Dying Rose

based on the award-winning podcast

Douglas Smith, Kathryn Bermingham, Emily Olle , Gemma Jones

$35.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

HARPER360
19 March 2025

Biography; True crime; Social discrimination; Indigenous peoples; Regional government; Police procedures

An investigation into the deaths of six Aboriginal women and the police responses that left families reeling

'If you think it's hard being a white woman in Australia, try being a black woman.' These were the words that set a team of journalists at the Adelaide Advertiser on an investigation into the tragic deaths of six young Indigenous women.

It was Courtney Hunter-Hebberman who uttered those words, up on stage at an International Women's Day event. A shocking number of Indigenous women die every year by murder or suicide, and Courtney's daughter, Rose, was one of them. Rose's apparent death by suicide at 19, in a run-down backyard shed, had left her mother craving answers - answers the police seemed unable to give her.

Inspired by Courtney's courage and grief, The Advertiser team hoped to shed light on Rose's death and put Courtney's mind at rest. But what they found, as their investigation of one death rolled into another five, was disturbing. Lack of urgency, sloppy searches, poor communication, and assumptions by police were just some of the problems encountered in these cases.

As the team probed further, the answers, or lack thereof, gave rise to even bigger questions about whether Indigenous Australians, especially women, have a voice, and if they are heard when they speak.

Based on the podcast Dying Rose, this is a compelling look at young Indigenous women's vulnerability to danger, and how, when their lives are cut short, their families are left to cope with a grief compounded by seeming prejudice and indifference.

By: Douglas Smith, Kathryn Bermingham, Emily Olle, Gemma Jones
Imprint: HARPER360
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 155mm, Spine: 24mm
Weight: 397g
ISBN: 9781460766569
ISBN 10: 1460766563
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 19 March 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Douglas Smith is a descendant of the Mirning and Kokatha peoples. He is an award-winning journalist who started his career at The Advertiser in 2014 before moving to Sydney in 2018 to work for SBS and NITV as a video journalist. He has been both Queensland and South Australian correspondent for NITV, and now covers Indigenous affairs for The Advertiser. Kathryn Bermingham is state political editor at The Advertiser. She covers everything from legal affairs to the disability sector, industrial relations and the public service. She began working in South Australia in 2017 and, since then, has also spent time at AAP and the ABC. Emily Olle is a specialist digital reporter at The Advertiser with a background in television, radio and AFL. As a journalist, she has a focus on youth affairs, politics and social issues. Gemma Jones is the Editor of The Advertiser in Adelaide and is responsible for South Australia and the Northern Territory across News Corp Australia's digital and print assets. She has more than 20 years' experience in the media industry and held positions previously at the Daily Telegraph as deputy editor, The Australian as national chief of staff and has worked in Sydney, Canberra and New York as a reporter. Gemma is passionate about storytelling, innovation and campaigns which improve the lives of Indigenous people.