A Mother's Story (31 page)

Speaking with author and Full Stop Foundation patron Tara Moss at the All About Women conference at the Sydney Opera House in March 2015.
Photo Prudence Upton

Herald Sun
cartoonist Mark Knight's October 2014 cartoon illustrates a powerful point, that family violence is a much greater threat to lives here at home than international terrorism.
Courtesy Mark Knight

The Australian Women's Weekly
has been hugely supportive of my campaign against family violence, even featuring me on the cover.
Courtesy
The Australian Women's Weekly
, main cover image by Michelle Holden

Discussing ways to inspire change at an Australian Human Rights Commission event attended by 2000 people, with fellow Australians of the Year Drisana Levitzke-Gray and Jackie French, Australian Local Hero Juliette Wright and MC Annabel Crabb in July 2015.
Photo Matthew Syres for the Australian Human Rights Commission

In June 2015 a plaque was erected in Luke's memorial garden at Tyabb Cricket Club with the help of the local community, Tyabb Cricket Club and Mornington Shire Council.

With a portrait of Luke by Jacqui Clark. It's a lasting reminder of Luke and is now a symbol for the Luke Batty Foundation, set up to help women and children affected by family violence.
Photo Robert Leeson/Newspix

Family violence campaigner
ROSIE BATTY
is the 2015 Australian of the Year and the Pride of Australia's National Courage Medal recipient.

Born in Nottinghamshire, England, Rosie moved to Australia in the 1980s. In 2014, she rose above personal tragedy and the great loss of her eleven-year-old son, Luke, who was killed by his father in a very public assault, to become a leader in the crusade against family violence. Since then her name has become synonymous with the words ‘courage' and ‘resilience'.

Now a tireless campaigner, Rosie has established the Luke Batty Foundation and this year launched the Never Alone Campaign, in which she asks all Australians to stand with her and beside all victims of family violence by signing up at neveralone.com.au

Rosie is deputy chair of the Council of Australian Governments' advisory panel on preventing violence against women. She is also Ambassador for Our Watch and the Lort Smith Animal Hospital and Patron of Doncare Community Services, and has been inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women.

BRYCE CORBETT
is a journalist and author of more than twenty-five years' experience. He is currently the Executive Editor of
The Australian Women's Weekly
and is the author of two books,
A Town Like Paris
and
Memoirs of a Showgirl
, which he wrote with his wife, Shay Stafford. Bryce met Rosie Batty not long after her son, Luke, was killed. They struck up an immediate friendship, which eventually led to collaborating on this book. Bryce lives in Brisbane with his wife and two children, Flynn and Rose.

HarperCollins
Publishers

First published in Australia in 2015

by HarperCollins
Publishers
Australia Pty Limited

ABN 36 009 913 517

harpercollins.com.au

Copyright © Rosie Batty 2015

The right of Rosie Batty to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the
Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000
.

This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the
Copyright Act 1968
, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

HarperCollins
Publishers

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195 Broadway, New York NY 10007, USA

ISBN: 978 1 4607 5055 1 (paperback)

ISBN: 978 1 4607 0510 0 (ebook)

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data:

Batty, Rosie, author.

A mother's story / Rosie Batty with Bryce Corbett.

Batty, Rosie.

Batty, Luke.

Victims of family violence – Australia – Biography.

Abused wives – Australia – Biography.

Family violence – Australia

Family violence – Australia – Prevention.

Other Creators/Contributors: Corbett, Bryce, author.

362.8292092

Cover design by Hazel Lam, HarperCollins Design Studio

Cover photography by Julian Kingma