What's the origin of the line "The Dingo ate my baby" ?

It's from the movie A Cry in the Dark (1988). It was based on the true story of an Australian woman (Lindy Chamberlain, portrayed by Meryl Streep in the film) who claimed the dingo did it. She was accused, and a media circus ensued.

I don't know what the real woman said, but the movie character said, "The dingo's got my baby!"


Perhaps you remember the character Elaine on Seinfeld using the line:

In "The Stranded", an annoying party-goer keeps saying things like "Where is my finance?", "I think I've lost the poor baby", Elaine responds by saying (in an Australlian accent) "Maybe the dingo ate your baby!"
http://gina.ph/seinfeld.html#5.10

[This message was edited by referenth on 08-22-02 at 09:32 PM.]

Lindy Chamberlain was charged,in part, because of spilled blood in her car. Later, after the trial, they discovered it was not blood at all, but paint.

Catty (who thought the book one of the saddest she's ever read)

I wonder if the Aussie movie "Razorback" was based in any way on this incident. The movie, about a giant-sized boar, had a similar chain of events as a sub-plot. It came out earlier in the 80s than Streep's movie.