The Australian has launched a new investigative podcast from multi-award winning journalist and host of The Teacher’s Pet, Hedley Thomas. The podcast is supported by Harvey Norman.
Bronwyn tells the story of Bronwyn Winfield, a mother of two girls, and her disappearance in 1993 in a surf town in New South Wales.
In the midst of a separation from her husband Jon, Bronwyn vanished and left her girls behind. Her family and friends never heard from her again.
Winfield was 31 when she went missing.
The podcast is supported by editorial coverage in The Australian including interactive digital features, video, and photo galleries.
Bronwyn host Thomas said: “Sadly, there are many unsolved cases of women who disappeared and were treated by police back then as runaway wives and mothers abandoning their children. They all deserve to be closely examined with all the resources we can muster.
“Through the incredible power of podcasting, we hope that we will make a profound difference by shining a light on Bronwyn’s disappearance.”
Harvey Norman has supported each of Thomas’ podcast investigations, including Shandee’s Story and The Night Driver.
His 2018 podcast The Teacher’s Pet has had more than 80 million downloads worldwide, and followed the story of Lynette Dawson, who disappeared without a trace in 1982.
At the time, Dawson’s husband Chris Dawson had been accused of grooming the family babysitter, a then 16-year-old schoolgirl. In 2022, Chris Dawson was found guilty of Lyn’s murder after the state made the case that the motive was to replace her with the schoolgirl, and avoid the financial devastation that a divorce would bring.
The Australian’s editor-in-chief Michelle Gunn said the team was “thrilled” to announce the new podcast.
“The Australian has developed a reputation for world-class podcasts and Hedley is a trailblazer in this form of storytelling, using the power of audio to shed light on cold case suspected murders. The story of Bronwyn is an absolutely compelling quest for truth and justice.”
The first two episodes will be released free via registration at bronwynpodcast.com with subsequent episodes available only to subscribers of The Australian.