Bayview house at the centre of Lyn Dawson search by police
A LUXURY $2.4 million northern beaches house is now the focus of a homicide police investigation relating to the disappearance of mum Lyn Dawson.
Manly
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THE northern beaches house where police suspect the remains of missing mum Lyn Dawson could be buried was described as “idyllic” and an “elegant family sanctuary” when it was sold to new owners last year.
The $2.4 million five-bedroom property at 2 Gilwinga Dr, Bayview, is currently the focus of a murder investigation for the second time.
NSW homicide police revealed they would be digging up four areas in the grounds of the property over the next five days.
Mrs Dawson went missing aged 33 from the house on January 8, 1982.
At the time she lived there with husband Chris and their two daughters aged four and two.
Mr Dawson was a sports teacher at Cromer High and was having an affair with pupil Joanne Curtis, which started when she was 16, when Mrs Dawson disappeared.
The Dawsons had built the family home with the help of money lent to them by Mrs Dawson’s parents.
The large luxury home was listed last year as having four garage spaces, multiple living areas and a “sunlit swimming pool” in the front yard.
The pool was the focus of a previous police dig in 1999.
Then police found a pale, pink cardigan, with cut marks, believed to belong to Mrs Dawson.
However, despite the find, the police did not dig further.
The 2017 real estate listing boasted about the property’s natural beauty and impressive grounds, which is currently being dug up.
“Nestled on an impressive 4.167 sqm of beautiful established grounds and landscaped gardens, this elegant family sanctuary provides a remarkable privacy and tranquillity,” it stated.
It said the home “showcases several alfresco spaces for relaxing and entertaining guests”.
“Capturing northerly sunlight and picturesque outlooks from nearly every room, the idyllic home attracts a colourful array of birds and wildlife”.
Police have been visiting the site over the past few months and the entire area has been mapped and plotted digitally.
Detective Superintendent Scott Cook said at a press conference that the ground penetrating technology had found some “anomalies” and forensic officers would dig at four sites until they hit hard stone which police believe was around four metres below the surface of the land.
The four areas include a small area behind the house, between the rock and the building, an area by the clothesline in the backyard, an area further to the back of the garden and around the pool area.
Det Supt Cook said police had been on site many times already to survey the area and this time the property search would be extensive as they did not want to be coming back in three or even 12 months’ time.
He said he wanted to do the “best job we can” and that it was all about “doing justice for Lyn”.
He said he would dig as far as they had to including to the bottom of the pool and in “other areas we will go down until we hit rock”.
The family who now lives in the home have agreed to let police conduct the search.
It has changed hands several times since Mr Dawson sold it in 1984 and moved to the Gold Coast with Ms Curtis, who he later married.
They had one daughter together and are now divorced.
The Gilwinga Dr home was bought by the current owners on March 3, 2017 for $2.4 million.
The value of the extensive property had more than doubled since the previous sale of $1.15 million on February 4, 2000 and the last sale before that was on December 3, 1993 when it went for $820,000.
No-one has ever been charged with the disappearance of Mrs Dawson.
