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Bowraville
A true crime story cannot often be believed, at least at the beginning. In Bowraville, all three of the victims were Aboriginal. All three were killed within five months, between 1990 and 1991. The same white man was linked to each, but nobody was convicted.
More than two decades later, homicide detective Gary Jubelin contacted Dan Box, asking him to pursue this serial killing. At that time, few others in the justice system seemed to know – or care – about the murders in Bowraville. Dan spoke to the families of the victims, Colleen Walker-Craig, Evelyn Greenup and Clinton Speedy-Duroux, as well as the lawyers, police officers and even the suspect involved in what had happened. His investigation, as well as the families’ own determined campaigning, forced the authorities to reconsider the killings. This account asks painful questions about what ‘justice’ means and how it is delivered, as well as describing Dan’s own shifting, uncomfortable realisation that he was a reporter who crossed the line.
Praise for the Bowraville podcast:
'It is a gripping true crime tale and an essay on racism; a challenge to the lies Australia tells itself about its treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people told through the voices of three Aboriginal families who have been indisputably let down … The podcast has galvanised the public in a way that two decades of print and television reporting on the Bowraville murders have not.’ The Guardian
'A masterful example of crime reporting which forensically details the worst of human nature, inexplicably compounded by the gross negligence of the only people who could provide justice. It’s stirred thousands, including the prime suspect, to re-engage with the case after trusting the journalist to take them to dark places.’ Walkley judges’ comments
‘Outstanding.’ Leigh Sales
‘Moving, brilliant.’ Annabel Crabb
'If you haven't listened to Bowraville by Dan Box, then you should.’ David Campbell
More than two decades later, homicide detective Gary Jubelin contacted Dan Box, asking him to pursue this serial killing. At that time, few others in the justice system seemed to know – or care – about the murders in Bowraville. Dan spoke to the families of the victims, Colleen Walker-Craig, Evelyn Greenup and Clinton Speedy-Duroux, as well as the lawyers, police officers and even the suspect involved in what had happened. His investigation, as well as the families’ own determined campaigning, forced the authorities to reconsider the killings. This account asks painful questions about what ‘justice’ means and how it is delivered, as well as describing Dan’s own shifting, uncomfortable realisation that he was a reporter who crossed the line.
Praise for the Bowraville podcast:
'It is a gripping true crime tale and an essay on racism; a challenge to the lies Australia tells itself about its treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people told through the voices of three Aboriginal families who have been indisputably let down … The podcast has galvanised the public in a way that two decades of print and television reporting on the Bowraville murders have not.’ The Guardian
'A masterful example of crime reporting which forensically details the worst of human nature, inexplicably compounded by the gross negligence of the only people who could provide justice. It’s stirred thousands, including the prime suspect, to re-engage with the case after trusting the journalist to take them to dark places.’ Walkley judges’ comments
‘Outstanding.’ Leigh Sales
‘Moving, brilliant.’ Annabel Crabb
'If you haven't listened to Bowraville by Dan Box, then you should.’ David Campbell
320 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 2, 2019
27 people are currently reading
450 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
May 15, 2020
Bowraville is an example of excellent true crime reporting, turned long form narrative. It’s an equally shocking a frustrating story about the limits of justice. Box’s reporting not only shines a light on these murders which have been consistently forgotten, but also on the discrimination faced by Aboriginal communities in access to policing and judicial process. I was reminded explicitly as I read this, that true crime stories don’t really end, because the survivors go on, they don’t have a choice. In this way it was especially heartbreaking but a valuable, important story.
November 27, 2019
Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by Verushka Byrow
Bowraville is based on the podcast of the same name and journalist Dan Box, of The Australian, is behind both of them. I still don’t know how to review this book. This is about the Aboriginal families that have been searching for justice for the deaths of their children, and the justice system that let them down.
Colleen, Clinton and little Evelyn, who was four when she died, are the three Aboriginal children who were murdered in Bowraville 30 years ago now. After finishing the book, I freely admit there’s no way for me to have any sort of objectiveness about this book — and perhaps the genre of true crime as a result.
The Families and Their Search For Justice
There’s a scene in the book that encapsulates how their murders and their families were treated: when Box goes back to his newspaper and tells a colleague that he’s going to do a podcast and investigation into the Bowraville murders, the colleague hears him say: the Beaumont murders.
Literally, that’s what the colleague heard. Box had to correct him and discovers the colleague had never heard of the Bowraville murders. However, the Beaumont children are three white children (siblings) who disappeared from a beach in Sydney in 1966. The Bowraville children were murdered in 1990, and still their names were not known.
