| Hetty Johnston | |
| Birth Name: | Hetty Margarete van Velsen |
| Birth Date: | 1958 9, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Geelong, Victoria, Australia |
| Founder of Bravehearts | |
| Known For: | Child Protection Activism |
| Party: | Independent (since 2001) |
| Otherparty: | Democrats (1996-2001) |
Hetty Margarete Johnston (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]
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 elderly mother.[6] [7] [8] Johnston also unsuccessfully ran as an independent candidate for the seat of Macalister in the 2017 Queensland state election.[9]
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]