The Virtual Conference Experience

Lesley Williams is a respected Murri (Aboriginal) Elder. She is best known for instigating the domestic and international Justice for Aboriginal Workers campaign, which led to the Queensland State Government in 2002, delivering a historic reparation package of $55.4 million to all Indigenous workers who had their wages and savings controlled by past governments. In 2003 she was awarded the Centenary Medal for her distinguished services to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. Lesley has co-produced and consulted on a number of documentary films including The Ration Shedand For Their Own Good, and co-wrote On The Banks of the Barambah: A History of Cherbourg and Not Just Black and White: a conversation between a mother and daughter. She is also a proud and devoted ‘Nana’ to six grandchildren.

Dr Heather Nancarrow is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Griffith Criminology Institute, Griffith University. For forty years she has worked to address violence against women, including in community services and advocacy, government policy, and research. Heather recently retired from full time work with her most recent role being the inaugural CEO of Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS). She was also the foundation Director of the Queensland Centre for Domestic and Family Violence Research at CQ University. Heather has held many leadership roles at the state and national level, including Deputy Chair of the National Council to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children, which produced Time for Action, the blue-print for COAG’s National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022. Heather has a MA (Hons) and a PhD in Criminology and Criminal Justice. Her scholarship is focused on justice responses to violence against women. Her book, Unintended consequences of domestic violence law: Gendered Aspirations and Racialised Realities was published in 2019. She has also published several book chapters and numerous peer-reviewed articles related to justice for victim/survivors of domestic and family violence.

Cathy Humphreys is Professor of Social Work at University of Melbourne. She specialises in applied research. Four projects in the past 5 years have worked with the Safe & Together Institute using practice-led, action research through facilitated multi-stakeholder workshops and Communities of Practice. This approach reflects a profound interest in knowledge translation to ensure the support of practice through research. Her research focuses on DFV and child abuse. She has a long-term interest in the intersection of DFV with other complexities including mental health and AOD. Professor Humphreys is a well published author of more than 125 journal articles. She worked at the University of Warwick for 12 years leading a domestic violence and child abuse research centre before returning to Australia in 2006. For 15 years she worked as a social worker.

Leanne Linard is the Queensland Member of Parliament for Nudgee on Brisbane's northside, and is the Minister for Children and Youth Justice and Minister for Multicultural Affairs. She has lived in the Nudgee Electorate for most of her life and, along with her husband Ian, is raising her two young boys in Nudgee. As the daughter of a RAAF pilot and engineer, Leanne spent her early years growing up in a Defence Force family and learned the values of community service. Leanne has previously held community roles, including Co-Chair and Patron of Upbeat Arts, was a member of the Australian Catholic University Brisbane Community Chapter, and was a former board member with Bravehearts, Brisbane Roar FC and Nundah Activity Centre. She was first elected as the Member for Nudgee in 2015, was re-elected in 2017 and again in 2020. Prior to being appointed Minister for Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs in November 2020, Leanne served as Parliamentary Chair of several portfolio committees between 2015 and 2020, including child safety. Prior to entering Parliament, Leanne worked as the Executive Officer of a Commonwealth Statutory Authority, as a policy advisor in the Queensland Government, and as a private sector manager. She holds a Bachelor of Business from Queensland University of Technology, and a Certificate IV in Workplace Assessment and Training.