White Ribbon Day
Thursday November 26, 2015

White Ribbon Day

Thursday, November 26, 2015
Yesterday, 25 November I commemorated the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, or White Ribbon Day. I attended with 600 other Queenslanders at an event co-hosted by Premier Anastasia Palaczszuk and Dame Quentin Bryce. I and other White Ribbon Ambassadors attended. 
Several ambassadors of change, Darren Lockyer, Aurizon CEO Lance Hockridge, psychologist and COAG representative Ed Mosby and Magistrate Strohfeld all spoke of the critical beef for men to stand up and challenge entrenched attitudes to violence. 
Two events stood out for me. The Premier announced up to 10 days domestic violence leave a year, on top of other leave entitlements. Wonderful, though sad it’s needed. 
The other was the increase in domestic violence applications at Southport since the specialist domestic violence court trial commenced. I thought may be 2,3 or say even 10%. No, the increase has been a whopping 59%! What other pent up demand for safety is there elsewhere in the country that the courts and society have not yet accommodated?

Quentin Bryce and Anastasia Palaczszuk in front of the Gallipoli choir. 

Grace Grace MP

Magistrate Colin Strohfeld

Aurizon CEO Lance Hockridge

Stephen Page, Harrington Family Lawyers, Brisbane spage@harringtonfamilylawyers.com 61(7) 3221 9544
Request an Appointment
Fill in the form below to find out if you have a claim.
Request an Appointment - Stephen Page
Things to Read, Watch & Listen

Harmful proceedings orders

A change that was made to the Family Law Act 1975 in 2024 was to allow the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia and the Family Court of Western Australia to make a harmful proceedings order. This is to stop the never ending cycle of abusive court proceedings, which often stretch on for a decade, and… Read More »Harmful proceedings orders

Practical Family Law Drafting: Stephen Page’s Legalwise Intensive Paper

Stephen Page, Director at Page Provan Family and Fertility Lawyers, presented at the Legalwise Practical Family Law Drafting Intensive on 25 February 2026, delivering expert guidance on drafting interim property and maintenance applications. As Australia’s leading surrogacy lawyer and an Accredited Family Law Specialist since 1996, Stephen brings decades of frontline experience to family law… Read More »Practical Family Law Drafting: Stephen Page’s Legalwise Intensive Paper

International Surrogacy Parentage: Why Children Need a Global Convention

Can Children Born Through Surrogacy Have Secure Parentage Worldwide?

International surrogacy is a global reality. Advances in assisted reproductive technology, combined with cross-border family formation, mean children are being born through surrogacy in jurisdictions with very different laws and values. That diversity creates a legal and human-rights problem: how can the parentage and identity of these children be protected consistently and quickly across borders?… Read More »Can Children Born Through Surrogacy Have Secure Parentage Worldwide?

Family Law Section Law Council of Australia Award
Member of Queensland law society
Family law Practitioners Association
International Academy of Family Lawyers - IAFL
Mediator Standards Board