Colleen, Clinton and Evelyn disappeared within months of each other, and while the bodies of two of the children (Clinton who was 16 and Evelyn who was 4) were found, Colleen’s was never found. If the Bowraville children were three white children, I don’t doubt that they would have been easily remembered by that colleague in the newsroom.
The book begins with an introduction to the case through Gary Jubelin, a homicide detective who introduced Box to the Bowraville murders. At that point, the case needed publicity and Box was it.
From there, Box takes readers to the past, to the moment when Colleen’s mother walked into a police station to report her child missing, and was told that her daughter must have gone on walkabout (a derogatory use of a word that has a deep meaning in Aboriginal culture) by the police instead of them going out to actually investigate.
From there, things got worse and two more children murdered. Box got to know these families well, and it shows in the book, takes readers into their grief over decades — and the things in their lives that marked the passage of time with no answer to who murdered their children. Because time does go on, even if their grief remains palpable.
The Suspect
Oh there’s a suspect, and there’s evidence that was never properly examined or treated, and said suspect had enough time to get rid of evidence because the investigation was just that screwed up. He’s still free, by the way.
Box does wonder if he was too close to the families and the case when doing his podcast to miss certain things — like the suspect’s innocence. He does his best to get the suspect to talk to him, and while he does, the man never does proclaim why he is innocent — he only explains away the evidence against him.
I listened to this book on Audible with a growing sense of disbelief at the loss of these children and the treatment of their families. The families in turn banded together and worked to get the justice system to acknowledge them and their losses — to the point that they overturned the double jeopardy law in NSW. To no avail.
These families are the heart of the book, as is their strength against a system and a society that really didn’t care about what they were going through.
Aboriginal Culture
Box also details the Aboriginal culture, and the societal cues no cop, judge, jury or lawyer understood. Long silences, for instance, are not uncomfortable in Aboriginal culture, nor are they indications that the person you are speaking to doesn’t know what to say. Family is more than your mother, father or brother, it is the elders around you. An address might not stick in someone’s memory, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know exactly what they’re talking about.
These are the cues and the behaviour from Aboriginal witnesses that no white jury or lawyer could understand — and no one bothered to understand or recognise would be different.
It’s 30 years since these children were murdered, and their families are still searching for justice. In all likelihood, they will never receive it.
But Australia should know these childrens’ names and the town where they were murdered: Bowraville.
Bowraville is based on the podcast of the same name and journalist Dan Box, of The Australian, is behind both of them. I still don’t know how to review this book. This is about the Aboriginal families that have been searching for justice for the deaths of their children, and the justice system that let them down.
Colleen, Clinton and little Evelyn, who was four when she died, are the three Aboriginal children who were murdered in Bowraville 30 years ago now. After finishing the book, I freely admit there’s no way for me to have any sort of objectiveness about this book — and perhaps the genre of true crime as a result.
The Families and Their Search For Justice
There’s a scene in the book that encapsulates how their murders and their families were treated: when Box goes back to his newspaper and tells a colleague that he’s going to do a podcast and investigation into the Bowraville murders, the colleague hears him say: the Beaumont murders.
Literally, that’s what the colleague heard. Box had to correct him and discovers the colleague had never heard of the Bowraville murders. However, the Beaumont children are three white children (siblings) who disappeared from a beach in Sydney in 1966. The Bowraville children were murdered in 1990, and still their names were not known.
Colleen, Clinton and Evelyn disappeared within months of each other, and while the bodies of two of the children (Clinton who was 16 and Evelyn who was 4) were found, Colleen’s was never found. If the Bowraville children were three white children, I don’t doubt that they would have been easily remembered by that colleague in the newsroom.
The book begins with an introduction to the case through Gary Jubelin, a homicide detective who introduced Box to the Bowraville murders. At that point, the case needed publicity and Box was it.
From there, Box takes readers to the past, to the moment when Colleen’s mother walked into a police station to report her child missing, and was told that her daughter must have gone on walkabout (a derogatory use of a word that has a deep meaning in Aboriginal culture) by the police instead of them going out to actually investigate.
From there, things got worse and two more children murdered. Box got to know these families well, and it shows in the book, takes readers into their grief over decades — and the things in their lives that marked the passage of time with no answer to who murdered their children. Because time does go on, even if their grief remains palpable.
The Suspect
Oh there’s a suspect, and there’s evidence that was never properly examined or treated, and said suspect had enough time to get rid of evidence because the investigation was just that screwed up. He’s still free, by the way.
Box does wonder if he was too close to the families and the case when doing his podcast to miss certain things — like the suspect’s innocence. He does his best to get the suspect to talk to him, and while he does, the man never does proclaim why he is innocent — he only explains away the evidence against him.
