Bruce Morcombe

Last updated
Bruce Morcombe

OAM
Born1959 (age 64–65) [1]
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia [1]
Occupationchild safety advocate
Known forco-founding the Daniel Morcombe Foundation
Spouse Denise Morcombe (m. 1983) [1]
Children3 (including Daniel Morcombe) [1]
Awards Sunshine Coast Region Citizen of the Year (2018)
Queensland Great (2020)

Bruce David Morcombe OAM (born 1959) is an Australian child safety advocate.

Contents

Morcombe is arguably best known as the co-founder of the Daniel Morcombe Foundation, a non-profit organisation which he established with his wife Denise Morcombe in 2005 following the abduction and murder of their 13-year-old son Daniel Morcombe in December 2003. [2] [3]

Life

During his childhood, Morcombe's parents owned a Brisbane fruit shop in the inner west suburb of Rosalie. [4]

At the age of eight, Morcombe and his older brother Perry discovered a body of a murdered woman in the grounds of Milton State School on 12 November 1967 after following a blood trail they had found outside the parents fruit shop. [4] [5]

In 1970 Morcombe's family relocated to Melbourne, and in 1977 he commenced working for the Board of Works. [1]

Morcombe met Melbourne-born bank worker Denise Beavis on 15 February 1980 in Lorne, Victoria. [1] The pair were married on 3 September 1983. [1] Their first son was born on 4 October 1987. They then had twin boys who were born eight weeks premature on 19 December 1989, including Daniel. [1]

After accepting a redundancy package from the Board of Works in February 1992, the Morcombe's purchased a Jim's Mowing franchise in Boronia. [1] [6]

The couple later accepted an opportunity to swap the Boronia franchise with a regional franchiser territory based in and around Sunshine Coast in Queensland. [1] Initially living at Mountain Creek where their children attending nearby Mountain Creek State School, the family eventually settled at Palmwoods. [1]

Murder of son

Morcombe's son Daniel was abducted from a bus stop on the Sunshine Coast on 7 December 2003. [7] The circumstances surrounding his disappearance triggered a widespread search and lengthy police investigation, with Morcombe and his wife frequently appearing in the media appealing to the public for information. [8] Following the arrest of Brett Peter Cowan on 13 August 2011, some of Daniel Morcombe's remains were found at a search site at the Glasshouse Mountains on 21 August 2011. [7] His funeral was held on 7 December 2012 at Siena Catholic College. [9]

Cowan's trial commenced on 10 February 2014, where he entered a plea of not guilty and refused to give evidence. [10] Cowan was found guilty on 13 March 2014 and sentenced to life imprisonment. [11] [12] Cowan appealed against his sentence but it was dismissed by the Queenslandd Court of Appeal on 21 May 2015. [13] The High Court of Australia dismissed a subsequent appeal on 11 March 2016. [14]

Child safety advocacy

With his wife Denise, Morcombe established the Daniel Morcombe Foundation in May 2005 to educate children about how to stay safe in both a physical environment as well as online. [2] [3] This has included launching educational resources such as Foundation Red and holding events such as the Walk for Daniel which was inaugurated on the Sunshine Coast in 2005 and the Day for Daniel, a national awareness and fundraising day held on the last Friday of each October when all Australians are asked to wear red, to reflect the red shirt Daniel Morcombe was wearing when he went missing. [2] [3]

Morcombe has openly advocated for a publicly accessible sex offender registry to allow members of the public to know which suburbs convicted sex offenders are living. The proposal garnered the support of the Federal Government, but met with reluctance among state governments which caused frustration for Morcombe. [15] In 2019, he described the proposal as comparable to crocodile signage found in Far North Queensland, stating: "One similarity I use when we were coming up north is every creek crossing you see there are signs, in multiple languages, warning not to swim here, you’ll be eaten by a croc. We don’t go out shooting crocs or punching them, but we’ve got an awareness program that says ‘look out, these guys live in the area'. Isn’t that the same as a public sex offenders website? We are alerting the public to look out for these people. Predators need to be aware that we’re watching." [16]

