Hedley Thomas

Hedley Thomas
NationalityAustralian
Occupation(s)Journalist and author
Known forWalkley Awards; including two Gold Walkleys
Notable work

Hedley Thomas is an Australian investigative journalist, author and podcast producer based in Brisbane. He has been a staff writer at The Courier-Mail, the South China Morning Post and The Australian.[1] He is known for producing The Teacher’s Pet, a true-crime podcast that examined the 1982 disappearance of Sydney woman Lynette Dawson.[2] The podcast preceded the conviction of her husband, Chris Dawson, for her murder.[3] He has been awarded eight Walkley Awards during his career, including two Gold Walkleys.[4]

Early life

Thomas was born on Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas where his father, a Royal Australian Air Force pilot, was stationed on secondment.[5] He grew up on the Gold Coast, Queensland and graduated from Keebra Park State High School.[6]

Career

Early career (1984 – 1999)

Thomas began working as a copy boy at the Gold Coast Bulletin in 1984 before commencing a cadetship in 1985.[7] In 1988, he moved to The Courier-Mail in Brisbane, and by mid-1989 had taken up a foreign correspondent role in London with News Limited.[7][1] During his time in Europe, he covered major geopolitical events including the Fall of the Berlin Wall and the Romanian Revolution.[8]

He returned to Brisbane in 1991 and resumed work at The Courier-Mail.[7][1] In 1993, Thomas relocated to Hong Kong, where he held senior editorial roles at the Hong Kong Standard and the South China Morning Post, including positions as senior reporter and deputy features editor.[7][1] In 1998, he conducted a prescient interview with U.S. President Donald Trump in which Trump discussed politics, ego and his own political ambitions.[9]

In 1999, Thomas returned to Brisbane and rejoined The Courier-Mail.[1]

Investigative reporting in Australia (1999 – 2017)

From 1999, Thomas focused on investigative journalism for The Courier-Mail and later The Australian. He won the 1999 Walkley Award for Best Investigative Writing alongside Paul Whittaker for exposing a covert online betting operation known as the "Net Bet affair".[10][11] In 2003, he won another Walkley for a feature on the jailing of Queensland Chief Magistrate Diane Fingleton.[11]

In 2005, Thomas investigated medical negligence involving Queensland surgeon Dr. Jayant Patel. His reporting led to public inquiries[12] and won a Walkley Award[11] and the Sir Keith Murdoch Award for Journalism.[1] His articles formed the basis for his book Sick to Death (2007),[13] which won the Queensland Premiers Literary Award for "Literary Work Advancing Public Debate".[14]

Thomas joined The Australian as National Chief Correspondent in 2006.[1] His reporting on the arrest and mistreatment of Indian-born doctor Muhamed Haneef in 2007 earned him his first Gold Walkley for excellence in journalism.[11]

After working in corporate communications at Queensland Gas Company (QGC) and BG Group between 2008 and 2010,[15][16] Thomas returned to The Australian in 2010.[1] He subsequently covered stories on political misconduct, trade union corruption and public infrastructure, including high-profile figures such as Clive Palmer.[17] His work on the Wivenhoe Dam inquiry and Queensland floods earned him the 2012 Clarion Award for Queensland Journalist of the Year.[18]

The Teacher's Pet and later work

Thomas won a second Gold Walkley in 2018, along with producer Slade Gibson, for podcast series The Teacher's Pet, a 14-episode investigation of the unsolved disappearance of Sydney mother Lynette Dawson in 1982. The podcast series has been downloaded more than 80 million times[19] and was the first Australian podcast to hit the number one spot in the US, the UK, Canada and New Zealand.[20] As a result of its success, the investigative depth of the show was also criticised as potentially complicating, or compromising, witness testimony and ongoing police investigations.[21][22]

In 2022, Lynette Dawson's former husband Chris Dawson was convicted of her murder, a decision her family attributed to the podcast's impact.[3][23] Thomas received the Sir Keith Murdoch Award for his work on the podcast series.[24]

