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ABC News
3 days ago
- ABC News
How Bradley Murdoch's murder of Peter Falconio changed Central Australia forever
Twenty-four years ago, the murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio and assault of his girlfriend Joanne Lees sent shockwaves through the Central Australian community of Alice Springs and its surrounds. The mystery left locals wondering "how something so evil could happen" on their doorstep — and almost a quarter of a century on, the event continues to haunt this remote part of Australia. Convicted killed Bradley John Murdoch died last week, at the age of 67, while serving a life sentence in prison for fatally shooting 28-year-old Mr Falconio in an attack near Barrow Creek in July 2001. He never revealed the location of the backpacker's body, taking the secret to his grave. Murdoch was also convicted for assaulting and attempting to kidnap Mr Falconio's girlfriend Ms Lees, whose wrists he tied with cable ties before she managed to escape into bushland. Mr Falconio's family in the UK still holds out hope the backpacker's remains will be found, and a $500,000 reward for information that could lead police to answers is still active to encourage members of the public to come forward. Three hours south of Barrow Creek, the town of Alice Springs felt some of the strongest impacts in the aftermath of the crime that made headlines across Australia and the world. Robyn Lambley, the MLA for the Alice Springs electorate of Araluen and a long-term resident, said the cold case "changed us forever". "It had an instant impact of just horror — how could something so evil happen on our doorstep?" she said. Consumed by "a lot of panic and fear", she said the killing sent a "dark veil" over the unsuspecting community. "It changed our psyche — we went from being fairly innocent, I guess, to having some sort of psychopath commit this terrible crime just up the road from Alice Springs," Ms Lambley said. She said she was an avid bushwalker before hearing about the case, but afterwards, like many others, her outdoor jogs became weighed down by "this feeling that Peter Falconio could be buried just over there and you wouldn't even know it". Ms Lambley said Murdoch's death last week had only "sent more tremors" through the region, reopening the wound and serving as a reminder of "the terrible nature of things that can happen in the middle of nowhere". "The whole chapter … hasn't gone away," she said. Ms Lambley said, with the young couple visiting Australia at the time of the attack, "a sort of frenzied media" from both Australia and abroad had descended on Alice Springs in search of answers. Locals were caught up along with the rest of Australia, she said. "There was so much speculation around what happened, who actually did it, what part did poor Joanne Lees play in it." She said Barrow Creek locals were also dragged into the saga, called to give evidence due to their proximity to the crime. Speculation quickly fell onto Mr Falconio's girlfriend, who had escaped Murdoch and flagged down a truck driver for help, and Ms Lambley recalled her being "put under the microscope" because Ms Lees hadn't grieved how some believed a victim should. Ms Lambley said the fact it was "so difficult to find any sort of body in Central Australia", and that authorities believe Mr Falconio's remains could be anywhere between Alice Springs and Broome, had only fuelled speculation. Former NT parks ranger Shane Bloomfield met Ms Lees on a 2003 tour around Alice Springs Telegraph Station, when he taught her about the region's history. He said at first he did not know who she was, but after learning she was back in the area as part of Murdoch's trial, he told her it was a privilege to meet her and that he was sorry for her loss. "It was very hard to pinpoint any sort of feeling or understanding of who this person was — she had sort of grown this rockstar status overnight — but then the feeling in Alice Springs, the territory in general, was just this eerie sort of feeling," he said. "I didn't really feel she was enjoying her time there … it just looked like she wanted to get in, do what she had to do, and get out of the place." Mr Bloomfield said he guessed the British tourist was consumed by the unknown, having lost "someone special to her". An NT Supreme Court jury found Murdoch guilty in 2005, with enough evidence to convict him beyond reasonable doubt, and Chief Justice Brian Martin sentenced him to life behind bars. Ms Lambley said the crime had put everyone in Alice Springs — locals and tourists alike — "on alert" in the years following Mr Falconio's death. Mr Bloomfield reflected on his own experience camping on a swag