Grace Tame

Tame was born in Hobart in 1994. Her father is former Tasmanian cricketer Michael Tame, while her mother is former broadcaster Penny Tame. ==Abuse and aftermath==

Tame was a dual-scholarship holder at St Michael's Collegiate girls' school in Hobart, and had been diagnosed with anorexia in Year 10. He was found in possession of child pornography. In sentencing Tame's abuser, Justice Helen Wood said Tame had been "particularly vulnerable given her mental state" and that her abuser "knew her psychological condition was precarious" and had "betrayed the trust of the child's parents and the school's trust in an utterly blatant fashion". At the time of the abuse, Tame had undiagnosed autism spectrum disorder. In 2013, Tame dropped out of St Michael's Collegiate and later re-enrolled at a different high school. She then moved to the United States, where she graduated from Santa Barbara City College with degrees in theatre arts and liberal arts. In 2017, social commentator Bettina Arndt conducted an interview with Tame's abuser, claiming "sexually provocative behaviour from female students". Tame criticised Arndt for supporting her abuser, accusing her of "trivialising" and "laughing off" his crime, saying, "Not only is the interview disturbing because it gives a platform to a paedophile. It's not a truthful interview". Arndt did not seek out Tame for her side of the story, and published her name and photo without consent. Her abuser had spoken publicly about the case many times, but Tame was gagged by a Tasmanian law that prevents victims from revealing their identities to the media. He was subsequently jailed again for the production of child exploitation material, after describing online how he sexually abused Tame. ==Advocacy==

Evidence Act reform Tasmania's Evidence Act had prohibited the publication of information identifying survivors of sexual assault since 2001. which sold out quickly and garnered a huge amount of coverage in the press and on social media. In her talk, Tame revealed that a "senior member" of a government-funded organisation had phoned her and, she felt, in a threatening way, asked her not to criticise the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, in her outgoing Australian of the Year speech, in the light of the forthcoming election. (Morrison denied any involvement in or knowledge of the request.) Both women advocated strongly for structural change, saying the time for talking was past. The media At an Australia Day Eve event honouring the 2025 Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australian Local Hero, hosted by prime minister Anthony Albanese, Tame wore a T-shirt that read "Fuck Murdoch" when she was greeted by the Prime Minister. Tame said "[The T-shirt is] clearly not just about Murdoch, it’s the obscene greed, inhumanity and disconnection that he symbolises, which are destroying our planet". Tame told the ABC that the awards program was a "platform for making change". Pro-Palestine advocacy Following the 2025 Capital Jewish Museum shooting in Washington, Tame shared a social media post that said "It's despicable, and nothing short of journalistic malpractice, that the media class is scrambling to reframe the shooting that targeted two Israeli state officials as a random anti-Semitic attack". Sportswear company Nike terminated its partnership with her in June 2025, citing concerns of "antisemitism". The Jewish Council of Australia defended Tame, saying, her "criticisms are in no way antisemitic." In February 2026, during a protest against a visit by Israeli president Isaac Herzog, Tame described Herzog as a man who "signed his name on bombs that were used to kill women and men and children. And a man who also said, and I quote, 'There are no innocent civilians in Gaza,'" before leading protesters in a chant "from Gadigal to Gaza, globalise the intifada!" Tame subsequently said an interview with ABC Radio Sydney that her understanding of the phrase "globalise the Intifada" is a call for widespread resistance against the actions of the Israeli state. In the weeks prior to the protest against Herzog, the NSW state government had stated its intention to outlaw the phrase "globalise the Intifada" under revised hate speech laws, following the 2025 Bondi Beach shooting. Labor premier Chris Minns said "a violent terrorist uprising, that's what the consequences of 'globalise the intifada' mean", The National Council of Jewish Women of Australia and former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce also called for the award to be rescinded. Australian Greens leader Larissa Waters said Tame "deserves every accolade that she's received". In response, Tame told her social media followers "politicians and the press can deflect on me all they like, but I’m not the story". In March 2026, in response to an interview question on sexual violence during the October 7 attacks, Tame stated that "those things have been de-bunked" and that "she wouldn't sink to the level of entertaining any propaganda". In response she was publicly criticised by the Israeli embassy in Canberra and the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, with the president of the National Council of Jewish Women Australia stating that her comments amounted to denial of the October 7 attacks. Grace Tame Foundation In December 2021, Tame founded the Grace Tame Foundation which aims for cultural and structural change to eradicate sexual abuse of children. In April 2026, the foundation closed down due to a lack of long term funding. Writing In September 2022 her memoir, The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner, was published by Macmillan Australia. It was shortlisted for the Nonfiction prize at the 2023 Indie Book Awards. ==Recognition and public profile==

2021 Australian of the Year In October 2020, Tame was named Tasmanian Australian of the Year 2021. A portrait of Tame by Kirsty Neilson was a finalist in the 2021 Archibald Prize. Neilson was inspired by Tame's passion, strength, and bravery in playing an instrumental role in changing Tasmania's gag law. ==Personal life==

In 2017, Tame married American actor Spencer Breslin. and Twitter. She has referred to Heerey as her "biggest supporter" and "true soulmate". She is also a yoga teacher and long-distance runner, having won the 2020 Ross Marathon in a course record time. She has a younger brother, Oscar, whom she calls her "little hero", saying, "He came into the world right when the abuse started, and pardon the pun, but he was a literal saving grace". ==References==