Freda Stark was an Auckland icon and celebrity. She first hit the headlines in the 1930s when she was the key witness in the trial of the well-known musician and conductor Eric Mareo, who was accused of murdering his wife, Thelma. Freda and Thelma were alleged to have been lovers, and Mareo was eventually convicted of the murder. Then in the 1940s Freda became even more famous when she danced (in little more than gold paint) night after night in the Civic Theatre before an admiring audience of American servicemen. After the war she married another dancer, a gay man, lived in London for many years, then returned to New Zealand for the last thirty years of her life. She became an icon to the gay community and a familiar figure around town. This book, partly written by her niece Diane, tells the full story of Freda's amazing life. Filled with anecdotes and memories from her many friends, it also includes a large number of superb photographs. Freda died in 1999 and her remains were buried with Thelma.
