Commemorating Mr. Nick Rushworth, EO

Brain Injury Australia advises with deep sadness of the passing of Executive Officer, Mr Nick Rushworth, suddenly and peacefully at home on the 27th January 2026. He will be deeply missed by our Brain Injury Australia network. We have expressed our deepest sympathy to his family and friends.

Nick Rushworth has been the voice of Brain Injury Australia for 18 years. He has spoken with many thousands of people who have called BIA for help on where to find assistance. He advocated for people with brain injury and their carers in government and non-government forums and worked tirelessly to have major brain injury-related policy issues addressed. He was the driving force for the National Brain Injury Conferences over that time.

He was the lynchpin, the heart and soul of BIA.

Funeral Service

Messages from our community

ASSBI was deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Nick Rushworth, the Executive Officer of Brain Injury Australia Limited (BIA). ASSBI have worked closely with BIA over many years to improve the lives of people with brain injury in Australia.

Not only was he an incredible advocate who worked tirelessly to lift up the voices of people with lived experience of brain injury, he was one of those very special humans who touched the lives of a countless number of individuals, families and communities. He gave memorable speeches at ASSBI conferences encouraging clinicians to understand the person, not just the brain injury – which continues to impact brain injury rehabilitation practice. His work carries a lasting legacy, including the recent establishment of ASSBI’s lived experience subcommittee. ASSBI will dedicate the Lived Experience Award to Nick in honour of his memory at our conference in May.

Our sincere condolences to Nick’s family and friends.

Brain Injury Matters is mourning the sudden loss of a great champion of people with an acquired brain injury, their families and the sector in general.

Nick Rushworth was a leader in many fields and we were fortunate enough for him to come into contact with the brain injury sector. Widely respected as leader of Brain Injury Australia Limited, he was always fighting for the rights of people with brain injuries.

Our thoughts are with Nick’s family and community. He will be missed by many far and wide.

Carers NSW is deeply saddened to hear of Nick’s passing. For nearly two decades, Nick was the steady, compassionate voice behind Brain Injury Australia — walking alongside thousands of people living with brain injury and the carers who support them, and tirelessly advocating for better systems, policies and understanding.

Nick’s impact has been significant – he has brought humanity into policy conversations, dignity into advocacy, and hope into moments when people were often at their most vulnerable. His leadership has helped elevate brain injury on the national agenda, and his legacy will live on through the countless lives he touched.

Very tragic and sad news. Nick’s advocacy and tireless support for bain injury was truly remarkable… especially being a voice for those with lived experience. You provided me with a platform that allowed me to be heard and reach further than I ever imagined. Most importantly, you showed me through your own journey with a TBI, that it could be a part of my life BUT didn’t define me. Thank you Nick, may you rest in peace.

Nick Rushworth, hearing of your departure from this world, the seat of your tireless activism and championing of those of us with Brain Injury earlier this week has devastated me.

The support and belief you gave girded my development ever since we first met and my offerings since have stood the test of time.

The nation will miss your deep and resonant work in this space. There is now a great need for those of us with the capacity to step in and fill the gap left.

Travel well, friend.

Nick’s service strengthened the field through compassionate listening, principled leadership, and unwavering commitment to progress. He helped elevate the voices of people with lived experience, supported pathways to care and community support, and advanced reforms that recognized brain injury as a lifelong health and equity issue. His legacy will continue to inspire our shared work—toward prevention, systems strengthening, and improved long-term outcomes for all people affected by TBI.

I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Nick Rushworth, Executive Officer of Brain Injury Australia and an extraordinary advocate for people living with brain injury and their families. Nick was a powerful, compassionate voice at the national level, bringing lived experience, insight and integrity to every conversation about brain injury, disability rights and inclusion.

After his own severe traumatic brain injury, Nick transformed his experience into a lifelong commitment to improving systems, services and understanding for others — partnering across sectors, shaping policy, and contributing to major research and national initiatives. His leadership of Brain Injury Australia and his collaboration with so many organisations have left a legacy that will continue to change lives for years to come.

Neurological Alliance Australia is deeply saddened to learn of Nick's death. We pay our heartfelt condolences to Brain Injury Australia and to Nick's family and friends.

Nick was an active and valued contributor to the NAA from its early days more than 12 years ago. He was an extraordinary advocate for people with brain injury, and more broadly for those living with neurological conditions. His leadership, commitment and wisdom will be greatly missed. Vale Nick.

I admired Nick enormously — not just for what he did, but for how he did it.

He was warm, genuine, thoughtful, and quietly decisive. The sort of person who listened carefully, joined dots early, and then acted without fuss. Nick also understood brain injury not only as an advocate, but also personally, which gave his leadership a depth of empathy that people felt immediately, even if they couldn’t always explain why.

I'm deeply saddened by his sudden loss. Australia’s brain injury community has lost a rare leader — and many families have lost someone who genuinely cared.

Vale, Nick. You made a difference, and you’ll be remembered for it.

Nick was an extraordinary advocate, leader, and friend to so many in the disability sector. Over many years, he worked in close partnership with Royal Rehab Group, generously sharing his lived experience and insights to help us improve support and services for people living with brain injury. His intelligence, integrity, and compassion left a lasting impact on the sector and the people he served.

Nick had a remarkable ability to bring together researchers, clinicians, allied health workers, disability providers, and people with lived experience to create awareness, education, and real change. His passion and influence were infectious, and his legacy will continue to be felt for years to come.

Nick was warm, collegial and passionate about all aspects of the brain. Upon early encounters with NOFASD in 2013 at the first Brain Injury Summit he noted the fact that Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is often the very first brain injury for many Australians. He realised that this was another part of Australia’s ‘vexed’ and complex relationship with alcohol. He was prepared to do the ‘deep dive’ and he understood that FASD work involved specific stigma-free prevention activities as well as recognition, inclusion and support for those already affected by pre-natal alcohol exposure.

He recognised that linkages with NOFASD were important for Brain Injury Australia’s work, and he continued his advocacy and support. He kindly agreed to become an Ambassador for NOFASD, a position he held for over ten years and which we highly valued.

Nick was both an effective advocate and a genuinely warm, principled person. He combined strategic judgement with empathy, and professionalism with humanity — a rare and powerful mix in complex policy and health spaces.

Beyond public forums, Nick’s impact was often quiet and unseen. When warfighters, veterans, or families contacted Brain Injury Australia seeking help for blast-related brain injuries, Nick ensured they were not left without support. He facilitated personal connections, referrals, and follow-up — often linking people directly with Vigil so they could be guided toward appropriate medical care and pathways. He did this not for recognition, but because it was the right thing to do.

Nick Rushworth was a trusted ally, a collaborator, and a genuinely decent human being. His leadership strengthened Australia’s brain injury community, and his absence will be deeply felt.

He will be remembered not only for what he built, but for the care and integrity with which he led.