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jurrassicsparks · Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 1:01 pm Post subject: Monica Schofield murder

Does anybody remember the Monica Schofield murder in 1963.I was 12 years old and her brother was a friend of mine.She was murdered at Dead Mans Creek close to Heathcote and East Hills hostel.I remember being on a search for her.I was with my family at East Hills hostel for 6 months.
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love cricket,football,rock music,married,2 grown up children,hate non conforming whining people and control freaks.

jt · Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 9:40 am Post subject:

I remember all the kids from East hills looking through the bush from the bridge past the first camp down to east hills i think it was a army guy that killed her ? jeez imagine doing that these days!!!

jurrassicsparks · Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 11:14 am Post subject:

the Schofields lived on Heathcote Hostel,i remember how distraught her brother was when she was missing.I cant for the life of me remember his name although my mum who is still alive has a photo and hes on it sitting outside the entry to the hostel when my Auntie,uncle and my cousins arrived the first day.Do you remember the walk between the 2 hostels?It was called the desert.I remember the bull ants chasing us.Another memory were the cups and plates,a funny type of material that were an orange colour.mum was very homesick on the hostel but dad convinced her to at least try Aussie out so we moved to Revesby and stuck out the 3 years.We then came to NZ but mum and dad returned to QLD till dad passed away in 2003.Mum is over here now and quite happy.They were tough days for new immigrants on those hostels with no air cond in the summer months.
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love cricket,football,rock music,married,2 grown up children,hate non conforming whining people and control freaks.

Vicky Smith · Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2012 12:08 pm Post subject: Re: Monica Schofield murder

Norm Faint · Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 8:13 am Post subject: The desert

Hi Jurrassickspark, I sorta remember the open space between the end of Heathcote hostel across to the footbridge, the Navy homes were to the left of the open area we called the desert. The short walk from East Hills hostel to Heathcote was either on the bitumin road or through the short cut across the corner of the two roads, that was in 1956/60, was Irene Cross still at E.H. when you were there ? cheers for now...Norm
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1954, Cabramatta Hostel from England aboard S.S.Strathaird, followed by Matraville, Marybrinong, Broadmeadows, Williamstown, Heathcote Road and Bunnerong (various moves as dad was later in '54 engaged as a Hostel Manager.

richardhallford · Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 3:22 am Post subject: Monica Schofield murder

Barry Rodrick was given a life sentence for the rape and murder of Monica in June 1963.
He died in 1970 after shooting himself in prison with a home made gun.
Source, Sydney Morning Herald.
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East Hills Hostel Aug 1966 to 1968. Nissen Huts 81 and 83d

richardhallford · Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 3:01 am Post subject: Monica Schofield murder

Having just come back from a trip to Sydney, I now have the complete document produced by the Australian Police Journal article of March 1997. There is approx 50 pages of text and photos. It is in PDF format and the photos have not scanned so well. I am attempting to obtain a better quality document, although this might not be possible.
WARNING! The article contains photos of Monica after her murder and may be harrowing to some.
It is a fully descriptive account of the events over and around the event and names witnesses etc. The article is available from the Liverpool Public Library to anyone who wants it, however it is not available on line.
Hence my offer to anyone who wants a copy, please PM me. Richard.
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East Hills Hostel Aug 1966 to 1968. Nissen Huts 81 and 83d

GinaKate · Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 6:42 am Post subject:

So was it one of the soldiers who murdered her?

Bluebird · Active Member Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 31

This gave me a chill....I used to hitchhike to Deadman's Creek with a couple of friends as a young girl in 1966.....and got picked up by an army truck and told off for being so stupid...they took us home!!

Joy52 · Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 10:53 pm Post subject:

I was on Heathcote at the time of the Monica Schofield murder. She was 2 years older than me but I do remember her. She was a very pretty girl with long fair hair and I think her brother's name was Phillip. My father and brother were on the search that took place through the bush surrounding the hostel. After the murderer was arrested he was taken to the police cells at East Hills before being transferred to Sydney. I heard that a group of men tried to form a lynch mob but the police had anticipated this and persuaded the men to return home to their wives and families. I believe that Monica's family returned to England very soon after and took her body with them for burial.

Bluebird · Active Member Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 31

I was only talking to a friend about this murder yesterday and how terrible it would have been for her family and friends.

gumnut57 · New Member Joined: 14 Oct 2013 Posts: 1 Location: UK

Yes, we were living in Heathcote Rd Hostel at the time and I remember how mum and dad never let me out of their sight after that. As young as I was then, the name of that poor wee girl has never left me....

Bluebird · Active Member Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 31

I can't even begin to imagine how frightening it would have been for parents of children living there at the time. When did you return to the UK?

Gordon John Pearson · New Member Joined: 07 Nov 2012 Posts: 1 Location: UK

As a young boy at the age of about five i do recall one day missing a bus home from school. I was most concerned about this, as i had been told
that someone had been murdered. The year was indeed 1963. My parents
had emigrated to Australia from England on the �10.00 pommy ticket
and wee stayed at The Heathcote Road Hostels.

If anyone wishes to write to me about this then will you please send
me an email on - [email protected]

We ended up returning to the UK in late 1963.

Thank You.

Mr Gordon Pearson.

ninette · Active Member Joined: 19 Sep 2017 Posts: 14

I'll never forget Monica. Whenever I hear the song Blue on Blue I think of her as it was popular at the time. As 3 little girls we used to go off in the bush and walk all over the Army Dump and between East Hills and Heathcote . I don't remember if anything changed for us after Monica was murdered. There were all sorts of rumours flying around amongst the kids about what had happened.
East Hills 1963/1964