The Wanda Beach Murders

The beach has always been an important part of the Australian identity, especially after the explosion of youth culture in the 1960s. On 12 January 1965, the discovery of the bodies of West Ryde schoolgirls Christine Sharrock and Marianne Schmidt at Wanda Beach, south of Sydney, forever scarred the national psyche. The two 15-year-olds, who were neighbours, had gone missing on an outing to the beach with Marianne’s younger siblings the previous day, and their rapes and murders sparked a media frenzy. The Wanda Beach murders remain unsolved and the innocent victims – including both the girls’ families – occupy an almost mythic place in Australian criminal history.