Morcombe has occasionally commented on other high-profile missing persons cases involving children. He revealed in 2009 that he and his wife had been in contact with the family of missing British girl Madeleine McCann, who disappeared from Portugal in 2007. [17]

In 2015, he criticised the decision to stop the parents of William Tyrrell from speaking to the media to appeal for information relating to Tyrell's disappearance. [18]

Morcombe formally appealed to the Western Australian state coroner in 2016 for an inquest to be held into the unsolved 1997 murder of 11-year-old Gerard Ross. [19] Morcombe said his interest in the Ross murder came about when he learned that a person of interest who was investigated as part of his son's murder was also questioned in relation to Gerard Ross' murder. [19]

In December 2021, Morcombe called on Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to instigate an independent review of forensic evidence from the investigation of the murder of Shandee Blackburn. [20]

In 2021, Morcombe appeared on the "Families of Missing Persons" edition of You Can't Ask That on ABC TV which first aired on 26 May 2021. [21]

Morcombe was angered by the release of The Stranger in 2022, a film directed by Thomas M. Wright and starring Joel Edgerton and Sean Harris, which is based on the undercover police investigation which led to the arrest of Brett Peter Cowan. [22] Describing the film as a "terrible tale that glorifies a horrific incident", Morcombe asked people not to see the movie and instead donate the money they would have used to buy a movie ticket to donate to the Daniel Morcombe Foundation. [22]

Honours

In late 2011, Morcombe and his wife Denise were jointly named as Queensland Australians of the Year, and as a result were nominated to become 2012 Australians of the Year, but lost to Geoffrey Rush. [23] [24]

Morcombe was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the 2013 Queen's Birthday Honours in recognition of his service to the community relating to safety awareness programs for children. [25]

Morcombe and his wife Denise were both named as the Sunshine Coast's Citizens of the Year at the local Australia Day awards in 2018. [26]

In 2020, he was named as a Queensland Great. [27]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queensland Police Service</span> State police service in Queensland, Australia

The Queensland Police Service (QPS) is the principal law enforcement agency responsible for policing the Australian state of Queensland. In 1990, the Queensland Police Force was officially renamed the Queensland Police Service and the old motto of "Firmness with Courtesy" was changed to "With Honour We Serve". The headquarters of the Queensland Police Service is located at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.

Wolston Correctional Centre is an Australian high-security prison facility in Wacol, Queensland, Australia. Wolston is a 'protection' prison, and as such houses many paedophiles, sex offenders and high-profile prisoners.

This is a timeline of major crimes in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glass House Mountains, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Glass House Mountains is a rural hinterland town and locality in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, the locality of Glass House Mountains had a population of 5,065 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queensland Health</span> Public health system in Queensland, Australia

Queensland Health is the name of the overall public health service in the state of Queensland, Australia. The system is made up of 16 Hospital and Health Services (HHS'), and the Queensland Department of Health. Each HHS covers a certain geographical area of Queensland, with the exception of the state-wide service, Children's Health Queensland, and operates health facilities and other services. The Department of Health is responsible for the management and performance of the system, and support services like finance, centralised supply and procurement, HR, and IT services. Most HHS' also have associated foundations and authorities, which provide additional support.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siena Catholic College</span> Co-educational school in Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia

Siena Catholic College, Queensland, Australia is a co-educational Catholic day college situated at Sippy Downs on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. Opened in 1997, it caters for students in Years 7–12 and has an enrolment of approximately 1000 students. The college shares its campus with Siena Primary School, a Prep to Year 6 school.

Dean Mildren, is a former judge of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory. He was appointed to the court on 27 June 1991, and retired February 2013. He is sworn in as an acting judge of the court, so from time to time still adjudicates on cases in the Northern Territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Daniel Morcombe</span> Murder of an Australian boy

Daniel James Morcombe was an Australian boy who was abducted from the Sunshine Coast, Queensland on 7 December 2003 when he was 13 years old. Eight years later, Brett Peter Cowan, a former Sunshine Coast resident, was charged with Morcombe's murder. In the same month, DNA tests confirmed bones in the Glass House Mountains were Morcombe's. On 13 March 2014, Cowan was found guilty of the murder, and was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder, indecently dealing with a child, and interference with a corpse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunshine Coast Region</span> Local government area in Queensland, Australia

The Sunshine Coast Region is a local government area located in the Sunshine Coast region of South East Queensland, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Sian Kingi</span> 1987 abduction and murder in Noosa, Australia

Sian Kingi was a 12-year-old New Zealand-Australian girl of Maori descent who was abducted, raped and murdered in Noosa, Queensland in November 1987. Barrie John Watts and Valmae Faye Beck, a married couple, were convicted in 1988 of the much-publicised crime. Watts was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. Beck would have been eligible for parole after 14.5 years, but died while she was still incarcerated.

