Conor's Story
Conor Pall (he/him) is a 20-year-old passionate young person hailing from Mildura, who continues to use his lived experience as a victim-survivor of family violence as his motivation to evoke systemic change in Australia’s political system.
He firmly believes that to break the insidious cycle of family violence, we must empower and educate our youngest generation who have been rightly identified as key agents of change by federal and state governments.
Conor, now based in Melbourne, is the deputy chair of the Victorian Government Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council. VSAC was established following the Royal Commission into Family Violence to ensure victim survivors have a formal mechanism to advise government on family violence reforms. It is about embedding lived experience in the design of services, policies, and systems, which is exactly why he began his advocacy journey in the first place. He is the youngest person to be appointed since its origin.
As a 2022 recipient of the Victorian Young Achiever of the Year Award in the ‘Connecting Communities’ category, Conor was acknowledged for the community-based work he has been the driving force of. The award highlights the importance of young people leading local, grassroot initiatives to push for change.
Conor’s advocacy and aspirations to become an advocate began while working alongside Independent MP Ali Cupper and attending State Parliament in 2019. He was a member of Mildura’s 2021 Youth Parliament, who introduced a bill to Criminalise Coercive Control in intimate partner relationships. He is still determined to ensure that Coercive Control is seen as a crime, equal with physical assault charges in domestic violence situations.
Conor launched his debut children's book, 'The Shadow that Follows', in October last year which aims to empower young readers with a message of hope and resilience in the face of adversity. It follows the life of a child experiencing violence in their home through an ominous shadow that follows the character everywhere. With the support of people around him and strength from within, the young boy realises he has the right to feel safe and free within his home.
'The Shadow that Follows' has become an invaluable resource for social workers, therapists, educators and parents. Thanks to the support of Melbourne City Mission, books have gone into refuges, schools and early childhood education settings across Melbourne.
Minister for Prevention of Family Violence Vicki Ward marked the launch of Conor's book into every Orange Door service across Victoria in April 2024, ensuring there are copies for women, children and young people who are experiencing family violence on the front line.
Conor has worked at the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, in the Respectful Relationships central team within the Department of Education, and currently at the Commission for Children and Young People.
Now studying Social Work at RMIT University, Conor hopes to match is degree with a Master’s in Public Policy – using his education and his own personal experiences as the foundation for a role in policy. Conor strongly believes that it is integral for individuals with lived-experience to be bought to the decision-making table – to shape policy that will directly affect them.
Contact
Want to get in touch? Conor is always looking for new opportunities to create meaningful change in the family violence space.