Petford’s Geoff Guest charged with sex abuse offences

A celebrated Far North Queensland youth worker and Order of Australia recipient says he will defend his reputation and his “life’s work” after being committed to stand trial for alleged historical sexual abuse offences.

Geoff Guest is the founder of the Petford Training Camp in the Atherton Tablelands. Picture: File photo

A celebrated Atherton Tablelands youth worker and Order of Australia recipient has been committed to stand trial over historical allegations of sexual abuse.

Founder of the Petford Wellness Association, 97-year-old Geoffrey John Guest, had his charges mentioned before the Mareeba Magistrates Court on February 28, where the matter was handed up to a higher court.

Mr Guest has been charged with one count of carnal knowledge and three counts of indecent treatment of a child under 17.

He is represented by Tiffany Veschetti from Northern Plateau Legal.

The offences are alleged to have occurred between 1975 and 1978.

When contacted by the Cairns Post Mr Guest denied allegations and said he was “surprised” they had been made against him.

“They are all false allegations,” he said.

“I’m very proud of the work that I have done, I’m not going to plead guilty, this is my life’s work.

“Ninety per cent of kids that have come here have enjoyed their time and I’m still helping people with alcohol and drug problems and trauma.”

Horse handler and bushman Geoff Guest has been committed to stand trial in the Cairns District Court. Picture: Brendan Radke

The youth worker ran a remote youth camp at Petford between 1978 and 1999.

The Petford Training Farm operated under government funding from December 1986, and was closed in 1999 following a recommendation by the 1998 Daffen Report that funding for the camp be terminated.

The Daffen Report, tabled to parliament in 1999, found that since the Department of Families, Youth and Community Care’s involvement with Petford, there had been “continual allegations of abuse both physical and sexual. Although many of the incidents have been referred to police none have been substantiated in court”.

“Allegations have included staff on residents but primarily involve residents on residents,” the report stated.

“In all there have been at least 35 reported incidents. Some have been investigated by Departmental Officers and substantiated. Others have not proceeded as the person(s) concerned has declined to take the allegation further.”

Geoff Guest pictured in 1998 at the Petford Training Camp for trouble youth. Picture: Anna Rogers

Recently with the rise of youth crime in Cairns and Townsville, Mr Petford became a go-to authority who often weighed in on strategies to tackle a youth offending epidemic.

Championed by the Katter’s Australian Party when pushing relocation sentencing for recidivist youth offenders as recently as March last year party leader Robbie Katter put forward the Petford Youth Camp as a “third sentencing option” to be considered by magistrates along with jail and setting offenders free.

His methods were featured in a book dedicated to “building healthy young people” called The Geoff Guest Way, in which it stated Mr Guest was separated from his Aboriginal mother when he was three, placed in an orphanage, then fostered by a white family.

The idea behind the camp, located about 100km southwest of Cairns, was to provide wayward youth a sense of purpose and through horsemanship diet, exercise and mentoring.

Mr Guest has not yet formally entered a plea.

He was arrested and charged on May 18, 2023.

He remains on bail and is expected to front Cairns District Court at a later date.

Northern Plateau Legal was contacted for comment.

A Queensland Police Service spokeswoman said detectives were appealing for anyone with information, or interactions of a similar nature, to contact them.

“Police take all reports of sexual assault seriously and anonymous reports can be made,” she said.

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Originally published as Petford’s Geoff Guest charged with sex abuse offences