Antoinette Braybrook

Antoinette Braybrook AM is a Kuku Yalanji woman born on Wurundjeri country, Victoria. Antoinette is the CEO of Djirra, a position she has held since inception in 2002. Antoinette is Co-Chair of Change the Record, Australia’s only national First Nations led justice coalition of legal, health and family violence prevention experts.

Antoinette’s advocacy work includes positions held on advisory groups, expert panels and consultative roles to State and Federal governments. Antoinette has a Bachelor of Laws from Deakin University and was admitted to practice in 2004.

Antoinette seeks to give voice and visibility to Aboriginal women who experience family violence on a state, national and international level. Antoinette is a strong advocate for Aboriginal self-determination.

Antoinette’s leadership and contribution is widely recognised. Antoinette was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2020 and is the 2022 Victorian recipient of the Australian Awards of Excellence in Women’s Leadership. Antoinette was named Melburnian of the Year in 2022 and is the first Aboriginal person to receive this Award in its 20 years of existence. Antoinette was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2023 in recognition of her service to the law and family violence prevention.

Antoinette’s Churchill Fellowship will be an opportunity to learn from the experiences of other First Nations women across the world who are similarly working to end family violence through self-determined solutions. The insights gained from this research will support Djirra to realise its 20-year vision for the establishment of an Aboriginal Women's Centre, the first of its kind in Victoria. A Centre where Aboriginal women’s strength, resilience and self-determination is invested in, and culture is celebrated.