seven years that she had received at the previous trial. Appeals Harper and Payne appealed against their respective convictions for the murder and manslaughter of Sophia Weckert, but their appeals were unanimously dismissed by the Queensland Court of Criminal Appeal in May 1977. Payne then sought special leave in November, 1978, to again appeal against her manslaughter conviction but her application was unanimously refused by the Full High Court. Bruce Highway safety concerns The murders of Noel and Sophia Weckert prompted public concerns about the safety of Bruce Highway, particularly the portion of the highway stretching between Marlborough and Sarina. Graziers on properties between Rockhampton and Mackay called for better police protection following numerous violent incidents. After the reports of Noel Weckert's murder, Minister for Northern Development Rex Patterson publicly stated that he always traveled along the highway with a loaded rifle to ensure his own protection. It was a statement similar to the one he had originally made in 1967, wherein he had said that the stretch of road between Marlborough and Sarina was becoming renowned as "death alley" owing to the frequent occurrence of murders, shootings and ambushes. In response to these concerns, the police in Rockhampton said that they had received orders to maintain patrols for at least 18 hours a day on the highway between Marlborough and Sarina. A police officer would be sent to Marlborough to patrol the highway between Marlborough and Lotus Creek, while another police officer from Sarina would patrol the northern section. Due to the high frequency of crime, the highway also earned the nickname "The Badlands". The highway between Marlborough and Sarina was realigned in 1982, and the sealed road which had served as the Bruce Highway at the time of the Weckert murders is now known as Marlborough-Sarina Road. References 1975 in Australia Murder in Queensland 1975 murders in Australia 1970s in Queensland