About Us

Think about financial institutions ripping off mum and dad investors. Think about being underpaid for years. About corrupt politicians, bribes to dodgy overseas middlemen, criminal links to gambling, unsolved murders, sexual abuse by clergy, questionable behaviour by police, crooked alliances in the law.

Investigative journalists have revealed these and much more. They have sparked Royal Commissions, inquiries, apologies, hundreds of millions of dollars in compensatory repayments, justice for many. No other institution or regulatory body could have achieved this. In doing so, investigative journalists have made all our lives better, even if we weren’t directly involved.

Democracy’s Watchdogs aims to honour the work of Australian investigative journalists and educate the public about the work of our watchdogs and how they have enhanced our democratic processes.

Democracy’s Watchdogs is a non-profit organisation incorporated with Consumer Affairs Victoria.

Founded by Bill Birnbauer; film production by Terry Carlyon.

Our patrons

Josephine Nicholls, wife of late David Wilson - Wilnic Family Trust.

Peter Gordon, senior partner at Gordon Legal

Our team

Founder and CEO: Dr Bill Birnbauer, former journalist, The Age, and senior lecturer, Monash University.

Committee

President: Michael Smith, former editor of The Age and CEO of Inside Public Relations Melbourne.

Vice President: Jill Baker, former editor of The Sunday Age and Sunday Herald Sun.

Treasurer: David Poulton, partner MinterEllison.

Secretary: Dr Bill Birnbauer, former journalist, The Age, and senior lecturer, Monash University.

Other:

• Dr Helen Sykes, AM, director of Future Leaders.
• Terry Carlyon, independent documentary maker.