Advertisement

Who bombed Sydney Hilton?

Often called the first terrorist strike on Australian soil, almost forty years later the horrifying bombing of the Sydney Hilton at 12.40am on February 13, 1978, remains unsolved.

On the eve of the inaugural Commonwealth Heads of Government Regional Meeting, then Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser was staying at the Hilton with heads of state including Indian Prime Minister Morarji Desai when the blast occurred.

• The Aussie girl who stole the heart of a star
These are the books everyone will buy in 2016
Kevin Rudd reveals his hidden passion for horseriding

A roughly 4.5kg gelignite bomb, placed in a bin directly outside, tore the street apart when emptied into the back of a garbage truck, instantly killing council workers Alec Carter and William Favell and leaving policeman Paul Burmistriw bleeding on the asphalt. He died nine days later.

9781742233512Leading to the formation of the Australian Federal Police and the country’s first anti-terror laws, the incident shook the nation. In the chaos that followed, Detective Inspector Norm Sheather would form the Hilton Task Force, comprised of over 100 officers, collecting evidence and examining motives in a methodical, open-minded way.

Three weeks later, his best efforts would be seriously undermined by the rogue actions of the NSW Police Special Branch.

Award-winning documentary filmmaker Rachel Landers takes on the challenge of cutting through the noise in her gripping new book Who Bombed The Hilton? a meticulous account of one of Australia’s most alarming crimes.

Faced with contradictory tip-offs and walls of silence, Landers abandoned the idea of a documentary, instead sifting through thousands of evidentiary documents held in the archives.

“Because this is a case so drowning in different agendas and versions, I decided to just look at the bits of paper. I’m an archive historian by training and my feeling is, if you get enough things from enough sources, you can start to paint a picture of what actually occurred.”

The late Fraser dissuaded Landers from pursuing the case. The psychological wound that was the dismissal of Gough Whitlam hung heavy in the nation’s consciousness in 1978.

“A lot of people looked at him as evil incarnate; the illegitimate inheritor of that mantle, done in the most dastardly way,” Landers says.

Malcolm Fraser tried to discourage Rachel Landers from investigating. Photo: Getty

Malcolm Fraser tried to discourage Rachel Landers from investigating. Photo: Getty

“Much of the police force was corrupt at the time, so in that crucible, having a suspect leader and these shadowy organisations, that engendered this culture of conspiracy.”

Almost immediately after the bombing, wild theories circled. Why had bins not been checked, despite a massive police presence that included snipers? While it’s tempting to pursue the commonly held ‘miscarriage of justice’ narrative that clings to the subsequent inquests and trials, Landers insists this line of thinking is a red herring undone by the evidence.

She points to Special Branch’s recruitment of Richard Seary as the biggest flaw. Seary first presents to Sheather implicating the Hare Krishnas and is discounted. Three weeks later, Special Branch embed him in religious sect Ananda Marga, responsible for appalling attacks against Indian nationals worldwide, without telling either the Hilton Task Force or ASIO, despite the latter already having two agents on the case.

“I don’t think Richard’s as barmy as people make out, but he’s hopeless,” Landers says. “If you’re going to have a witness, you want them to be credible and reliable, not run off doing their own thing.”

Who Bombed The Hilton? details the catastrophic effect of this mind-boggling intervention and the escalating aftermath of the bombing, as four more explosive devices surfaced, including one planted at the Indian High Commission in Canberra. Frightening demonstrations at Parliament House and the self-immolation of young socialite Lynette Phillips all ramp up the fear factor.

Rachel Landers

Rachel Landers

Landers argues that the mess and noise has distracted from a mountain of circumstantial, though arguably very strong, evidence pointing to Ananda Marga and its globe-hopping Australian leader Abhiik Khumar, who denies involvement. “I think it was a very small, elite group and most members were unaware, which promoted community in the face of persecution.”

The long shadow of the Hilton bombing can be seen in today’s strident focus on national security in political dialogue. Landers has sympathy.

“It’s simple to see ASIO and these secret organisations as jackboot fascists, but they are, ultimately, trying to keep people safe. It’s really complicated territory and what it behoves us to do as writers and journalists is to look at it in all its complexity.”

SEVEN ELEVEN STOCK

Stay informed, daily
A FREE subscription to The New Daily arrives every morning and evening.
The New Daily is a trusted source of national news and information and is provided free for all Australians. Read our editorial charter
Copyright © 2024 The New Daily.
All rights reserved.