Jonty
Bush

Speaker Profile

Motivational speaker and anti-violence campaigner Jonty Bush has developed a list of remarkable achievements after using her darkest hours to help others. Her latest is the title of 2009 Young Australian of the Year.

Jonty was twenty-one when her younger sister was murdered. Just four months later Jonty's father was assaulted in an unprovoked attack and later died as a result of his injuries. Jonty's world again was rocked when the perpetrator of her father's assault was acquitted through the controversial Accident defense.

Jonty joined the Queensland Homicide Victims' Support Group to support others through their darkest hours of grief and loss, and through her continued awareness initiatives, mobilised a community to care about Queensland's laws and violence in society.

Aged twenty-seven, Jonty was offered the role of CEO of the Queensland Homicide Victims' Support Group, making her the youngest, and the first victim CEO in the history of the organisation.

Jonty has since led the push to review murder defenses in Queensland, was instrumental in the enhancement of victims rights and compensation within Queensland, and with the Queensland Police Service, championed the anti-violence One Punch Can Kill campaign.

Jonty is currently coordinating a local government crime prevention program aimed at reducing the incidence of binge drinking and other risk-taking behaviours among young people.

She is completing studies in Criminology through Griffith University, and continues to travel Australia speaking with the broader community about the prevalence and consequence of violence.

In August 2011 she was featured on ABC TV's Australian Story in an episode titled 'The Trials of Jonty Bush'.

Travels from Queensland