He released two follow-up podcasts, The Teacher’s Trial (2022) and The Teacher’s Accuser (2023), and a book adaptation in late 2023.[25][26]

Thomas has investigated a number of other cases in subsequent true crime podcasts, including The Night Driver (2020),[27] Shandee’s Story (2021),[28] Shandee’s Legacy (2022–2023)[29] and Bronwyn (2024).[30] His investigation during Shandee's Story revealed systemic failures in Queensland's DNA lab, with assistance from forensic biologist Dr. Kirsty Wright.[31] The findings prompted the coronial inquest into her disappearance to reopen[32] and triggered a Commission of Inquiry into Queensland's state-run forensics lab.[33] In his final report, Commissioner Walter Sofronoff recognised Thomas's “professional skill and determination” in uncovering one of the worst forensic failures in Australian legal history.[34]

Thomas was inducted into the Melbourne Press Club’s Media Hall of Fame in November 2018.[35]

Personal life

Thomas met his wife, journalist Ruth Mathewson, in 1992.[36] The couple have two children and have resided in Brisbane since 1999. In 2002, Thomas, Mathewson and their two young children were victims of a drive-by shooting at the family home, which was reported in local media.[37][38] Thomas experienced PTSD in the wake of the shooting.[39]

Thomas links his keen interest in the Lynette Dawson case to the unsolved disappearance of his paternal grandmother, who went missing from Dee Why in northern Sydney when his father was a child.[39] He has acknowledged feeling compelled by the similarities between the two cases, particularly following the death of his father in 2017.[39]

Awards

Awards include:

  • 1999 Walkley for Best Investigative Writing (with Paul Whittaker) for exposing the "Net Bet affair".[7][10]
  • 2003 Walkley for Best Print Feature, "Court in Crisis" on Diane Fingleton, jailed Chief Magistrate of Queensland.[11]
  • 2005 Walkley for Best Print News Story, "Exposing a Sick System" on Jayant Patel, Bundaberg Director of Surgery.[40]
  • 2005 Sir Keith Murdoch Award, "Exposing a Sick System".[1]
  • 2007 Gold Walkley and Walkley for Best Print New story for Mohamed Haneef investigation.[41]
  • 2012 Queensland Clarion Award for Queensland Journalist of the Year for highlighting evidence overlooked by the judicial inquiry into the operation of the Wivenhoe Dam during the 2011 Queensland floods.[42]
  • 2012 Honorary Doctorate of Journalism from John Henningham's Jschool School of Journalism in Brisbane.[43]
  • 2018 Gold Walkley for The Teacher's Pet podcast.[20]
  • 2018 Clarion Award for Best Radio/Audio (with Slade Gibson) for The Teacher’s Pet podcast.[44]
  • 2022 Sir Keith Murdoch Award for The Teacher's Pet podcast.[24]

Selected published works

Non-fiction

  • Thomas, Hedley (2007). Sick to Death: A Manipulative Surgeon and a Health System in Crisis – A Disaster Waiting to Happen. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1-74114-881-7.
  • Thomas, Hedley (2023). The Teacher's Pet. Sydney: Macmillan Australia. ISBN 9781760784782.

