Murray Heasley
| Murray Heasley | |
|---|---|
| Born | Murray Heasley Roxburgh, New Zealand |
| 💼 Occupation | Anti-abuse activist |
| Twitter= | |
Murray Heasley (born 1952) is a New Zealand anti-abuse activist associated with the Network of Survivors of Abuse.[1]
Early life[edit]
Heasley was born, with a twin brother, in Roxburgh where his parents were cooks for the workforce of the Roxburgh Dam being built at that time. The family moved to Dunedin and he attended the Holy Name parish school conducted by the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart. He finished his primary education at the Christian Brothers Junior school in Tennyson St, Dunedin. He received his secondary education at St Paul's High School, also operated by the Christian Brothers, and now an antecedent school of Kavanagh College. He was Head Prefect of St Paul's High School in his final year, 1969, and won a prize for religious knowledge.[1]
Career[edit]
After spending some time in Fiji with Volunteer Service Abroad, where he learnt Fijian, Heasley returned to Dunedin where he completed an arts degree in Anthropology and History and completed a Doctor of Philosophy on pre-Christian Fiji. After some time living in Tonga, with his Tongan wife, Heasley and his family moved to Adelaide where he worked as a gemologist. He also wrote a children's book for his two sons called "Shuz" which was used in South Australia for teaching reading to slow learners. Heasley also taught at the University of Adelaide on anthropological issues, including those related to Margaret Mead. After 20 years in Adelaide, in 2000, Heasley moved to the Philippines and taught at the University of the Philippines as a professor of Shakespeare. Heasley returned to New Zealand with his Philippines second wife and, at the age of 67, explored his own genealogy, discovering that he had whakapapa links to the Ngāti Toa Rangitira iwi and was related to Te Rauparaha. He learnt Maori at that time.[1]
Kavanagh College[edit]
In 2017 Heasley was shocked to find that he was not recognised (as having been Head Prefect and having won a religion prize) on any honours board at his old school then called, and incorporated in, Kavanagh College, but that there was a 1968 portrait displayed of a priest who had been on the staff and was later convicted as a child-abuser. Heasley and others protested to the college and its proprietor, the Catholic Bishop of Dunedin, and also criticised the naming of the college after Bishop Kavanagh of Dunedin (1957 - 1985) who they alleged had been remiss his his handling of clerical child abuse in Dunedin. They proposed that his name should be removed from the school and that it be renamed.[2] These representations were recounted prominently in the media. Eventually this led to a process resulting in the school being renamed "Trinity Catholic College" from 2023.[3]
Activist[edit]
Heasley has become closely involved in issues relating to child abuse, particularly in faith-based institutions and has, with Liz Tonks, represented abuse survivors in interactions with faith institutions particularly the Roman Catholic Church, and has made submissions on behalf of victims to the The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care established in 2019 and due to make its final report in 2023.[4] Heasley has become a prominent advocate in the media and other fora for the interests of abuse victims.[5]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Dr Murray Heasley: Supporting survivors to speak out", Newstalk ZB, 28 June 2022 (retrieved 20 July 2022)
- ↑ Chris Morris, "Emotions high amid calls for name change", Otago Daily Times, 18 October 2018 (Retrieved 20 July 2022)
- ↑ Daisy Hudson, "Dunedin school Kavanagh College to be renamed after sexual abuse investigation", NZ Herald, 19 March 2021 Retrieved (20 July 2022)
- ↑ Daisy Hudson "Traumatic long path to change", Otago Daily Times, 26 March, 2022 (Retrieved 20 July 2022)
- ↑ Edward Gay, "Survivors call for new Government entity to hear allegations of institutional child abuse", Stuff news, 17 November 2021 (Retrieved 20 July 2022)
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