Hetty Johnston
Hetty Johnston is the Founder and Executive Director of Bravehearts Inc., Australia’s leading child protection advocates. Hetty established Bravehearts in 1997. Bravehearts is an organisation whose mission is to make Australia the safest place in the world to raise a child.
A born lobbyist, Hetty is a woman of passion and determination who has succeeded in highlighting the issue of paedophilia within media, families, schools and the general community both nationally and internationally.
In 2005, Hetty was announced as a finalist for the 2006 Australian of the Year Awards. She is the recipient of two Australian Lawyers Alliance Civil Justice Awards (2003 and 2004) and was named a finalist in the 2008 Suncorp Queenslander of the Year Awards. She was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship in 2010 and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Community Practice and Governance (March 2010).
In early 2009, Hetty was recognised as one of approximately 70 outstanding leaders throughout the world, receiving the prestigious annual Toastmasters International Communication and Leadership award.
Key achievements:
• chaired the Queensland Child Protection Week Committee for three years
• held a position on the Board of NAPCAN (National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect)
• held a position on the Board with ASCA (Advocates for Survivors of Child Abuse)
• sat as Chair for the Endeavour Foundation’s ‘Abuse Prevention and Response Committee’
• participated on the Federal Government’s Working Party on a ‘National Approach to Child Protection’
• currently sits on the Federal Governments working party on Cyber-Safety
• currently is an advisor to the Queensland Child Protection Commission of Enquiry.
Hetty is a much sought after speaker at local, state, federal and international levels including the International Virtual Global Taskforce Conference hosted by the Australian Federal Police in Sydney 2010.
She also is consistently interviewed by media for commentary on issues pertaining to child protection, and has been the subject of personal profile in many print media, talk back radio and television documentaries such as Australian Story.
Hetty works with government and non-government agencies on legislative reform, submissions, lobbying and research to improve child protection and political accountability in Australia.