Megan Mitchell (born ) is an

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...

public servant and children's advocate who served as the first Australian National Children's Commissioner (within the

Australian Human Rights Commission The Australian Human Rights Commission is the national human rights institution of Australia, established in 1986 as the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) and renamed in 2008. It is a statutory body funded by, but opera ...

) from 25 February 2013 to 24 March 2020. She previously held the role of New South Wales Commissioner for Children and Young People between 2010 and 2013.

Early life and education

Mitchell was born at

St Margaret's Hospital, Sydney St Margaret's Hospital was a maternity hospital in Sydney, Australia. It opened in 1894 and closed in 1998. History The hospital was founded by Gertrude Abbott (1836-1934), the foundress of an unofficial religious community, reportedly out of ...

to a single mother, Florence Pianta, who had moved to

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

from

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

when she was discovered she was pregnant, and had changed her name by deed poll to Toni Mitchell and told staff she was pregnant to avoid questions about her marital status. She was raised by her mother with the support of an extended network of friends. In 2012 Mitchell made contact with her brother for the first time. She has credited her upbringing to her view that children should be seen as well as heard. Mitchell originally studied education at the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...

and

Sydney Teachers' College The Sydney Teachers' College was a tertiary education institution that trained school teachers in Sydney, Australia. It existed from 1906 until the end of 1981, when it became the Sydney Institute of Education, a part of the new Sydney College of ...

, before obtaining master's degrees in psychology and social policy in 1982 and 1989.

Early career

After studying, Mitchell held a number of government and other roles, including Executive Director of the ACT Office for Children, Youth and Family Support, Executive Director for Out of Home Care in the New South Wales Department of Community Services, Executive Director of the

Australian Council of Social Service The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) is an Australian organisation that advocates for action to reduce poverty and inequality, and is the peak body for the community services sector in Australia. It was formed in 1956. ACOSS is act ...

and Director, Strategic Policy and Planning in the NSW Ageing and Disability Department. She was appointed NSW Commissioner for Children and Young People in 2010, a position which she held for the following three years.

Appointment as National Children's Commissioner

On 25 February 2013, the Gillard Government appointed Mitchell as the first National Children's Commissioner within the

, a role that had been flagged in the previous year to ensure that the voices of young people were heard by Government. Her appointment, for a five-year term, was designed to "focus solely on the needs of children and their rights and their interests and the laws and policies and services that affect them." She was reappointed for a second two-year term in 2018 and finished the role on 24 March 2020.

Honours

Mitchell was appointed a Member of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

in the

2021 Australia Day Honours The 2021 Australia Day Honours are appointments to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by Australian citizens. The list was announced on 26 January 2021 by the Governor General of Australia, David Hurley. The Australia ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchell, Megan 1950s births Living people People from Sydney Members of the Order of Australia Children's Ombudsmen Ombudsmen in Australia Australian public servants