PACT

Today marks 40 years since PACT made a promise to protect victims and witnesses of crime navigating some of the hardest moments of their lives.

On 29 May 1986, PACT was officially incorporated as an organisation. Our story began at a child abuse seminar where a presenter's challenge to the audience, to "make a pact to protect all children today", sparked something lasting. Two Detectives, David Jefferies and Dugald MacMillan, approached Kay McGrath, a television presenter who had been covering the seminar, and together the three of them signed the paperwork in Kay's own home to bring PACT into existence.

Today, 40 years on, we were honoured to celebrate this milestone at Government House with our Patron, Her Excellency the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young, Governor of Queensland, alongside our founding members, board, staff, and the volunteers who make this work possible every single day.

Most meaningfully, Kay McGrath and Detective David Jefferies were with us today, wonderful people whose vision, forty years ago, started it all.

PACT exists to support, educate and empower people through their court journey. As an independent, not-for-profit organisation, we walk alongside children, young people and adults who are victims and witnesses navigating the Queensland criminal justice system. It is not easy work and sadly, it’s still necessary work 40 year later.

This financial year alone:
4,022 vulnerable children, young people and adults were supported by PACT.
51% of those we supported were adults.
63% of cases involved domestic and sexual violence matters.
12% of our clients identify as First Nations peoples, a figure that reminds us how much further we have to go in ensuring every victim and witness, regardless of background, can access the support they need and deserve.

We are grateful to Her Excellency for her steadfast support of our mission, and to every volunteer, staff member, board director, and founding member who has carried this organisation forward across four decades.

Forty years. Thousands of lives. One purpose, unchanged since the day it was written at Kay's kitchen table.

Here's to the next chapter.

Celebrating the care, strength and impact of mothers and mother figures in our communities today and every day. 💜

World Day for Safety and Health at Work is a reminder that safety in the workplace extends beyond physical protection, it also includes psychological wellbeing, emotional safety, and the ability to feel supported in your role.
At PACT, working within the justice system, we understand that environments can carry significant emotional and mental demands. Safety is not only about preventing physical harm, but also about recognising stress, vicarious trauma, and the importance of maintaining mental wellbeing in challenging spaces.

It is essential that workplaces foster cultures where people feel safe to speak up, seek support, and take care of their wellbeing without stigma.

Looking after yourself is not a sign of weakness, it is a vital part of sustaining your ability to support others and continue doing meaningful work.

If you are struggling, it is important to reach out and access support. You are not alone, and help is always available.

On ANZAC Day, we pause to remember the courage, sacrifice and resilience of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who served at Gallipoli and in conflicts that followed.
The Gallipoli campaign, beginning in 1915, became a defining moment in our shared history. It marked the loss of many lives, and the emergence of the ANZAC spirit, characterised by endurance, mateship, courage and sacrifice in the face of hardship.

We honour all those who served, those who returned forever changed, and those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of their country.
Today, and always, we reflect on their legacy and the history that continues to shape our national identity.

Lest we forget.