I listened to this book on Audible with a growing sense of disbelief at the loss of these children and the treatment of their families. The families in turn banded together and worked to get the justice system to acknowledge them and their losses — to the point that they overturned the double jeopardy law in NSW. To no avail.
These families are the heart of the book, as is their strength against a system and a society that really didn’t care about what they were going through.
Aboriginal Culture
Box also details the Aboriginal culture, and the societal cues no cop, judge, jury or lawyer understood. Long silences, for instance, are not uncomfortable in Aboriginal culture, nor are they indications that the person you are speaking to doesn’t know what to say. Family is more than your mother, father or brother, it is the elders around you. An address might not stick in someone’s memory, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know exactly what they’re talking about.
These are the cues and the behaviour from Aboriginal witnesses that no white jury or lawyer could understand — and no one bothered to understand or recognise would be different.
It’s 30 years since these children were murdered, and their families are still searching for justice. In all likelihood, they will never receive it.
But Australia should know these childrens’ names and the town where they were murdered: Bowraville.
June 12, 2020
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
Devastating, heartbreaking, unfair and unbelievable defines Bowraville, a true crime piece penned by Dan Box. Covering the deaths of three children in the early 1990s from the same small town in NSW, Bowraville delves into the mechanics of these murder cases and the long road to find answers for the families of these lost children.
Bowraville is a true crime story that begs belief. The injustice of it all will leave your reeling. Three indigenous children are at the heart of this case and all were killed in a short period of five months from 1990-1. There was a key suspect who was clearly linked to all three cases, but this man remains a free agent after the justice system failed. One of the detectives assigned to this case, reached out to the author of this book in an attempt to put this case in the public eye. This is a case that few know about and through the publication of Bowraville, along with Box’s accompanying podcast of this crime story, it is hoped that more can be done for a case that has reached a stalemate. In the process of compiling this book, Box worked in collaboration with the families, the law, police officers, advocates and he even questioned the key suspect of the murders. In tearing apart the murders, Dan Box critically examines the concept of justice and his own position in relation to this complex unsolved crime story.
Bowraville was a book recommend to me some time ago by a fellow book reviewer. When it was first mentioned to me I have to confess to not knowing a thing about this place, case or the victims. This is a shame that ordinary Australians have no awareness of this case and it still remains unsolved to this day. Bowraville is based in part on the podcast created by Dan Box, the author of this novel. I haven’t listened to the podcast, so I read this one as a complete standalone, with no prior knowledge of the case. Due to the sad and unjust nature of this crime story, I am glad I went in blind.
Box takes a clear and well-ordered format to his true crime story. Bowraville follows a date order, which is marked out for the reader. It begins in the early 1990s, with the first of three murders, involving a sixteen year old local indigenous girl. When this victim’s mother alerted authorities, the case was not investigated or resourced. Instead it was assumed the victim went on ‘walkabout’. The mind truly boggles and the devastation I felt for the young victim’s mother was palpable. Not long after, a four year old girl is also killed. Again, there is no homicide team attached to this case and the crucial early stages were jeopardised by inept policing. When the third murder of a teenage boy occurs in the same town just five months from the first death, the alarm bells ring. Yet the resounding cause is that these children were on ‘walkabout’. Even when a local man is questioned, arrested and put on trial, he was never convicted. This suspect, who is given a pseudonym in Bowraville, still walks the streets as a free man. A sick feeling washed over me while I read through the blow by blow accounts of each of the three cases, along with the responses from the authorities. It will make you truly ashamed to think not one, but three cases were handled in such an insensitive and unhelpful way.
Dan Box came to this case decades after the first murder occurred. One of the key homicide investigators got in touch with Box in an attempt to bring Bowraville to the collective consciousness of the public. The families feel misunderstood and helpless. No answers or closure have been given to them. Despite a suspect, a trial, a change in the law and high court involvement, nothing has been resolved in regards to Bowraville. Justice for the children and their families continues to haunt all those involved, including Box, who considers himself a central reporter in this complex case.
The discourse, reasoning, assumptions, inequality, lack of justice, emotional pain and sheer lack of resources assigned to the Bowraville case is absolutely unforgivable. We are no step closer to providing closure to the families, or restitution for the three young victims. I think all Australians should see Bowraville as an imperative read.
Devastating, heartbreaking, unfair and unbelievable defines Bowraville, a true crime piece penned by Dan Box. Covering the deaths of three children in the early 1990s from the same small town in NSW, Bowraville delves into the mechanics of these murder cases and the long road to find answers for the families of these lost children.
