Alleged murder victim Robert Lumsden is councillor Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden’s stepdad

The man found dead at the family home of a first-term Gold Coast councillor can be revealed as his stepdad with strong ties to politics, and a city sports club and P&C stalwart. Read his profile.

Councillor Ryan Bayldon Lumsden’s alleged murder victim Robert Lumsden is his stepdad, a long-time Gold Coast resident with deep community links in the city’s north.

The 58-year-old was found dead at his Arundel home on Wednesday afternoon.

His long-time de facto partner is Katrina Bayldon. Her son, first-term councillor Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden, was charged on Wednesday night with his alleged murder. His lawyer Jason Murakami told the Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday morning his client would be pleading not guilty.

Robert Lumsden (Picture behind Ryan Bayldon Lumsden), who was allegedly killed by his step-son. Picture: Supplied.

The incident has sent shockwaves through the community, which the family had been heavily involved in for many years.

Mr Lumsden was a long-time member of the LNP involved in the Bonney and Fadden branches of the party, and was a frequent sight at preselection meetings. Most recently he was at pre-selection in May when stepson Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden’s council colleague Cameron Caldwell was nominated to replace Stuart Robert in the federal seat of Fadden.

Police at the scene in Chiffley Place Arundel on Wednesday night including an officer with evidence bags. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Mr Lumsden was also understood to be closely involved in Mr Bayldon-Lumsden’s high-profile council run in 2020.

The family have been stalwarts of the Labrador Hockey Club where Mr Lumsden served as a coach.

Mr Lumsden was born in Singapore on October 1, 1964, with company records showing he lived in the United Kingdom in the early 1990s where he was a director of National Films, a company based in Hazel Grove, just outside of Manchester in northern England.

He left the company in December 1995.

Mr Lumsden moved to the Gold Coast in the late 1990s and began a relationship with Ms Bayldon, whose previous husband - Mr Bayldon-Lumsden’s father - had died.

The couple share a daughter, Ruth Bayldon-Lumsden, who is a high school student and Ryan’s half sister.

Police at Chiffley Place, Arundel on Wednesday night where Robert Lumsden, 58, was found deceased. Picture: Glenn Hampson

By the mid-2000s the family was living at the Chiffley Place property where he died on Wednesday.

Between 2004 and 2007 Mr Lumsden was a director of Prestige Furniture Imports.

During this period Ms Bayldon, a teacher with more than 35 years’ experience with the Department of Education, was serving as a head of department at Coombabah State High School.

In 2013 she relocated to the Wide Bay region where she served as principal of Biggenden and Theodore state schools.

According to documents lodged with Queensland Industrial Relations Commission, Mr Lumsden continued to live part-time on the Gold Coast while also spending significant periods of time in the Wide Bay region.

Ryan Bayldon Lumsden. Photo:Tertius Pickard

“Mr Lumsden lived on the Gold Coast but would frequently spend time with his family at Theodore, often for a week or more at a time,” the documents read.

“Mr Lumsden was an active member of the school’s Parents and Citizens’ Association (P & C) joining at the end of 2012.

“In 2013, he was elected as the school’s Queensland Council of Parents and Citizens

Associations (QCPCA) representative and was responsible to represent Theodore

State School’s P & C at conferences and district meetings.”

The documents describe Mr Lumsden as being heavily involved in the school community.

“Mr Lumsden was quite often present at the school as a parent and in relation to the works,” they read.

“On the occasions that he was in Theodore he would travel with Ms Bayldon and his daughter to the school in the mornings and generally remain at the school for the entire day.

“It was his habit to deliver Ruth to her class room.”

In 2019 the family relocated full-time back to the Gold Coast when Ms Bayldon was appointed deputy principal of Southport State High Independent Public School.

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