The Australian’s Australian of the Year: Risking all to give crime victims a chance at justice

Forensic biologist Kirsty Wright was relentless in her pursuit for the truth after discovering horrifying problems in the Queensland government’s DNA laboratory.

Forensic scientist Kristy Wright outside the DNA Inquiry. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/The Australian

Kirsty Wright risked her career and reputation when she set out to expose one of the greatest failures in Australia’s criminal justice system.

A decorated forensic biologist, Dr Wright was relentless in her pursuit for the truth after discovering horrifying problems in the Queensland government’s DNA laboratory.

Dr Wright teamed with The Australian’s Hedley Thomas in 2021 on his investigative podcast series Shandee’s Story, which was investigating the 2013 stabbing murder of Shandee Blackburn, 23.

After reviewing material sent by Thomas, Dr Wright quickly became convinced the lab had concealed systemic issues with its methods, putting the public at risk from serious and violent offenders who were not being identified.

In the beginning, she stood alone in raising grave concerns on the podcast and in the pages of The Australian.

Forensic scientist, Kristy Wright, centre, with Shandee Blackburn’s mother, Vicki Blackburn (left) and sister Shannah Blackburn. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

Senior bureaucrats and lab staff tried to silence her and paint her as a disgruntled employee.

But Dr Wright refused to take a backward step, and relentlessly called for a powerful public ­inquiry to investigate the lab.

After six months, Premier ­Annastacia Palaszczuk heeded her warnings and ordered a royal commission-style inquiry into the lab, giving thousands of murder and rape victims another chance at justice.

Dr Wright is humble about the impact of her discoveries and has always said she wanted to be proven wrong.

In the final DNA inquiry ­report handed down last month, commissioner Walter Sofronoff praised Dr Wright.

“It is uncommon for technical professionals to be willing to risk the dangers of publicity,” he wrote.

“For this reason, Dr Kirsty Wright must be singled out as a scientist who bravely took a public position upon a point of important principle only because the public good required her to do so.

“Had she given private advice to Mr Thomas, nobody would have judged her. In my opinion her willingness to take a public stand was an act of real bravery.”

In doing so, she has been nominated for The Australian’s Australian of the Year award.

Before her work on Shandee’s Story, Dr Wright ran the national DNA database and led efforts to identify victims of the Bali bombings and the Boxing Day tsunami. Her assistance in recovering and identifying the remains of murdered schoolboy Daniel Morcombe earned her a Queensland Police Commissioner’s Award.

We encourage our readers to put in a nomination for The Australian’s Australian of the Year, which was first won in 1971 by economist HC “Nugget” Coombs. Prominent Australians can be nominated by filling out the form above, or sending an email to [e-mail]. Nominations close on Friday, January 20.