Heinrich Palaszczuk is a former Labor member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland, and minister of the Beattie Government of Queensland. He was elected as the member for Archerfield in 1984, and held that seat until his election as the member for Inala in 1992. Palaszczuk retired from politics in 2006, and was succeeded in his seat of Inala by his daughter Annastacia Palaszczuk, who was the Premier of Queensland from 2015 until her resignation in December 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margaret McMurdo</span> Australian judge

Margaret Anne McMurdo is the former president of the Queensland Court of Appeal. Appointed on 30 July 1998, she was the first female president of an appellate court in Australia. She resigned effective 24 March 2017 after more than 18 years as a justice of the Court of Appeal.

Brett Peter Cowan is an Australian murderer and child rapist. He was convicted of the murder of Daniel Morcombe, a 13-year-old boy who disappeared from the Sunshine Coast on 7 December 2003. His abduction led to an eight-year investigation involving various suspects. As a result of these investigations, Cowan led undercover police to a potential burial site. He was charged with the murder that same month, and Morcombe's remains were discovered days later on 17 August. Cowan was sentenced to life imprisonment, on 13 March 2014 in a trial that attracted worldwide attention. Cowan had two previous convictions for sexually abusing children, the earliest dating back to 1987.

Timothy Francis Carmody is an Australian judge who was the Chief Justice of Queensland between 8 July 2014 and 1 July 2015. His previous roles include work as a police officer, barrister, Queensland Crime Commissioner, Family Court of Australia judge, and Chief Magistrate of the Magistrates Court of Queensland. He also presided over the 2013 Child Protection Commission of Inquiry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mick de Brenni</span> Australian politician

Michael Christopher de Brenni is an Australian politician currently serving as the Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen and Minister for Public Works and Procurement of Queensland. He previously served as the Minister for Housing and Public Works, Minister for Sport and Minister for Digital Technology. He has been the Labor member for Springwood in the Queensland Legislative Assembly since 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Allison Baden-Clay</span> Murder of Australian woman

Allison June Baden-Clay was murdered by her husband, Gerard Baden-Clay in a premeditated act on 19 April 2012. Allison was an Australian woman, mother of three daughters aged 10 and under and business executive. Her body was discovered on 30 April 2012, ten days after she was reported missing by her husband, Gerard. On 13 June 2012, Gerard was charged with murder and interfering with a corpse. On 15 July 2014, he was found guilty of murder, with the other charge being dropped; Gerard was given a life sentence. Gerard appealed the conviction and, on 8 December 2015, these charges were downgraded to manslaughter. In August 2016, the High Court of Australia re-instated the murder conviction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Third Palaszczuk ministry</span>

The Third Palaszczuk Ministry was a ministry of the Government of Queensland led by Annastacia Palaszczuk. Palaszczuk led the Labor Party to a majority victory in the 2020 state election and a third term in government since 2015. The cabinet's first meeting was held on 16 November 2020 in the Sunshine Coast suburb of Caloundra.

Shandee Blackburn was a 23 year old woman who was murdered in Mackay, Queensland, Australia in February 2013. Blackburn's ex-boyfriend, John Peros, was initially charged with her murder but was then acquitted in 2017 at trial. A 2019 coronial inquest, however, later identified Peros as the main suspect. A podcast by The Australian's Hedley Thomas was released in late 2021 which detailed the entirety of the case and issues concerning the investigation. As a result of the renewed interest created, the coronial inquest was reopened in February 2022.

