Hetty Johnston is the Founder and Executive Director of Bravehearts Inc, Australia’s leading child protection advocates.
A born lobbyist, Hetty is a woman of passion and determination who has succeeded in highlighting the issue of pedophilia 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, 2004) and was named a finalist in the 2008 Suncorp Queenslander of the Year Awards.
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.
Hetty established Bravehearts in 1997. Bravehearts is an organisation whose purpose is to provide therapy, support and advocacy services to survivors of child sexual assault, and to increase prevention - by way of education and awareness - to both adults and children.
Her responsibilities have included:
- 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’;
- Is a participant on the Federal Government’s Working Party on a ‘National Approach to Child Protection’;
- And currently sits on the Federal Governments working party on Cyber- Safety.
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.
Hetty is consistently sought after 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 nongovernment agencies on legislative reform, submissions, lobbying and research to improve child protection and political accountability in Australia.
