A first-of-its-kind community model to prevent gendered violence is set to be rolled out across Ballarat, following the deaths of three women in the space of a few months last year.
Their names were Samantha Murphy, Rebecca Young and Hannah McGuire.
Murphy, 51, went missing after leaving her home in Ballarat on February 4, 2024, to go for a run. Her body hasn’t been found, but a man, Patrick Orren Stephenson was arrested and charged with her murder.
Soon after, Young, 42, was allegedly killed by her partner Ian Butler in a murder suicide at her Ballarat home.
In early April last year, McGuire, 23, was found deceased in a burnt-out car, at Scarsdale, near Ballarat. Her ex-partner, Lachlan Young has pleaded guilty to her murder.
In the weeks after these repeat tragedies, the Ballarat community came together to honour the victims and protest against gendered violence, calling specifically for collective, long-term, preventative action.
The Victorian government responded to these calls with support for a four-year community saturation model to disrupt and shift the drivers of violence in Ballarat. This kind of model addressed the different connections people have with the community (where they live, work, learn and play) in an effort to influence and change social norms and attitudes.
Since then, Respect Ballarat was co-designed by Respect Victoria, in collaboration with local communities and sectors, over a 12-month period, with the community model launching this week.
The model builds on the strengths of existing primary prevention and early intervention work, while creating opportunities for tailored, local approaches to reduce gender violence in Ballarat.
“Ballarat has shown the country what community-led change looks like,” said Jennie Courtney, the CEO of Women’s Health Grampians. “The Saturation Model is not just a response to tragedy- it’s a commitment to long-term, local action that reaches every part of our community.”
“This is not about short-term fixes,” she said. “It’s about changing culture — and that takes time, trust and collaboration.”
Respect Victoria has partnered with Ballarat Foundation to administer a $1 million grants program that will contribute to the outcomes of Respect Ballarat. The funding will be available to local organisations working to support initiatives aligned with the model’s goal of preventing gendered violence.
Shiree Pilkinton from the Centre for Multicultural Youth applauded the community model’s purpose and emphasised the importance of including the perspectives and voices of community members from diverse cultural backgrounds.
“These conversations are surfacing not just challenges, but also ideas- about how to close gaps in services, raise awareness and strengthen community understanding,” said Pilkinton.
“It’s essential that people from diverse cultural backgrounds feel genuinely heard and valued in this work,” she said.
“This project is modeling what true co-design looks like- placing community voices at the centre and embracing the principle of ‘nothing about us without us’.”