‘Fire still burns in each of us’: Why Bruce and Denise Morcombe are still travelling Australia for Daniel

The world has changed dramatically for our children since Daniel Morcombe vanished on his way to buy Christmas presents more than 20 years ago. The threat to our kids has become even more sophisticated, more disturbing.

Denise and Bruce Morcombe at Parliament House in Canberra this week as they begin to mark 20 years of the Daniel Morcombe Foundation. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

The world has changed dramatically for our children since Daniel Morcombe vanished on his way to buy Christmas presents for his family more than 20 years ago.

The threat to our kids has become even more sophisticated, more disturbing.

Almost one in four have chatted or are chatting to online strangers.

It’s just one of the reasons Daniel’s parents continue to teach thousands of schoolchildren ways to keep them safe, especially in the online world.

Bruce and Denise Morcombe were in Canberra this week to launch the 20th year of the Daniel Morcombe Foundation.

 The foundation, which started in the Morcombes’ Palmwoods home in 2005, has grown to become one of Australia’s largest child safety organisations.

And in 2024 it is needed more than ever.

 When Daniel first vanished in 2003, I remember writing a story about how there were about 70 known sex offenders living in the areas near where Daniel lived.

It was a figure that shocked me at the time. Palmwoods and Woombye were then considered small country towns.

Now we face a world where young boys and girls are being groomed in gaming chatrooms, and via Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and other social channels.

We have a generation starving to be ‘liked’ in a world which rewards young people who reveal more of themselves with more followers, including potential predators.

Bruce and Denise during the 'Walk for Daniel' on the Sunshine Coast. Photo Patrick Woods / Sunshine Coast Daily.

As parents, we all have a responsibility to have ongoing conversations with our children and our teenagers.

 Keeping Kids Safe, as is the Daniel Morcombe Foundation’s core focus, is a responsibility for all of us.

As a journalist, editor and dad, watching Bruce and Denise Morcombe continue to do their work has been inspirational.

Bruce and Denise Morcombe at Daniel House in Palmwoods with a painting of Daniel behind them.

I often wonder how they keep doing what they do, especially knowing they are not people who love the limelight in any way.

But I am reminded of the determination I saw in Denise’s eyes on the morning they fronted the media outside their home after Daniel’s killer had finally been arrested in August 2011, almost eight years after he was taken.

Both Bruce and Denise remain adamant that Daniel’s legacy would be educating children to be safer around Australia.

As Bruce said this week: “We are proud to be Daniel’s parents and quite moved that 20 years after his abduction those tragic events are not forgotten and his important legacy continues to grow.’’

Bruce and Denise Morcombe joined forces with the Australian Federal Police to tackle the stigma around child abuse.

Bruce and Denise met with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, as well as officials from the Australian Federal Police and National Missing Persons Co-ordination Centre on Tuesday.

Funding of $2 million was announced to continue the foundation’s vital work. It will be money well spent.

One of the Morcombes’ favourite pictures of Daniel.

If you look at the Daniel Morcombe Foundation website, you can see just some of the many child safety initiatives the foundation has launched.

They teach primary and secondary school age children to recognise important body clues, how to react when feeling unsafe, about creating their own safety network, the dangers of chatting online, as well as about issues such as bullying.

Bruce and Denise Morcombe visited schools around the Douglas Shire to teach children the importance of safety. PIC: GIZELLE GHIDELLA

The website features some great videos and school resources to enable a holistic approach to child safety education with more new safety initiatives, particularly in primary prevention being planned.

Bruce and Denise, who have already visited more than 1000 schools in the past two decades, are on a 20-day, 7200km road trip where they are talking with more than 1600 students.

The couple remain, as always, grateful for the support of the Australian community who have not only joined them on walks for Daniel and fundraising events but also encouraged them through letters, emails and conversations in the street about how they have made a difference.

“The fire still burns within each of us. We are often outside our comfort zone. But we do what we can for the ones whose voices were not heard when they spoke out. It is the many adult survivors of child sexual abuse who inspire us to do more.”

More than $2.4m worth of counselling and gifts have also been provided to young victims of crime.

20 years on from his tragic disappearance and death, Daniel Morcombe’s legacy continues to live on.

Originally published as ‘Fire still burns in each of us’: Why Bruce and Denise Morcombe are still travelling Australia for Daniel