About this episode

Hedley Thomas discusses the family secret that inspired his podcast 'The Teacher's Pet' and reflects on his career in journalism.

Journalist Hedley Thomas grew up knowing that his grandmother Gladys had vanished in the sea off Sydney in the 1950s. The mystery of what happened to Gladys helped to inspire his hit podcast 'The Teacher's Pet'. Hedley has had a storied career in journalism which has seen him win many Walkley Awards and expose a lot of corruption and dodgy dealings. But it has also placed Hedley and his family in harm's way. In 2002 Hedley and his wife Ruth were at their home when bullets were fired into their bedroom. The shooter was never found, and Hedley grappled with PTSD after the event. A couple of decades later Hedley returned to a story which had stayed with him for years. It was the about a woman named Lynette who had gone missing from her home in the Northern Beaches of Sydney. Hedley's podcast about her story became a massive hit. Five years after 'The Teacher's Pet' began, Lyn's former husband Chris Dawson was convicted of her murder. Despite his recent appeals, Dawson will spend the rest of his life in jail for Lynette's murder. Recently, Hedley has started talking about the family secret which helped inspire the podcast when it first began. Further information Help and support is…

People in this episode

Host: Sarah

Guests: Hedley Thomas, Shanelle Dawson

Topics covered

• family secrets
• journalism
• domestic violence
• mystery
• mental health

Keywords

• Hedley Thomas
• The Teacher's Pet
• Gladys
• Lynette
• Chris Dawson
• domestic violence
• journalism
• mental health

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Beyond Blue, Conversations

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