Barry Morris - Aftermath

Aftermath

Despite the fact that he was still facing criminal charges, Morris ran as an Independent in the 1995 election, gaining 18% of the primary vote. Always the Blue Mountains was considered a marginal seat, and the Labor Party's success in winning it had been an indispensable factor 19 years before, in the election of the Wran Government in 1976. This was again the case in 1995, with the seat returning to its previous member, Bob Debus, and the Liberal Party narrowly losing government to Labor.

Morris was condemned to two years in prison, although this sentence was later reduced to one year on appeal. He served his time at Berrima Jail. Embittered by his experiences, he contributed to small publications and began to self-publish a vituperative newsletter, named Berrima Murmurs, which criticised many of his former colleagues in the Liberal Party. He died in Sydney in 2001. No one was charged over the bombing of Blue Mountains Council, and the crime officially remains unsolved.