Parker – Hulme Murder Case, 1954
Pauline Parker, 16, and Juliet Hulme, 15, were found guilty in 1954 of killing Pauline’s mother, Honora Mary Parker, with a brick in a sock. The jury rejected a plea by the defence that the girls were not guilty on the grounds of insanity. The murder, which took place on 22 June 1954, remains one of Christchurch’s most notorious.
About this digitised content
This information mainly comes from Christchurch newspapers at the time of the trial and articles written since. Some of the coverage of the trial is available as both transcripts from the articles and as PDFs of the newspaper. The transcripts are easier to read and faster to download but the PDFs retain the look of the original. Articles that have not been transcribed are available only as PDFs. Articles written after 1954 are only available in transcript form.
In addition we have included a list of other resources at the bottom of this page.
News Coverage of the Trial
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‘Woman’s body found’, Press, 23 June 1954, p.10.
‘Two teenagers face charge of killing woman’, ‘Discovery of body described" and ‘Court told about families’, Star-Sun, 23 August 1954, p.1.
‘Called to Park’, ‘Had operations’, Star-Sun, 23 August 1954. p.1.
‘Murder trial - Mother cross-examined’, Star-Sun, 24 August 1954, p.3.
‘Murder trial - continued’, Star-Sun, 24 August 1954, p.4.
‘Murder trial - continued’, Star-Sun, 24 August 1954, p.5.
‘Supreme Court Trial - Witnesses tell of finding body’, Star-Sun, 24 August 1954, p.12.
‘Crown rebuts opinions about girls’ insanity’, Star-Sun, 27 August 1954, p.1.
‘Crown rebuts opinions, Belief in hereafter, traversed at length’, Star-Sun, 27 August 1954, p.2.
‘Murder trial’, Star-Sun, 27 August 1954, p.3.
‘Closing stages of teenagers’ murder trial’, Star-Sun, 28 August 1954, p.1.
‘Murder trial: Symptoms enumerated’, Star-Sun, 28 August 1954, p.3.
‘Murder charge. Hearing of evidence completed. Addresses to jury today’, The Press, 28 August 1954, p.8.
‘Murder charge… continued’, The Press, 28 August 1954, p.8.
‘Ministers to decide future of murderesses’, Star-Sun, 30 August 1954, p.1.
‘Teenagers sentenced to detention for murder’, Star-Sun, 30 August 1954, p.4.
‘Girls guilty of murder’, The Press, 30 August 1954, p.12.
‘Girls guilty of murder… continued’, The Press, 30 August 1954, p.12.
‘Girls guilty of murder… continued’, The Press, 30 August 1954, p.12.
‘Detention of murderesses is problem" Star-Sun, 31 August 1954, p.11.
‘Girl murderers sentence’, Star-Sun, 1 September 1954.
‘Girl murderers’ sentence - decision on place of detention’, Star-Sun, 2 September 1954.
The above trial reports, as a single file [8.8MB PDF] - doesn’t include items below.
Later Coverage
‘New Zealand girl murderers’, Rupert Furneaux, Famous criminal cases V.2, London:Wingate, 1955. p.32-49
‘Death in a cathedral city’, Thomas Stuart Gurr and H. H. Cox, Famous Australasian Crimes, London: Muller, c1957. p.148-167.
‘Separation threat trigger for a brick attack’, Neil Clarkson, The Press, 17 June 1989, p.23.
‘Murder without remorse’, Press Weekend, 5 October 1991, p.5.
‘Solved: Hulme’s greatest secret’, Press Weekend, 6 August 1994, p.3-4.
‘Hulme describes teenage plot to kill friends mother’, The Press, 20 September 1994, p.3.
Other Resources
Search our catalogue for resources about the Parker - Hulme murder case- Search our catalogue for novels by Anne Perry (Juliet Hulme)
- Internet Movie Database about the movie Heavenly Creatures by Peter Jackson
- Official Anne Perry website
- Crime.co.nz file on Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme
- Schoolgirl Murderesses, 1954 - from 'TRIALS, NOTABLE' - An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, 1966
- Ilam Homestead Juliet Hulme’s home at the time of the murders, now the University of Canterbury staff club and a function centre. Scenes in Heavenly Creatures were filmed there.