Bowraville is a true crime story that begs belief. The injustice of it all will leave your reeling. Three indigenous children are at the heart of this case and all were killed in a short period of five months from 1990-1. There was a key suspect who was clearly linked to all three cases, but this man remains a free agent after the justice system failed. One of the detectives assigned to this case, reached out to the author of this book in an attempt to put this case in the public eye. This is a case that few know about and through the publication of Bowraville, along with Box’s accompanying podcast of this crime story, it is hoped that more can be done for a case that has reached a stalemate. In the process of compiling this book, Box worked in collaboration with the families, the law, police officers, advocates and he even questioned the key suspect of the murders. In tearing apart the murders, Dan Box critically examines the concept of justice and his own position in relation to this complex unsolved crime story.
Bowraville was a book recommend to me some time ago by a fellow book reviewer. When it was first mentioned to me I have to confess to not knowing a thing about this place, case or the victims. This is a shame that ordinary Australians have no awareness of this case and it still remains unsolved to this day. Bowraville is based in part on the podcast created by Dan Box, the author of this novel. I haven’t listened to the podcast, so I read this one as a complete standalone, with no prior knowledge of the case. Due to the sad and unjust nature of this crime story, I am glad I went in blind.
Box takes a clear and well-ordered format to his true crime story. Bowraville follows a date order, which is marked out for the reader. It begins in the early 1990s, with the first of three murders, involving a sixteen year old local indigenous girl. When this victim’s mother alerted authorities, the case was not investigated or resourced. Instead it was assumed the victim went on ‘walkabout’. The mind truly boggles and the devastation I felt for the young victim’s mother was palpable. Not long after, a four year old girl is also killed. Again, there is no homicide team attached to this case and the crucial early stages were jeopardised by inept policing. When the third murder of a teenage boy occurs in the same town just five months from the first death, the alarm bells ring. Yet the resounding cause is that these children were on ‘walkabout’. Even when a local man is questioned, arrested and put on trial, he was never convicted. This suspect, who is given a pseudonym in Bowraville, still walks the streets as a free man. A sick feeling washed over me while I read through the blow by blow accounts of each of the three cases, along with the responses from the authorities. It will make you truly ashamed to think not one, but three cases were handled in such an insensitive and unhelpful way.
Dan Box came to this case decades after the first murder occurred. One of the key homicide investigators got in touch with Box in an attempt to bring Bowraville to the collective consciousness of the public. The families feel misunderstood and helpless. No answers or closure have been given to them. Despite a suspect, a trial, a change in the law and high court involvement, nothing has been resolved in regards to Bowraville. Justice for the children and their families continues to haunt all those involved, including Box, who considers himself a central reporter in this complex case.
The discourse, reasoning, assumptions, inequality, lack of justice, emotional pain and sheer lack of resources assigned to the Bowraville case is absolutely unforgivable. We are no step closer to providing closure to the families, or restitution for the three young victims. I think all Australians should see Bowraville as an imperative read.
August 23, 2020
With a gentle and sympathetic voice Dan Box conveys a story so shocking and tragic it just breaks ones heart.
A profoundly disturbing true crime story about three aboriginal children murdered in Bowraville, a small rural town in the Mid North Coast hinterland of NSW, Australia, 30 years ago. Journalist Dan Box investigates these murders, continually searching for answers, searching for the truth…
If you haven’t read or listened to Bowraville by Dan Box, you should, it’s a must read for all Australians.
POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 2020: #34 - A book by or about a journalist
A profoundly disturbing true crime story about three aboriginal children murdered in Bowraville, a small rural town in the Mid North Coast hinterland of NSW, Australia, 30 years ago. Journalist Dan Box investigates these murders, continually searching for answers, searching for the truth…
If you haven’t read or listened to Bowraville by Dan Box, you should, it’s a must read for all Australians.
POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 2020: #34 - A book by or about a journalist
July 24, 2019
Great heartfelt in depth reporting about another injustice for Aboriginal families. Dan has taken this story to heart and worked to champion the causes of equality in the justice system through the narrative. A riveting read
July 12, 2019
Heartbreaking and infuriating.
November 11, 2019
Trigger warnings: death of a child, murder, disappearance of a child, racism, racial profiling, mentions of rape, mentions of massacres of Indigenous populations.
Oof. This is definitely not an easy book to read, but I'm glad this book exists and is drawing attention to the case, even though it's basically at the point where nothing can be done. Essentially, this is the story of three Aboriginal kids who were murdered in small town New South Wales in 1990-1991. The same white man was connected to all three of them, but no one has ever been convicted.
