Our History

End Rape on Campus Australia was founded in 2016 by Sharna Bremner. Sharna had been supporting student survivors throughout her career in international education and saw the need for a national organisation that could provide support to students impacted by sexual assault and harassment at Australian universities.

We are a volunteer-run organisation that provides direct support to students at Australian universities who have experienced sexual assault and/or sexual harassment. As of 2023, we have provided support to students from more than 40 universities. In addition to supporting survivors, we campaign for reforms at the campus, state and territory and national levels with a view to achieving safer university communities for everyone.

January 2016 - after supporting individual student survivors across the country since 2013, Sharna Bremner formalises the founding of End Rape on Campus Australia.

March 2016 - EROC Australia compiles the first national database of university support services and policies and processes related to sexual assault and/or sexual harassment.

January 2017 - EROC Australia releases Connecting the Dots: understanding sexual assault in university communities. EROC Australia also successfully lobbies for Women’s Officers and other student representatives across the country to receive “responding to disclosures” training ahead of the national survey into sexual assault and harassment. This training was generously funded by the Australian Human Rights Commission.

April 2017 - After campaigning by EROC Australia, the Vice-Chancellors of 39 universities agree to release their institutional data from the Australian Human Rights Commission’s survey into sexual assault and harassment.

June 2017 - EROC Australia conducted an audit of nationwide counselling services at universities. Following a joint campaign by EROC Australia and Fair Agenda, Universities Australia agrees to fund a 1800 hotline support service, operated by sexual violence response experts, for students impacted by sexual assault to seek support during the Australian Human Rights Commission’s survey period.

September 2017 - on behalf of a student, EROC Australia files the first ever federal complaint against a university for non-compliance with the Higher Education Standards (Threshold Standards) in their responses to reports and disclosures of sexual assault and sexual harassment.

October 2017 - EROC Australia wins the Education Edna Ryan Award for 2017.

December 2017 - EROC Australia is a finalist in the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Community Award category at the 2017 Human Rights Awards.

February 2018 - EROC Australia launches The Red Zone Report: an investigation into sexual violence and hazing in Australian university residential colleges. EROC Australia, Fair Agenda, The Hunting Ground Australia Project and the National Union of Students launch the campaign for a federal taskforce to address sexual violence in university communities.