Serious crime rates pro-rata have been in decline since the second World War despite a widespread perception that we have become a more violent society.
The common belief that the 50’s and 60’s were a unique time of tranquillity and safety are not borne out by crime statistics. In fact behind the lawns and rose gardens of middle Australian suburbia, horrific crimes were being perpetrated.
The poignant tragedy of the boy Graeme Thorne’s murder-kidnapping following his fathers highly publicised lottery win in 1960 heralded a new style of forensic investigation, as well as a new style of media frenzy.
Image: Image: Shutterstock – Fragile Suburban Patina – Elias Bitar
Produced By: Roderick Chambers
Featured In Story: Peter Doyle – Author Suburban Noir
First aired on The Wire, Monday 1 November 2021