[1][2] Dickie commenced his journalism career with the Australian National University student newspaper Woroni, serving as editor while studying forestry, politics, economics, sociology and linguistics in Canberra.
[8] ABC Television's Four Corners subsequently broadcast a program by Chris Masters on 11 May 1987 entitled The Moonlight State about the same issue.
[8][9][10] The inquiry's findings contributed to the collapse of Joh Bjelke-Petersen's long serving government and resulted in four government ministers (Leisha Harvey, Don Lane, Brian Austin and Geoff Muntz) and the Commissioner of the Queensland Police Force (Terry Lewis) being imprisoned.
[5][11] For evidence he gave to the inquiry, Bjelke-Petersen was also trialled for perjury but due to a deadlocked jury, it was deemed to be a mistrial.
[1][12][13][14] From 1990 until 1994, Dickie was a special advisor and research officer at the Criminal Justice Commission, which was established following the Fitzgerald Inquiry.