Azaria's ghost may finally rest in peace - Australia

AZARIA Chamberlain's death certificate may finally record that she was killed by a dingo after the Northern Territory Government ordered a review - 30 years to the day since she died.

The stunning development came after Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton released an emotional letter to "open-minded Australians" calling on the Government to have the courage to finally let Azaria rest.

She said Azaria had been denied justice because her cause of death officially remains "unknown".

The third and last inquest in 1995 into her death on a family holiday at an Uluru campsite on August 17, 1980, recorded an open finding.

"Our family will always remember today as the day truth was dragged in the dirt and trampled upon, but more than that it is the day our family was torn apart forever because we lost our beautiful little Azaria," Ms Chamberlain-Creighton said.

"She will always ever be what this ongoing fight for justice has been all about. She deserves justice. In light of all the evidence before the [Morling] commission this should be reflected on her death certificate and not the open finding that is there now."

The 1987 commission, headed by Justice Trevor Morling exonerated Lindy, who had been found guilty of Azaria's murder, and husband Michael, who was found guilty of being an accessory.

She accused the Northern Territory Government of being too stubborn or proud to admit a mistake was made.

"Their own commission proved it was not me, as I had told them all along, so why don't they accept their own claim now?" she said.

"Who knows the reason, but most of all please do not forget that a beautiful little girl died tragically on this date 30 years ago."

Last night, Northern Territory Attorney-General Delia Lawrie said she had asked the Northern Territory Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages to "determine if the cause of death is accurate".

The registrar has the power to hold an inquiry, require people to answer questions and seek fresh information.

"Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton has used the 30th anniversary of the death of Azaria Chamberlain to raise issues concerning the cause of death stated on her daughter's certificate," Ms Lawrie said.

She said that she had asked the Registrar to take "into account the most reliable information that is currently available".

Ms Lawrie has also written to Mrs Chamberlain-Creighton informing her of the inquiry.

NT Coroner Greg Cavanagh, part of the Chamberlains' defence team at their trial in 1982, yesterday declined to make any comment on whether he would need to hold a fresh inquest to overturn the previous finding.

Mrs Chamberlain-Creighton is overseas with her American husband Rick.