Some of it boils down to the police not believing witnesses, some of it boils down to insufficient physical evidence, and some of it is just straight up bullshit. Dan Box works with the victims' families, interviews police officers and detectives involved in the case, and even manages to interview the man suspected of being responsible. It's an engaging book, but
Oof. This is definitely not an easy book to read, but I'm glad this book exists and is drawing attention to the case, even though it's basically at the point where nothing can be done. Essentially, this is the story of three Aboriginal kids who were murdered in small town New South Wales in 1990-1991. The same white man was connected to all three of them, but no one has ever been convicted.
Some of it boils down to the police not believing witnesses, some of it boils down to insufficient physical evidence, and some of it is just straight up bullshit. Dan Box works with the victims' families, interviews police officers and detectives involved in the case, and even manages to interview the man suspected of being responsible. It's an engaging book, but
December 8, 2019
In remote Bowraville, over a few months in 1990-91, three aboriginal children were killed. The youngest victim, Evelyn Greenup, was just four years old. The other two, Clinton Duroux and Colleen Walker, were 16. Two of the bodies were found along the same back road; Walker's has never been found, only her clothes.
From the outset, the crimes were treated as missing persons cases, with the police claiming that the two older victims had just "gone walkabout". When an investigation was mounted, it was headed by a detective who had never investigated a homicide. A local white man (given the pseudonym James Hide by Box) was identified as a suspect and arrested.
Hide was eventually charged with the murders of Greenup and Duroux. In a decision that was to give rise to decades of agony, the judge refused to combine the cases and prevented evidence about one murder being used as probative in the other. Evidence of similarities between the two murders was inadmissable. Hide was found not guilty in the Duroux trial, and the Greenup trial was abandoned.
The families and the lead homicide detective refused to take that decision lying down. They fought for years to get justice for their children, resulting in a trial on the Greenup case, where Hide was again cleared. This meant the end of the road, due to double jeopardy.
Except that the families still fought, going through the coroner, local MPs, Parliament, the press, the Attorney-General and the Premier. Their fight ultimately led to legislation overturning the principle of double jeopardy in NSW, potentially creating another opportunity to get the not guilty verdicts overturned and putting Hide on trial for all three murders.
This is a story about a decades-long fight for justice for people who were treated appallingly, considering that their children had died. Box makes no bones about the fact that the murder or disappearance of white children, or even foreign backpackers, warranted investigative teams of more than 100 detectives, whereas three indigenous children only warranted two or three part-time investigators with almost zero supporting resources.
This book is a very hard, confronting read and you can't help but feel sorry for these families. At times it feels just like a sickening gut-punch; one is constantly reminded of Cory Booker's saying that "our legal system is not a justice system".
From the outset, the crimes were treated as missing persons cases, with the police claiming that the two older victims had just "gone walkabout". When an investigation was mounted, it was headed by a detective who had never investigated a homicide. A local white man (given the pseudonym James Hide by Box) was identified as a suspect and arrested.
Hide was eventually charged with the murders of Greenup and Duroux. In a decision that was to give rise to decades of agony, the judge refused to combine the cases and prevented evidence about one murder being used as probative in the other. Evidence of similarities between the two murders was inadmissable. Hide was found not guilty in the Duroux trial, and the Greenup trial was abandoned.
The families and the lead homicide detective refused to take that decision lying down. They fought for years to get justice for their children, resulting in a trial on the Greenup case, where Hide was again cleared. This meant the end of the road, due to double jeopardy.
Except that the families still fought, going through the coroner, local MPs, Parliament, the press, the Attorney-General and the Premier. Their fight ultimately led to legislation overturning the principle of double jeopardy in NSW, potentially creating another opportunity to get the not guilty verdicts overturned and putting Hide on trial for all three murders.
This is a story about a decades-long fight for justice for people who were treated appallingly, considering that their children had died. Box makes no bones about the fact that the murder or disappearance of white children, or even foreign backpackers, warranted investigative teams of more than 100 detectives, whereas three indigenous children only warranted two or three part-time investigators with almost zero supporting resources.
This book is a very hard, confronting read and you can't help but feel sorry for these families. At times it feels just like a sickening gut-punch; one is constantly reminded of Cory Booker's saying that "our legal system is not a justice system".
December 5, 2021
CNF. The author is the crime writer for the Australian newspaper, part of the News Corp Australia Murdoch media monopoly. There was some good journalistic writing and reportage at the beginning. But in his narrative, Box invests far too much faith in the NSW police, getting more and more of their side. He doesn't challenge the reprehensible ways the families of the murdered children were ignored and dismissed as 'going walkabout'.