at Barrow Creek a year before the murder, and said he couldn't believe he'd been so trusting in the open outback. He said locals locked their doors, people on the road resolved to never pull over for anyone, businesses suffered a drop in customers, and the region was clouded by a surreal sense of "unknowing". He said Alice Springs, the town where "everyone knows everyone", was left with a lingering sense of eeriness. Mr Bloomfield doesn't think the remote town will ever totally return to normal, but hopes it will bounce back eventually. Tourism Central Australia chief executive Danial Rochford said the news of Mr Falconio's murder had "sent a chill through the whole of outback Australia", stretching into western Queensland where he'd been working at the time. He recalled the mass media coverage across television and radio, with rumours about Murdoch's whereabouts heightening concerns on his side of the border. After a vehicle breakdown during a trip to Mount Isa with colleagues, he remembered being suspicious of the first car that approached the group — a LandCruiser with a canopy, similar to the vehicle police were looking for at the time. "That was kind of the sense that a lot of people had in outback Australia at the time, [that] there was a killer on the loose — 'Where are they and who could they be?'" Mr Rochford said. He said backpackers became fearful of travelling in the outback, resulting in a decline in overseas tourists hitting the road in Central Australia for the next few years. Even now, visitors still ask Mr Rochford about the Falconio case and travellers continue to stop on the side of the Stuart Highway to pay respects to the cross marking the spot where he died. Mr Rochford said the attack had polarised the nation in 2001, but the immediate scare was followed by an outpouring of love for the victims. "Our hearts are with the family … The tourism impact is completely insignificant compared to the other impacts," he said. "Ultimately, we've grown stronger. We're starting to see that international drive market rebound, [though] it's taken a good decade or so."
ABC News
07-07-2025
- ABC News
Five key findings from the NT coroner's inquest into Kumanjayi Walker's death in police custody
In her 683-page report, Coroner Elisabeth Armitage made 32 formal recommendations for change, after an almost three-year coronial inquest into the police shooting of 19-year-old Warlpiri-Luritja man Kumanjayi Walker. WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains the name and image of an Indigenous person who has died, used with the permission of their family. This story contains racist and offensive language and images, as well as references to sexual assault. The coroner made findings about Kumanjayi Walker's upbringing in remote central Australia, plagued by poverty and health issues, as well as his struggle to cope at school, because of his disabilities. Mr Walker was deaf in one ear and was likely born with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). "From the age of 13 to 18, Kumanjayi spent a considerable period of time in juvenile detention or under some restraint, such as bail or subject to a court order," Judge Armitage said. The coroner also explored Zachary Rolfe's background; his previous career in the military and prior uses of force. Through examination of his text messages, she found the use of racial slurs was "normalised" between officers. "The purpose of receiving this evidence was to investigate whether Mr Rolfe held racist views, what the consequence of those views might have been for his conduct on 9 November 2019, why he might have held those views and how they might be prevented in the future," she wrote. Here are five of the key findings in the report. Ultimately, Judge Armitage found Kumanjayi Walker's death was "avoidable" and the failed arrest of the 19-year-old was "a case of officer induced jeopardy". "[It's] an expression that describes situations where officers needlessly put themselves in danger," Judge Armitage wrote. The coroner found Mr Rolfe, "a very junior officer" did not prioritise safety in the arrest of a "vulnerable teenager", such as Mr Walker, and made a series of "flawed decisions that significantly increased the risk of a fatal interaction with a member of the public". Local Yuendumu Sergeant, Julie Frost, had devised a so-called "5am arrest plan", to effect a safe arrest of Mr Walker in the early hours of November 10, in the presence of a local officer who knew him. Mr Walker was wanted for allegedly breaching a court order, and days before his death, threatening two other police officers with an axe. But the coroner found Mr Rolfe "jettisoned" the 5am arrest plan — which Judge Armitage