The Teacher’s Pet: Soft soil
The search of Lyn Dawson’s former home at Sydney’s idyllic Bayview could help solve the mystery of her disappearance.
By late 1981, Chris Dawson had been sleeping with Joanne Curtis for a year, and the Dawsons’ marriage was at breaking point. Chris, a high school teacher, had brought Joanne, his teenage student, to live with him at his beautiful family home on Sydney’s northern beaches. At first Lyn Dawson believed her husband’s motives were innocent — he was doing the girl a favour by helping her to escape from a violent home life, and providing a safe place where she could prepare for her Higher School Certificate.
But eventually it became clear to Lyn that Chris and Joanne were engaged in an affair.
Humiliated and broken by what was happening, Lyn finally got up the courage to ask Joanne to leave the Bayview home.
And then suddenly, Lyn vanished.
Episode 4 of The Teacher’s Pet examines the initial searches conducted by police as they investigated Lyn’s disappearance, and the possibility that Lyn’s remains may have been buried in the backyard at the Bayview house, in the ‘soft soil’ outside what were Lyn’s daughters’ bedroom windows. The episode also reveals a surprise new witness who speaks publicly for the first time about something he was told in 1987, indicating the possible whereabouts of a body.
The photos below show the layout of the property, and the home, and the area where some believe Lyn is buried.
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The home
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Soft soil
The red circle indicates the ‘soft soil’ area of the block where later owners of the property concreted and built an extension.
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This photo shows Lyn’s daughter in the backyard at Bayview in the early 1980s, in front of the ‘soft soil’ area at the back of the house.
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Ready to sell
By the end of 1981, Chris Dawson wanted to sell the Bayview home, as this sale agreement, dated December 21 of that year, shows. Chris and Joanne drove to Queensland two days later to start a new life together, but along the way Joanne changed her mind and decided she wanted to take a break. The couple returned to Sydney in time for Christmas. Less than three weeks later, Lyn vanished.