I put this down when I skipped to the end and Box seeks solutions or rather only sees the problems with Aboriginal people who are over represented as 'killers' in their demographic. I believe this is skewed research that doesn't grapple with the existing criminal justice system and the history of Australia as a colony. Aboriginal folk are over represented in jail, many for trivial offences. Different Aboriginal groups from around Australia are frustrated with this and legal organisations support them.
I think Dan Box was attempting to write a balanced story but maybe he's been drinking the Australian newspaper koolaid for too long.
I put this down when I skipped to the end and Box seeks solutions or rather only sees the problems with Aboriginal people who are over represented as 'killers' in their demographic. I believe this is skewed research that doesn't grapple with the existing criminal justice system and the history of Australia as a colony. Aboriginal folk are over represented in jail, many for trivial offences. Different Aboriginal groups from around Australia are frustrated with this and legal organisations support them.
I think Dan Box was attempting to write a balanced story but maybe he's been drinking the Australian newspaper koolaid for too long.
January 30, 2020
Bowraville by Dan Box is a true crime novel, that is also, in my opinion part memoir.
I listened to the audiobook of this which is read by Dan Box, something I prefer when listening to a memoir as I think they can really get across the emotions and messages they are trying to convey.
This is just one terrible story of injustice that has happened in Australia and to the Aboriginal people. Three children murdered in a space of 5 months and now 29 years later their families have never had justice.
We hear about the officers who were first approached when each child went missing and how the families were told, "They've probably gone walkabout". One of these children was 4 years old! I was disgusted by the behaviour of the police at the beginning of these events and then completely disbelieving of the way the cases were handled once they were deemed something more sinister. The local police, who were in no way up to handling a missing person case let alone a murder case, or serial murders, were given very little help from the authorities in the city.
Dan tells an interesting story that made me angry at the way aboriginal people were and are treated in the event of a crime. The racism in the town was just as disappointing and I'm baffled how people think the way they do.
Sometimes the story felt a bit repetitive, but I think that was Dan Box's way of reiterating the injustice of these cases and the injustices of the law.
A worthwhile read if you are interested in true crime and the way the law doesn't always work.
I listened to the audiobook of this which is read by Dan Box, something I prefer when listening to a memoir as I think they can really get across the emotions and messages they are trying to convey.
This is just one terrible story of injustice that has happened in Australia and to the Aboriginal people. Three children murdered in a space of 5 months and now 29 years later their families have never had justice.
We hear about the officers who were first approached when each child went missing and how the families were told, "They've probably gone walkabout". One of these children was 4 years old! I was disgusted by the behaviour of the police at the beginning of these events and then completely disbelieving of the way the cases were handled once they were deemed something more sinister. The local police, who were in no way up to handling a missing person case let alone a murder case, or serial murders, were given very little help from the authorities in the city.
Dan tells an interesting story that made me angry at the way aboriginal people were and are treated in the event of a crime. The racism in the town was just as disappointing and I'm baffled how people think the way they do.
Sometimes the story felt a bit repetitive, but I think that was Dan Box's way of reiterating the injustice of these cases and the injustices of the law.
A worthwhile read if you are interested in true crime and the way the law doesn't always work.
October 25, 2020
A wonderfully well written book about one of the worst miscarriages of justice in Australia, one that rivals the prosecution of Lindy and Michael Chamberlain. The murderer of three Aboriginal children has never been brought to justice. A worse injustice perhaps is that few people even have heard about them. Would things have been different if they'd been caucasian? Can't help but wonder.
July 16, 2020
Interesting book. Could have done with some editing as was repetitive at times and laboured the point.
April 24, 2022
This is a case that has captivated me for so long, and this was a good way to get a really full picture and to understand more of the legal side of the Bowraville case. It was tough to hear how affected all these families are so many years later. One part that struck me was a discussion they had with a politician where he said 'sometimes you have to find a way to move forward,' and the contrast of Evelyns sister enraged and Clintons father silent and disappointed was so sad. I found it a bit dragging at times but on the whole it was a really well rounded look at the Bowraville murders, and I appreciated Dan's acknowledgement of what biases he might have and how he had unintentionally become personally involved (I don't think you could investigate this and not become personally involved.
Two big takeaways -
1. There is such complexity and nuance to Aboriginal culture and language (and any culture for that matter) that if not understood can really complicate law enforcement perspectives.
2. It's a vicious cycle of enduring trauma, alcoholism and drug abuse to cope, and then enduring more trauma but your testimony is discredited because you have substance abuse problems.
