Family and Domestic Violence banners donated to Joondalup community

26 May 2023

• Former Federal Member for Stirling, Jann McFarlane, donated historic banners to community

• Banners to raise community awareness of family and domestic violence

Former Federal Member for Stirling, Jann McFarlane, recently joined Emily Hamilton MLA, Member for Joondalup, and Hon Ayor Makur Chuot MLC, along with members and players of Joondalup Netball Association, to donate domestic violence banners to the community. The banners were created in 2004 by the Joondalup and Districts Domestic Violence Group (JDDVG).

The JDDVG was founded in 1995 to raise community awareness about family and domestic violence. Based at Lotteries House in the Joondalup CBD, the Group also provided a wide range of support services to women and children across the northern suburbs.

The work of the JDDVG was coordinated by Jann McFarlane, former Member for Stirling (1998-2004). As Regional Coordinator, Ms McFarlane spearheaded several key initiatives to raise awareness about the harms of family and domestic violence.

One of the initiatives the Group facilitated in 2004 was The Banner Project. This was undertaken in partnership with the City of Joondalup, which provided funding for the banners, venue and associated forums.

At the time, local artist Jennie Abbot assisted with the project, bringing together people from across the northern suburbs to create the banners in a series of open painting sessions.

The aims of the JDDVG were to: raise awareness of the harm caused by domestic violence across our community; encourage Federal and State law reform; and to protect those harmed, while treating perpetrators.

Over its ten years of existence, the Group achieved these goals within our Joondalup community and its aims continue today through the work of Joondalup Women’s Health & Family Services which still operates from Lotteries House here in Joondalup.

Comments attributed to Emily Hamilton:

“Thank you Jann for donating the banners to our Joondalup community. They will be displayed in my office and will continue to support the importance of awareness about family and domestic violence in our community.

“The McGowan Government is focused on family and domestic violence. In 2017, it appointed WA’s first Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence, and continues to invest in raising the profile of this issue as well as improving outcomes in prevention, survivor safety and perpetrator accountability.”

Comments attributed to Jann McFarlane:

“I deeply understand the impacts of family and domestic violence, I grew up surrounded by it in a small country town. And when I moved to Perth I took the position as a caseworker with the Government, directly supporting families suffering domestic violence.”

Photograph: Jann McFarlane addresses Joondalup Netball Association representatives, Hon Ayor Makur Chuot MLC, and Emily Hamilton MLA.