Tara Brown, 24, died after being run off the road and beaten by her estranged partner Lionel Patea, also 24. Credit:Facebook "Woman shot…" "...crash beating" "[female] surgeons 'obliged to give sex'" The six front page stories that appeared on the site, owned by Fairfax Media, the publisher of this website, detailed the brutal, menacing, calculated and rage-filled alleged attacks on women over the past 48 hours.

"I want to cry," writer Alan Vaarwerk wrote as he shared a screenshot of the homepage on Twitter. His tweet took off. As violence against women dominated news headlines, an impassioned response on social media was - in its own way - attempting to administer an antidote.

"This country is in crisis. Real crisis. Domestic violence has reached epidemic proportions. And this is all happening against a backdrop of shelters being closed, and helplines losing funding," Wilkinson wrote as she published an image of a smiling Tara. "Let's get #TaraBrown and#StopViolenceAgainstWomen trending. Let's put REAL pressure on our politicians, our beaurocrats (sic) and a "system" that turns women like Tara - and her young daughter - away in their moment of greatest need. And please, please spread the word with a double tap," she wrote. Plea: Lisa Wilkinson. Credit:Jacky Ghossein Wilkinson's post sparked an immediate response on social media, with the hashtags #tara #tarabrown and #prayfortara joining #brisbanetimes in the top trending topics on Twitter in several Australian states.

As momentum steadily built, Mr Vaarwerk made a practical suggestion. Awareness alone was not enough. Fairfax wins award for domestic violence campaign Fairfax Media has won the 'Our Watch' best journalism campaign award for its reporting on violence against women.

The award, presented on Thursday night, recognised Fairfax Media's 'Shine a Light' campaign that aimed to expose and erase the dark underside of home life, while helping victims find the warmth and optimism they deserve. The year-long campaign began in March 2014 to "illuminate the public and our leaders on what remains a national tragedy for a country that purports to be civilised, tolerant and safe", according to The Sydney Morning Herald editorial that launched it. Propelled by the deaths of 24 women in NSW as a result of domestic-related incidents in 2013, journalists Amy Corderoy, Jo Tovey, Rachel Olding, Nick Ralston and Rachel Browne, with the support of the entire editorial team, endeavoured to draw attention to the stories of these women. Journalist Jess HiIl took home three awards, including the highest honour, the Our Watch Gold Award, as well as the 'best longform' journalism award, for her coverage of the costs and causes of domestic violence in The Monthly, and 'best series or special' for her work with The Monthly and ABC Radio National's Background Briefing. The team behind Destroy The Joint won the 'best use of social media' title for their 'Counting The Dead Women Australia' campaign.

For support and information about suicide prevention or domestic violence, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14



National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service 1800 737 732



Other guidance and support resources for women can be found here.