also found "was not without its weaknesses" — and substituted a "vastly inferior approach" which ended in Mr Walker's death. Judge Armitage found that she could not definitively rule that Zachary Rolfe's racist attitudes contributed to Kumanjayi Walker's death, however she also said it could not be ruled out. "That I cannot exclude that possibility is a tragedy for Kumanjayi's family and community who will always believe that racism played an integral part in Kumanjayi's death," Judge Armitage said. Judge Armitage said that Mr Rolfe's text messages provided evidence of his "derisive attitude to female colleagues and some superiors". She also noted that the messages revealed his "attraction to high adrenaline policing; and his contempt for 'bush cops' or remote policing; all of which had the potential to increase the likelihood of a fatal encounter with Kumanjayi". The coroner found his "unsavoury views" were consciously or unconsciously embedded in the decisions he made on the night Mr Walker was shot in Yuendumu. The inquest reviewed a string of previously unseen body-worn camera videos of arrests made by Mr Rolfe prior to Kumanjayi Walker's death. Some of them had been ruled inadmissible in the jury trial which acquitted the former officer of murder, manslaughter and engaging in a violent act causing death. The coroner found, based on that evidence, there were at least five occasions that Mr Rolfe used "unnecessary force" and that he had a "tendency to rush into situations to 'get his man', without regard for his and others' safety, and in disregard of his training". "There were instances where Mr Rolfe used force without proper regard for the risk of injury to persons, all of whom were Aboriginal boys or men, and significant injuries were caused to suspects because of his use of force. "When this evidence is considered together with the contempt Mr Rolfe showed for the hands-off approach of Officers Hand and Smith on 6 November 2019 [when Mr Walker threatened them with an axe], it points to Mr Rolfe prioritising a show of force over potential peaceful resolutions," the coroner found. The coroner noted "disturbing evidence" that Mr Rolfe had, on several occasions, recorded and shared videos of his uses of force during arrests. "It is clear that a significant motivation for doing so was because he was proud of, was boasting about, and wished to be celebrated for, his physical feats of tactical skill or ability," the coroner wrote. Coroner Elisabeth Armitage said the evidence she gathered over almost three years showed that Zachary Rolfe was not a "bad apple", but instead "the beneficiary of an organisation with hallmarks of institutional racism". "To be clear, many of the police officers who gave evidence to the Inquest, impressed me as curious and culturally sensitive officers who had dedicated their working lives to serving the largely Aboriginal communities they were tasked to police," the coroner found. However, after a series of "grotesque" racist mock awards were revealed at the inquest — handed out at Christmas parties by the force's most elite tactical unit — the coroner found racism was widespread. "That no police member who knew of these awards reported them, is, in my view, clear evidence of entrenched, systemic and structural racism within the NT Police," she wrote. Just hours before Kumanjayi Walker was shot, Yuendumu's local nurses had evacuated the community, fearing for their safety after a string of break-ins at their living quarters. The coroner said she was not critical of their decision to leave, but made recommendations that NT Health improve its withdrawal processes, to make it clearer to community when staff intended to leave. With no nurses in the community, Kumanjayi Walker was taken to the police station after the shooting — where he died on the floor of a police cell after receiving first aid from the officers. "After Kumanjayi was shot, the fact that there was no operational local Health Clinic to treat him, exacerbated the trauma," the coroner wrote. "Despite the suspicion of some members of the community, there was no collusion or pre-planning between NT Health and NT Police concerning the withdrawal of clinic staff from Yuendumu. "To the contrary, there was a lack of communication between Health and Police and little awareness about what the other was doing in response to the apparently targeted break-ins." The coroner found by the time Kumanjayi Walker passed away on November 9 2019, the medical retrieval flight had not yet left Alice Springs. "In those circumstances, even if the clinic had remained open, there was no possibility of his survival." The inquest's findings and formal recommendations are available in full here.