Denise Marie Morcombe is an Australian child safety advocate.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Morcombe, Bruce; Morcombe, Denise (2013). Where is Daniel?. Pan Macmillan Australia. ISBN   9781743289495.
  2. 1 2 3 Atfield, Cameron (5 May 2015). "The Daniel Morcombe Foundation racks up 10 years of service". Brisbane Times . Retrieved 12 July 2023. It's been 10 years since Denise and Bruce Morcombe turned their unimaginable grief into a national force for good.
  3. 1 2 3 Boyd, Eden (5 May 2020). "Morcombe family's major milestone of keeping kids safe". Sunshine Coast Daily . Retrieved 12 July 2023. Today the pair are celebrating 15 years since the inception of the Daniel Morcombe Foundation, a non-profit organisation committed to building a future where children are free from harm and abuse.
  4. 1 2 O'Brien, John; Clarke, Chris (14 October 2018). "Daniel Morcombe's father Bruce involved in murder case as a child". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  5. ↑ "Woman found stabbed to death". The Sydney Morning Herald . 13 November 1967. p. 4. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  6. ↑ Nowakowski, Lana (19 October 2018). "A love formula for success and a long career". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  7. 1 2 "Timeline: the case of Daniel Morcombe". ABC News . 26 November 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  8. ↑ "$1m Daniel Morcombe reward sparks police boost". ABC News. 2 December 2008. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  9. ↑ Atkinson, Bruce (7 December 2012). "Community farewells Daniel Morcombe". ABC News. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  10. ↑ Norton, Francene; Mellor, Leonie; Rawlins, Jason (10 February 2014). "Daniel Morcombe: Parents come face to face with alleged killer in Brisbane's Supreme Court". ABC News. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  11. ↑ Norton, Francene (13 March 2014). "Daniel Morcombe murder: Brett Peter Cowan guilty of killing Queensland teen". ABC News. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  12. ↑ "Daniel Morcombe's killer sentenced to life in prison". ABC News. 14 March 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  13. ↑ "Daniel Morcombe's killer Brett Peter Cowan loses appeal against his conviction for murder". ABC News. 21 May 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  14. ↑ Field, Donna (11 March 2016). "Brett Peter Cowan: Daniel Morcombe's killer has murder conviction appeal bid dismissed". ABC News. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  15. ↑ King, Madonna (5 December 2019). "'Do your job!': Why Bruce Morcombe fired off that angry tweet". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  16. ↑ Murray, Mark (25 June 2019). "Bruce Morcombe says public should be warned of child sex offenders just like crocodiles in Far North". Cairns Post . Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  17. ↑ "'Keep searching' Morcombes tell McCanns". Brisbane Times. 6 May 2009. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  18. ↑ Bearup, Greg; Box, Dan (18 April 2015). "Daniel Morcombe's dad critical of gag on William's parents". The Australian . Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  19. 1 2 Campbell, Kate; Shorten, Kristin (22 May 2016). "Bruce Morcombe calls for inquest into unsolved 1997 murder of WA schoolboy Gerard Ross". The West Australian. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  20. ↑ McKenna, Michael; Peel, Charlie (1 December 2021). "Daniel's father Bruce Morcombe in plea to Annastacia Palaszczuk: Shandee Blackburn deserves justice too". The Australian. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  21. ↑ "Bruce Morcombe is the special guest in tonight's episode of You Can't Ask That". TV Blackbox. 26 May 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  22. 1 2 Burke, Kelly (15 July 2023). "Film based on Daniel Morcombe murder case is 'selfish cash grab', parents say". The Guardian . Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  23. ↑ Kidd, Rob (18 November 2011). "Bruce and Denise Morcombe named Queensland's Australians of the Year". The Courier-Mail . Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  24. ↑ "Geoffrey Rush is Australian of the Year". The Courier-Mail. 26 January 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2023. Mr Rush, 60, beat Queensland favourites Bruce and Denise Morcombe for the honour, announced at Parliament House in Canberra last night.
  25. ↑ "Award: 1148163". Australian Honours Search Facility . Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 10 June 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  26. ↑ "Residents earn top honours at Australia Day awards". Sunshine Coast Daily. 23 January 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  27. ↑ "2020 Queensland Greats recipients: Bruce Morcombe OAM". Queensland Greats Awards . Queensland Government. 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.