Skip to main content

Story: Judicial system

Public interest in court proceedings

Image
Public interest in court proceedings

In 1935 conductor Eric Mareo was tried and convicted for the murder of his wife, Thelma. During the trial it emerged that Thelma was in a sexual relationship with dancer and entertainer Freda Stark. The sensational nature of the case drew large crowds. This photograph shows part of the queue of people wanting to watch proceedings outside the Auckland Supreme Court (as the High Court was then known).

Using this item

Auckland Council Libraries − Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero o Tāmaki Makaurau, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Reference: 7-A14389

Permission of Auckland City Libraries Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Philip A. Joseph and Thomas Joseph, Judicial system – High, district and specialist courts, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/33949/public-interest-in-court-proceedings (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Philip A. Joseph and Thomas Joseph, published 25 May 2012, updated 11 October 2016.