ABC News
26-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Alice Springs' youngest mayor, Matt Paterson, to step down to spend more time with family
He campaigned as a "boring" mayor, but Matt Paterson's term in office has been anything but dull. Cr Paterson made history when he defeated Jimmy Cocking by just two votes in 2021, becoming at 30 the youngest-ever mayor of Alice Springs, a Central Australian town that has recently been at the centre of a national reckoning over crime and regional neglect. His tenure saw him confronting the prime minister at round tables and featuring on national news broadcasts. And in a headline-grabbing bid to draw attention to the region's tourism struggles, he once greeted a new airline service at the Alice Springs Airport wearing nothing but budgie smugglers. Now, with just two months until the next local government election, Cr Paterson, now 34, has announced he will be stepping down to spend more time with his family. "I've got two young kids that are only little once," he said. "They don't know me not being an elected member and that puts a lot of things in perspective." Growing up in Alice Springs as a self-described "ratbag" and expelled from school, Cr Paterson had to navigate people's shock and doubt when he first ran for council as a 26-year-old sparky. "I had a teacher say that there was no chance she was going to vote for me in 2017, threw my flyer at me and then sent me a message in 2023 saying that she was very proud of how far I'd come," he said. A few years after being elected mayor, Cr Paterson was plunged into the national spotlight when crime and alcohol-fuelled violence severely ratcheted up in Alice Springs, and he called on the prime minister to deploy the army or federal police to assist with the prolonged crisis. He also publicly called for the entire NT government to be fired before a controversial two-week youth curfew was put in place over the town in 2024. Reflecting on that time, Cr Paterson said Alice Springs was "at breaking point" and the decisions he had to make were "tough". "We needed help, and I used my voice as mayor," he said. "There's no rule book. I don't get a rule book on how to handle situations here, and we all feel pressure. Controversially, the council banned football teams from remote communities — where there is little sports infrastructure — from using town ovals a number of times during Cr Paterson's tenure. And in 2023, the mayor publicly apologised for writing a letter of support for a controversial horticultural project without consulting other councillors. While he positioned himself as an advocate for change, willing to rattle cages at every level of government, Cr Paterson said he did not want to be remembered as "the mayor on the front page of the paper". He said his biggest achievements were the "small things", such as investments into sports facility upgrades, an adventure park and plans for a new library. "We're not solving world peace at local government levels, but we are making a difference, and it's those small things that help people live in Alice Springs and gives families and young kids something to look forward to," he said. On the streets of Alice Springs, opinions are divided. Michelle Pettit said the council could have been a "bigger, stronger voice for the community" in recent years. "We're still looking at a lot of basic human rights that are not always addressed," she said. "[The] word on the street is, 'Thank you very much and we wish you well.'" John Adams said: "It's a tough job to go into." John Maude, who voted for Cr Paterson in 2021, said he believed his term had been largely uneventful, but was pleased with his efforts to deal with crime. Alex Long said she was sad to see him go. "He's a young family man himself and I think that's important because most of the town is young families," she said. Federal Lingiari MP Marion Scrymgour said while she did not agree with Cr Paterson on everything, they "had the type of relationship where we could speak openly about things and that's something I appreciate". "Our town is at a critical juncture, and we need strong community leadership to get us through it," she said. Braitling MLA Joshua Burgoyne said Cr Paterson had "worked hard over his tenure to ensure Alice Springs has had its fair share". "Our town needs more pragmatic leaders like Patto; I have always appreciated his frankness and collaboration on important projects for the town," he said. This year, 16 territory councils will participate in local government elections in August, according to NT Electoral Commissioner Kirsten Kelly. She said that while voter enrolment in the territory was at its highest level (94.1 per cent), participation in elections was declining. Australian Electoral Commission data shows in the expansive seat of Lingiari, which includes Alice Springs, voter turnout at the most recent federal election was only 62.2 per cent, a drop from both the 2022 federal election (66.8 per cent) and 2023 Voice to Parliament referendum (64.4 per cent). In terms of what's next for Cr Paterson, he said that after August 24, once the election was over, he would be "taking a breath". "I'll probably go have a cold beer on the golf course and just have a few weeks to regroup and get in the garden because all of those things get neglected," he said. "We'll just take a breath and have some family time."
