Domestic and family violence researcher and campaigner Heather Nancarrow was announced this week as the winner of the Suncorp Queenslander of the Year Community Spirit Award.

Premier Anna Bligh presented the award at the Tivoli Theatre in Brisbane on Tuesday evening. Link here to citation.

Queenslander of the Year Community Spirit Award winner Heather Nancarrow.Ms Nancarrow told Mackay's Daily Mercury that the recognition, even for simply being nominated, was less about her and more about the now-mainstream view that domestic and family violence should never be tolerated. LINK for Daily Mercury story here.

Before the ceremony, Ms Nancarrow said she didn't expect to win. So she was surprised when her name was read out soon after the ceremony began.

Heather is Director of the Queensland Centre for Family and Domestic Violence Research at CQUniversity Mackay, Chair of the Queensland Ministerial Advisory Council on Domestic and Family Violence  and Deputy Chair of the National Council to Reduce Violence Against Women and Children.  She has provided advice and support to many national and State advisory groups.

She has more than 27 years of experience in the domestic and family voilence prevention field including direct service, policy development, research and professional development.

Heather receives her trophy from Premier Bligh

Heather is particularly dedicated to working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to address family violence and instigated the annual Indigenous Family Violence Prevention Forum, commencing in 2004.