Hetty Johnston

Hetty Johnston AM
Born	Hetty Margarete van Velsen (1958-09-27) 27 September 1958 (age 66) Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Known for	Child Protection Activism
Title	Founder of Bravehearts
Political party	Independent (since 2001)
Other political affiliations	Democrats (1996–2001)

Hetty Margarete Johnston AM (born 27 September 1958), is the founder of Bravehearts Inc., an organisation advocating for better child protection in Australia. She remains a lobbyist who often highlights and promotes action against paedophilia within media, families, schools and in the general community. ^{[1] [2]}

Johnston has published a book detailing her beliefs called In the Best Interests of the Child. ^[3]

Politics

Johnston was the Australian Democrats candidate for Fadden at the 1996 federal election, and she was an independent Senate candidate for Queensland at the 2004 ^[4] and 2019 federal election. At the 2001 Queensland state election, Johnston stood as an independent in the electorate of Springwood. ^[5]

She ran for Mayor of Logan City in October 2015, but she withdrew to care for her friend and fellow writer Geoffrey Leonard. ^{[6] [7] [8]} Johnston also unsuccessfully ran as an independent candidate for the seat of Macalister in the 2017 Queensland state election. ^[9]

Honours and awards

Johnston was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the Queen's Birthday Honours of 2014, for service to the community through a range of organisations promoting the welfare and rights of children. ^[10] In 2015, she was named the Queensland Australian of the Year. ^[11]

References

1. Garcia, Jocelyn (9 March 2021). "'We broke the silence': Hetty Johnston steps down from Bravehearts". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
2. Perkin, Corrie (24 February 2002). "The passion and the pain of Hetty Johnston". The Sunday Age. p. 6. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
3. Souter, Fenella (23 October 2004). "The Kids' Crusader". Good Weekend. The Sydney Morning Herald . Sydney, Australia. p. 27.
4. "Senate Results Qld". Australia Votes. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
5. "Springwood - 2001". Election Archive. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
6. Atfield, Cameron (6 October 2015). "Bravehearts founder Hetty Johnston to run for Logan mayor". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
7. "Hetty Johnston withdraws as candidate for Logan mayor". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 15 December 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
8. "Hetty Johnston withdraws from Logan mayoral race". Brisbane Times. 15 December 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
9. "Queensland Votes - Electorate: Macalister". ABC News. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
10. "Member of the Order of Australia (AM) entry for Mrs Hetty Margarete Johnston". Australian Honours Database. Canberra, Australia: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 9 June 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2021. For significant service to the community through a range of organisations promoting the welfare and rights of children.
11. "2015 Queensland Australian of the Year Award Recipients Announced". Australian of the Year Awards (Press release). National Australia Day Council. 24 October 2014.