ABC News
19-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Fortune Agribusiness faces High Court appeal over Singleton Station water licence
The native title holders of a vast Central Australian cattle station say they will continue to challenge the Northern Territory's largest-ever water licence and won't back down until "a good decision" is made. The Mpwerempwer Aboriginal Corporation last week escalated its legal battle over a water licence at Singleton Station to the High Court, after the NT Court of Appeal rejected an earlier challenge in May. Mpwerempwer will argue the court made a series of errors in rejecting its case, including that native title holders did not receive the same procedural fairness as the licence holder, Fortune Agribusiness. Les Turner, chief executive of the Central Land Council, which is acting on behalf of Mpwerempwer, says native title holders believe the water licence is too large. "[It] threatens their water security and puts the risk to many groundwater dependent sacred sites," he said. 'Mpwerempwer considered there was serious and complex questions of law that need to be settled by the High Court." The High Court appeal is the latest development in a four-year legal stoush that has stalled Fortune Agribusiness's bid to transform a massive arid cattle station north of Alice Springs into one of Australia's biggest fruit and vegetable farms. Fortune was granted a licence to extract 40,000 megalitres of water a year, for free, by the NT government's Water Controller in 2021. That decision has drawn continued opposition from environment groups and some traditional owners, while others argue the project is a lifeline for a struggling region. Dawn Swan, a director of Mpwerempwer, said she lived "smack bang in the middle of Singleton Station" and had a strong attachment to the area. "We have to look after it," she said. "We're just going to keep battling on." Elder Ned Kelly said he was worried about the station and believed there was no other option but to "keep on fighting". In a statement, NT Water Minister Joshua Burgoyne dismissed the ABC's questions about whether continued backlash from native title holders signalled the need for stronger water protections, instead pointing to Singleton's continued court wins. Fortune Agribusiness has said its planned horticultural project could create 110 permanent and 1,350 seasonal jobs — although this number has been disputed — and could provide big opportunities for local shops and contractors. Lachy Manns, a Tennant Creek resident of 10 years and owner of a cattle transport company and hardware store, said the region was "doing it tough". "Tennant Creek needs all these big projects like SunCable and Singleton to boom," he said. "If all of it goes ahead, it's great for the town, it's a no-brainer." John Dickson, the owner of Outback Outfitters in Tennant Creek, said he was also "all for it", but hoped the produce grown at Singleton would stock local shelves instead of being sent overseas. "We have a mine that just opened up that's given the town a boost, and anything extra is good," he said. In a statement, Fortune Agribusiness chair Peter Wood acknowledged the importance of due process, and said the company remained "committed to full compliance" as it worked through further approvals. He said the government's "rigorous water planning" would ensure Singleton was developed sustainably and that the project would be a catalyst for further investment, new infrastructure and ongoing local employment in the region. Last year, the NT Supreme Court rejected an initial case brought by the Arid Lands Environment Centre (ALEC) and Mpwerempwer alleging the NT government had not followed its own Water Act when it approved the Singleton licence. Native title holders appealed the decision, but that was also rejected. Despite the court losses and frustrations, Mr Turner said native title holders would not back down until a decision "which protects Aboriginal people's rights in that area" was made. Alex Vaughan, policy officer at ALEC, said the Singleton water licence posed a "catastrophic" risk to the region. "Singleton is simply too big to be sustainable," he said. He said it was "outrageous" one of Australia's largest groundwater licences for agriculture had been granted in a region where temperatures regularly reach over 40 degrees. "This is a terrible project that resoundingly fails the pub test," he said.
ABC News
10-06-2025
- Automotive
- ABC News
Finke Desert Race competitors walk away from crash after becoming airborne at 160kph
A Finke Desert Race driver and his navigator have walked away uninjured after a death-defying crash on day two of the gruelling Central Australian event. Driver Mick Magher said he and navigator Bernie Webb became airborne about 10 kilometres north of the Finke/Aputula community early on Monday morning. He said the trophy truck was travelling at about 160kph and the pair thought they were cruising for a drama-free drive home to Alice Springs after communications issues on day one of the race. "We just started to settle in and took off over the crest and just floated over [the track] ," Magher said. "The front has caught a dip on the way down and then it was just on for the ride. "There were bits flying everywhere. Magher said said the G-force in the cockpit was at about 17. "The safety gear certainly did its job," he said. "It's not something I recommend everybody try, that's for sure." Magher said he and Webb were feeling a bit sore with some bruising. "There's a few harness strap [bruises], so over the shoulder and the crotch straps," he said. "Other than that, we're both surprisingly well. Magher said he and Webb knew they had to get off the track as quickly as possible after the vehicle came to a halt. "We both turned around, looked at each other, said, 'You're alright?'" he said. Magher said it spectators helped move the car off the track. "The main cage and all that is surprisingly good — it only hit end-for-end," he said. Travis Robinson took out the prize for the car section of the race, Corey Hammond won the motorbike section and Madi Healey was awarded the Queen of the Desert title. Magher says he is committed to contesting next year's race, which will mark the 50th anniversary of the event.
