The Teacher’s Pet: Cromer High Yearbook

A look through the school’s annual publications of the early 1980s reveals photographs of Chris Dawson and Joanne Curtis.

Cromer High School yearbook header image

Cromer High School’s pin-up sports teacher Chris Dawson came to the school in 1979. He had model good looks, an easy charm, and the students looked up to him. One of those students was Joanne Curtis, who joined Chris’s class in 1980 when she was in year 11.

And Chris took a very determined interest in the 16-year-old.

Cromer High is at the centre of episode 2 of The Teacher’s Pet, the sensational new podcast series by ­national chief correspondent Hedley Thomas, investigating the probable murder of missing Sydney woman, Lynette Dawson.

The Cromer High School yearbook pictures below show photographs of Chris Dawson and Joanne Curtis.

In the High School Staff photo of 1980, Chris Dawson is pictured bottom right, sitting cross legged.

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Joanne Curtis in the Cromer High Knock-Out Softball team photograph.

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Here Chris Dawson is pictured with the school’s First Grade Rugby League team. At the bottom of the page, mention is made of Lisa Forrest, who went on to become a Commonwealth Games dual gold medalist in swimming.

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The popular physical education teacher featured in this page of headshots.

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In this series of drawings done by students of their teachers, Chris Dawson is represented bottom left with the caption “mature age age students”, perhaps in reference to his youthful looks.

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Former Deputy Principal of Cromer High, Hylton Mace, in the 1980s. Mr Mace features in episode 2 of The Teacher’s Pet. Picture: Supplied

Former Headmistress at Cromer High, Margaret Mahoney. Picture: Supplied

Former Cromer High student Robyn Wheeler features in episode 2 of The Teacher’s Pet.

Listen to The Teacher’s Pet podcast series at www.theteacherspet.com.au, or via iTunes and other podcast platforms.