Podcasts

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Hedley Thomas". The Australian. Archived from the original on 3 September 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  2. ^ "The Teacher's Pet". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Chris Dawson 'in shock' after being found guilty of murdering wife Lynette in 1982". ABC News. 30 August 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  4. ^ Fletcher, Clare (18 December 2018). "Spotlight on: Hedley Thomas". Medium. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  5. ^ "His cold-case crime podcasts bring justice for murdered Australian women". South China Morning Post. 8 June 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  6. ^ Hedley Thomas 'Snakes and Ladders', 12 March 2021, retrieved 23 July 2025
  7. ^ a b c d e Paula Doneman; Amanda Watt (25 October 2002). "Stalker shoots at journo". The Courier-Mail. p. 1.
  8. ^ "Hedley Thomas". Democracy's Watchdogs. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  9. ^ Thomas, Hedley (14 December 2019). "Treasure of the hidden Trump tape". The Australian. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  10. ^ a b Kirkpatrick, Rod (2000). "News media chronicle, July 1999 to June 2000" (PDF). Australian Studies in Journalism. 9: 168. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Walkley Foundation – Past winners". The Walkley Foundation. Archived from the original on 5 February 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  12. ^ Andersen, Brigid (20 October 2023). "When patients started dying at a regional hospital, one nurse risked it all to blow the whistle". ABC News. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  13. ^ "Sick to Death- Hedley Thomas". Kirkus Reviews. 20 May 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  14. ^ "Queensland Premier's Literary Award". Queensland Literary Awards. Archived from the original on 24 July 2008. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  15. ^ "Hedley Thomas: Quitting at the top of his game". SBS News. 26 February 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  16. ^ Knott, Matthew. "Journalists & Editors, no. 6: Hedley Thomas". The Power Index. Crikey.com.au. Archived from the original on 20 July 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  17. ^ Thomas, Hedley (8 November 2014). "Clive Palmer's $10m cash trail revealed". The Australian. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  18. ^ "ABC takes out eight Clarion awards". ABC News. 25 August 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  19. ^ Koi, Kye Lee (23 May 2024). "Harvey Norman supports The Australian's new Hedley Thomas podcast". NewsCorp Australia. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  20. ^ a b Hedley Thomas, Slade Gibson win Gold Walkley for true crime podcast, ABC News Online, 23 November 2018
  21. ^ Cockburn, Paige; Sas, Nick (6 December 2018). "The power of the podcast — in Lynette Dawson's case was it a help or hindrance?". ABC News. Archived from the original on 29 December 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  22. ^ "Magistrate says Teacher's Pet podcast so popular it could prejudice Chris Dawson murder trial". ABC News. 8 August 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  23. ^ Murray, David (12 June 2025). "Chris Dawson's High Court appeal against murder conviction rejected, closing case after 43 years". The Australian. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  24. ^ a b "News Awards: Lachlan Murdoch presents trophies to Herald Sun & Australian journalists". Media Week. 8 November 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  25. ^ "The Teacher's Trial on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. 19 December 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  26. ^ "The Teacher's Pet - Pan Macmillan Australia". Pan Macmillan Australia -. 30 November 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  27. ^ "The Night Driver". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  28. ^ "Shandee's Story". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  29. ^ "Introducing Shandee's Legacy". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  30. ^ "Bronwyn". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  31. ^ "Forensic biologist labels Shandee Blackburn's murder investigation a 'forensic train wreck'". ABC News. 25 November 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  32. ^ "Coroner reopens inquiry into Shandee Blackburn's murder". ABC News. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  33. ^ "Thousands of serious crime and sexual assault cases to be reviewed in Queensland forensic lab inquiry". ABC News. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  34. ^ Sofronoff, Walter (13 December 2022). "Final Report: Commission of Inquiry into Forensic DNA testing in Queensland" (PDF). Queensland Health. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  35. ^ Mediaweek (19 November 2018). "More media greats inducted into Australian Media Hall of Fame". Mediaweek. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  36. ^ Club, Melbourne Press (15 November 2018). "Hedley Thomas". MPC - Hall Of Fame. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  37. ^ "Journalist relocated after shots fired at home". The Sydney Morning Herald. 24 October 2002. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  38. ^ "Journalist shaken after attack on home". The Age. 25 October 2002. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  39. ^ a b c "The family secret that inspired 'The Teacher's Pet'". ABC listen. 5 February 2025. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  40. ^ "Hedley Thomas". The Walkley Foundation. Archived from the original on 5 February 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  41. ^ "Haneef story gets Thomas a Gold Walkley". Sydney Morning Herald. 29 November 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  42. ^ "2012 Queensland Clarion Awards". clarions.org. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  43. ^ "Fairfax in talks". The Australian. 22 October 2012.
  44. ^ "Clarion Awards recognise the work of journalists for The Australian". The Australian. 10 September 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
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