Whatever really happened, whether Jay Hart is guilty or not (I still think he is), it's heartbreaking there has been no justice for Evelyn Greenup, Clinton Speedy Duroux and Colleen Walker-Craig.
Two big takeaways -
1. There is such complexity and nuance to Aboriginal culture and language (and any culture for that matter) that if not understood can really complicate law enforcement perspectives.
2. It's a vicious cycle of enduring trauma, alcoholism and drug abuse to cope, and then enduring more trauma but your testimony is discredited because you have substance abuse problems.
Whatever really happened, whether Jay Hart is guilty or not (I still think he is), it's heartbreaking there has been no justice for Evelyn Greenup, Clinton Speedy Duroux and Colleen Walker-Craig.
September 27, 2020
To be perfectly honest, I actually got very confused by this book. There are so many people named that I found it hard to keep track of all the people that feature, the only constant you get is Gary Jubelin, the detective, which this book is basically a love letter too. Sorry, but that’s how it seemed to me. I think the book is good, however, it could’ve used a bit more structure, it should’ve told the story from beginning to end in a straightforward way. The podcast is mentioned a lot through the book too, so part of me thinks that perhaps the book would be easier to follow for people who have already listened to that or have prior knowledge of the case?
I’m a big fan of Australian true-crime, and I’ve seen this on the shelf at my work so often, and it was mentioned in Missing William Tyrell by Caroline Overington, so I thought I’d give it a go. It wasn’t bad by any means I just wish I got a bit better of an understanding of the case overall from it. I also wish it didn’t focus so much on Gary Jubelin and his life, sorry, I’m being negative I know.
I’m a big fan of Australian true-crime, and I’ve seen this on the shelf at my work so often, and it was mentioned in Missing William Tyrell by Caroline Overington, so I thought I’d give it a go. It wasn’t bad by any means I just wish I got a bit better of an understanding of the case overall from it. I also wish it didn’t focus so much on Gary Jubelin and his life, sorry, I’m being negative I know.
January 7, 2022
This is an excellent, shocking book. It had me gripped. I had no idea about these murders. If the same events happened on a street in Paddington, Sydney, it would be national news, at least. It was deeply disturbing to read how these murders have largely been ignored and how these Aboriginal families have been treated over the last thirty years.
The author's writing is precise and unadorned but he is skilful at giving details that have a lot of impact. Among many other things, I also appreciated the insight into Aboriginal history and culture and the author's efforts to look at different sides to the story.
At the three quarter point it seemed to lag a bit and the first chapter didn't engage me too much, hence the four stars.
However, I strongly recommend this book as a gripping read and for its revelations about racial issues in Australia today as seen through the terrible events in one community, in themselves things we all should know about.
The author's writing is precise and unadorned but he is skilful at giving details that have a lot of impact. Among many other things, I also appreciated the insight into Aboriginal history and culture and the author's efforts to look at different sides to the story.
At the three quarter point it seemed to lag a bit and the first chapter didn't engage me too much, hence the four stars.
However, I strongly recommend this book as a gripping read and for its revelations about racial issues in Australia today as seen through the terrible events in one community, in themselves things we all should know about.
August 29, 2020
In a strange coincidence I had just finished reading The Yield by Tara June Winch when this non-fiction account of 3 unsolved murders of indigenous Australians arrived from the library. Coincidence because although one is fictional and one is non-fiction they are both about the terrible legacy of colonial Australia on one of the oldest civilizations in the world.
Bowraville highlights the racism embedded in the Australian police force and also the way the British justice system, which both Australia and NZ inherited, is also inherently racist. It expects witnesses to behave in a certain way and doesn't allow for cultural nuances. One of the key people in Bowraville talks about how Aboriginal people don't think in terms of time and dates or addresses but in terms of relationships.
Bowraville highlights the racism embedded in the Australian police force and also the way the British justice system, which both Australia and NZ inherited, is also inherently racist. It expects witnesses to behave in a certain way and doesn't allow for cultural nuances. One of the key people in Bowraville talks about how Aboriginal people don't think in terms of time and dates or addresses but in terms of relationships.
September 8, 2020
I’m not sure “enjoyed “ would be a good way to describe how I feel about this book as the subject was distressing and the outcome so very disappointing for all the families. I do however applaud the investigating police officer and the the author of the book, for the obvious care and respect they showed towards the indigenous community so affected by the deaths of their children. I was also heartened to read that this case changed NSW police procedures for the better . It is a story that needed to be told and I hope brought a spotlight on importance of treating all people equally , with dignity and with empathy, regardless of skin colour, ethnic background or socioeconomic status!!! An excellent documentation of a very distressing event.
