on Monday, 5 November 2007.)
- Transcript of Interview from Episode Before You Leap - Part 2 (Broadcast 8:00pm on Monday, 12 November 2007.)
- George Negus TonightGeorge Negus TonightGeorge Negus Tonight was an Australian current affairs television series hosted by George Negus, which ran on ABC Television from 2001 to 2004.-Dimensions:...
: Transcript of Interview from Episode 15 (Broadcast 6:30pm on Wednesday, 14 May 2003.) - Website for The Crime Writers Association of Australia Ned Kelly Awards
- Methodist Ladies' College, PerthMethodist Ladies' College, PerthThe Methodist Ladies' College, Perth , is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for girls, located in Claremont, a western suburb of Perth, Western Australia....
: Collegians for the 1960s
- George Negus Tonight