Why We Must Say and Do Something – A Conversation with Bob Atkinson AO APM

Why We Must Say and Do Something – A Conversation with Bob Atkinson AO APM*

In this episode of The Voice of Survivors, host Nicci Heath is joined by Bob Atkinson AO APM, former Queensland Police Commissioner and Patron of Broken to Brilliant.

With a career spanning 44 years in the Queensland Police Service, Bob reflects on his lifelong commitment to justice, prevention, and victim support. The conversation draws on his experience as a Royal Commissioner into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, his work in youth justice, reconciliation, and his role in the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide and his ongoing advocacy for community-wide responsibility in addressing domestic and family violence.

Together, Nicci and Bob explore:

• How domestic violence was historically treated as “private family business”
• Why societal change requires more than police or courts alone
• The importance of prevention, early intervention, response, and recovery
• The role of survivor-led organisations like Broken to Brilliant in long-term healing
• Why ordinary people “saying and doing something” is the real tipping point for change

Bob shares why he became a Patron of Broken to Brilliant and why survivor-led, volunteer-run organisations play a critical role in rebuilding confidence, safety, and hope after abuse.

* Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)  and the Australian Police Medal (APM)

Photo

Bob is one of the four Broken to Brilliant Patrons and Ambassador

Left to Right: Bob Atkinson, Loretta Ryan, Bruce Sullivan and Karen Jacobsen. 

 

Links

• Mr Robert (Bob) Atkinson AO APM - 2019 Queensland Great
• Co-Chair Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Council
• On Friday, 11 January 2013, the then Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, Her Excellency Quentin Bryce, appointed six Commissioners for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Bob was one of those Commissioners
• On 12 February 2018, Mr Robert (Bob) Atkinson AO was appointed Special Advisor to the Honourable Di Farmer MP, who was then Minister for Child Safety, Youth and Women, and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence. Mr Atkinson was asked to examine and report on a series of youth justice matters by 8 June 2018. The Atkinson Report 
• On 15^th December 2023, the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide appointed former Queensland Police Commissioner Robert “Bob” Atkinson AO APM as an Assistant Commissioner. 

Thank you

Thank you to Nikki for her passion for hosting this program and to Andrew (Nikki's Hubby) and all the family for your support in recording this podcast.

Karen Jacobsen, our International Patron and the Australian voice in Siri, welcomes and thanks you for listening.

Broken to Brilliant is an Australian not-for-profit charity that domestic violence survivors founded to support fellow survivors to rebuild their lives after abuse.

We know how hard it is, having lived through the trauma of abuse and travelled the long road to recovery. Therefore, we founded the charity to provide hope and strategies to other survivors to make their journey a little bit easier.

Thanks to Sound Engineer Chris McCallum, known as SoundO, for our Podcast training.

Thank you to Joanne Helder, a Radio, Podcast & Communications Professional, for podcast training