#37 Hedley Thomas: Investigative Journalism in Australia
Hedley Thomas, The Australian's national chief correspondent, is an investigative journalist, author and true-crime podcaster. Hedley has won eight Walkley Awards including two Gold Walkleys. For his reporting through 2022, he received the Graham Perkin Award as Australia's journalist of the Year.
His first job in newspapers was a copyboy on the Gold Coast Bulletin in 1984. Hedley worked as a journalist covering tumultuous news events in London, Europe and Hong Kong for eight years. He and his wife Ruth have lived in a semi-rural community near Brisbane since 1999.
His investigations since 2017 have attempted to solve cold case murders of Australian Women. Hedley pursued Chris Dawson for the 2018 global smash hit podcast, The Teacher's Pet, leading to the former star footballer finally being found guilty 40 years after the 1982 murder of his wife Lyn. His other podcasts are Shandee's Story, Shandee's Legacy, The Night Driver, The Teacher's Trial and the Teacher's Accuser. His first book was titled Sick to Death in 2007.
Hedley's podcasts have achieved more than 100 million downloads and have topped charts in Australia, the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and New Zealand.