Our Patron, the Honourable Catherine Holmes AC
Our charity is most fortunate to have as its Patron the Honourable Catherine Holmes AC, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland from 2015 until her retirement in March 2022.
Her Honour served as a judge of the Queensland Court of Appeal from 2006 until her appointment as Chief Justice and as a Judge of the Queensland Supreme Court from 2000–2006.
Before being appointed as a judge, Her Honour had a distinguished career as a barrister in private practice. She was also a founding member of the Women’s Legal Service in 1984 and a member of the Anti-Discrimination Tribunal from 1994–2000.
Her Honour is fully aware of the need to protect and support vulnerable children in our community having been Counsel Assisting at the Forde Commission of Inquiry into Child Abuse (1998–1999).
We thank our previous patron, Jonty Bush MP, for allowing us to use her personal story to highlight the horrific impact of domestic and family violence on young lives. Jonty successfully contested the seat of Cooper at the Queensland State election in 2020.
A Message From Our Patron
It’s an honour to become patron of an organisation that so effectively and efficiently helps children in need in practical ways, with the potential to make their lives better and happier in both the short and longer term.
Zephyr Education provides support to these children at a critical time. Having fled their homes because of domestic or family violence, they have to take the daunting step of starting at a new school and making new friends. Zephyr Education smooths their path by ensuring they arrive at school in the right uniform and with the same books, stationery and other school items as their new classmates.