Lynette Dawson: Husband’s lover Joanne Curtis reveals her side of story in new book
LYNETTE DAWSON vanished without a trace in 1982. Now, more than 35 years after her suspected murder, the former teenage lover of Dawson’s husband tells her side of the story in a new book.
Nth Beaches
Don't miss out on the headlines from Nth Beaches. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A NEW book on a missing northern beaches mother will tell the story from the point of view of her husband’s lover.
Lynette Dawson vanished without trace in January 1982, leaving behind two children, a husband, a host of friends and a job she loved.
Her body has never been found but two coroners have concluded she was murdered. Nobody has been arrested or charged over the cold case.
Mrs Dawson’s husband’s lover Joanne Curtis, then 16, moved into the family home in Gilwinga Drive, Bayview, two days after Mrs Dawson disappeared.
Ms Curtis was a student at Cromer High and Mrs Dawson’s husband Chris was her physical education teacher.
Rebecca Hazel, 53, of Manly, met Ms Curtis at a women’s refuge on the peninsula. Ms Curtis, now 54, was a resource worker and Ms Hazel a lawyer. Over 10 years they became good friends.
“We spent a lot of time together while I wrote the book and we became very close,” Ms Hazel said.
“Jo’s been completely open with me, even though it’s obviously traumatic.
“It was hard for her to keep going over everything and she’d often get upset. I think she’s very brave.”
Ms Hazel said that, in the book, she wrote about how Ms Curtis felt let down by a lot of people. “It was common knowledge at Cromer High that she and Chris Dawson were in a relationship,” Ms Hazel said.
“She can’t understand why nothing was done to stop it. I can’t understand why more wasn’t done to stop it.”
Ms Curtis used to babysit for the couple at their home and described Mrs Dawson as “lovely, a great mum, a loving wife”.
Nevertheless, after Mrs Dawson disappeared, Mr Dawson invited Ms Curtis to move into the family home, with him and his two girls, aged four and two.
They went on to marry and live in Queensland. They had a child together but Ms Curtis left the relationship after 10 years. Ms Curtis, who is now a grandmother, lives on the beaches.
The unsolved case of Lynette Dawson is back in the news following a six-month investigation by The Australian newspaper.
Award-winning journalist Hedley Thomas has produced a podcast called The Teacher’s Pet.
Ms Hazel is in discussions with publishers about her book.
