Freda Briggs, English-born Australian professor and child protection expert, Died at 86

  Educator

Freda Briggs was born on December 1, 1930, and died on April 7, 2016.

She was an Australian academic, author and child protection advocate.

Freda was named Senior Australian of the Year for her pioneering work in child protection, in 2000.

She moved to Melbourne in 1975 to become Director of Early Childhood Studies at the State College of Victoria (now part of Monash University).

Then in 1980 she relocated to Adelaide, where she became dean of the Institute of Early Childhood and Family Studies at the University of South Australia and established a pioneering child protection course.

The Prime Minister John Howard recognized her work by awarding a $10 million endowment for the provision of a National Child Protection Research Centre at the University, in 2004.

During the year 2005, Freda was appointed Foundation Chair of Child Development and Emeritus Professor, lecturing in sociology, child protection and family studies.

Freda Briggs gave assistance to royal commissions and parliamentary inquiries and wrote numerous submissions to state and federal inquiries relating to child protection, including the Mullighan Inquiry, and the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Freda Briggs was an adviser police forces in Australia and New Zealand and was a media consultant on child protection issues relating to TV, movies and computer games.

She was considered to be one of Australia’s leading experts about child abuse issues and an outspoken advocate for children’s rights internationally.

She was a patron for the Adelaide Women’s and Children’s Hospital pediatric palliative care project, and an SA ambassador to the Prime Minister’s department on the recognition of women.

Freda Briggs also campaigned with success against mandatory retirement from the workforce at 65.

Kenneth Briggs became her husband in 1952.

Freda Briggs passed away at 86 yrs old.