November 21, 2021
Bowraville is the true story of 3 children - 16 year old Colleen Walker and Clinton Speedy-Duroux, and 4 year old Evelyn Greenup. The bodies of Evelyn and Clinton were found but Colleen still remain missing. All 3 went missing after parties and a local man was charged but acquitted. This happened in 1990-1991 so how are these murders still unsolved? Is it because the children are Aboriginal and the prime suspect white? Was it the malpractice of the police in the area? Is it a combination of both?
It's always hard to review non-fiction. It's an absolutely horrible story but Dan Box does it respectfully to all involved. It isbt dry like a textbook but has all the facts. Definitely one for the true crime lovers.
It's always hard to review non-fiction. It's an absolutely horrible story but Dan Box does it respectfully to all involved. It isbt dry like a textbook but has all the facts. Definitely one for the true crime lovers.
April 7, 2022
This was a terrific read by Dan box but very sad as it was a true crime two teenagers were murdered and a younger girl only 4 years old all who were all Aboriginal and from separate families lived in Bowraville where they named their homestead The Mission. All 3 children we're murdered within 5 months between 1990 and 1991 the same white man was linked to each murder but nobody was convicted. The teenage victims we're only 16 Clinton Speedy Duroux and Colleen Walker Craig and Evelyn Greenup who was only 4 years old it has now been over 30 years old this case, a decade later former homicide detective Gary Jubelin had been brought in to help solve the case he was also the person to approach author Dan Box to write a book about these terrible murders. 🙂💜📚
January 14, 2021
A heartbreaking story of injustice. There were many things that resonated with me as a white New Zealander, particularly the legacy of colonialism on indigenous people. The book portrays the strength of the families who fought for justice for three murdered children, against the indifference of police and the failure of the legal system to provide justice despite an obvious suspect. It also shows the journey of the writer from the sympathetic but "objective" journalist to a supporter and friend of the families.
January 23, 2025
The author was a journalist with The Australian and sent to report on the murders of 3 Aboriginal children in the small NSW town of Bowraville. This is a true crime story covering the over 2 decades of print and television reporting. It's also the story of the shift that Dan Box makes where he "crosses the line" and it becomes personal to him to help enable justice. It is a great depiction of the racism and lack of interest given to these deaths and to the commitment, love and tenacity of the families to see justice done.
February 1, 2022
Wow. This book really gets you to take a good hard look at yourself. I had never heard of the Bowraville murders, or even Bowraville for that matter. I just picked this book up at a charity shop. I feel Dan Brown wrote a very good book and although he clearly became very involved with the town and it's people I did not feel that he was bias in his writing. He stuck to the facts as far as the case went and even made us think about the guilt or not of the main suspect.
August 23, 2020
The Bowraville murders are injustice exemplified, a series of the most serious crimes hampered by legal haggling and hold ups. In many ways, the book is a reflection of this; its slow pace amidst a quagmire of details is difficult and draining.
Box himself sums up the dissatisfaction best: "...no true crime story has a moral. And any that pretends it does is lying."
Box himself sums up the dissatisfaction best: "...no true crime story has a moral. And any that pretends it does is lying."
June 26, 2020
Such a shame we live in a world if one supposed important figure decide to reject a case and evidence that years later down the track when its retried, its consider unfresh and therefore cannot be used.
July 29, 2020
This is a very, very important book.
The thing is, reading it, you continually ask how this can still be happening. And as I read it, and Dan Box briefly discusses the case of Theresa Binge, I realised that I have grown up in a place where this has happened.
The thing is, reading it, you continually ask how this can still be happening. And as I read it, and Dan Box briefly discusses the case of Theresa Binge, I realised that I have grown up in a place where this has happened.
September 11, 2020
I’ve marked the book as read so I don’t accidently read it, having already spent a time investment into the podcast by the same author. It was a jaw dropping story and the podcast stayed with me long after hearing it.
January 15, 2021
The tragic story of 3 murdered children and how the families had to fight a police force who seemed disinterested in even carrying out an investigation, leaving the families with no closure, despite strong evidence of the identity of the killer.
June 13, 2021
This audiobook has taught me a lot about the donkey that is our legal system in Australia, the difficulties of life on an Aboriginal mission, and the differences in the way Europeans and First Nations communicate. Thank you Dan Box for pursuing this story.
April 1, 2023
Gripping and sad - A true account describing the shocking racism in Australia - thoughtfully written and easy to read - A way for whites to understand what so many Aboriginal people have had to endure
November 1, 2020
I'm glad I know about this now but I found the book pretty slow and felt it really dragging by the end.
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