Career in Focus: Senior Sergeant Kim Bramwell

Twenty-five years after joining Victoria Police, Senior Sergeant Kim Bramwell is still finding new ways to help people.

Today, she leads members at St Kilda Police Station. Away from policing, she works as a nurse in regional Victoria and volunteers with Camp Quality, supporting children and families impacted by cancer.

In addition, she has also taken on an ambassador role for Victoria Police Legacy, combining her volunteer commitment with her police work.

None of it was part of a grand plan.

When Senior Sergeant Kim Bramwell joined Victoria Police in 2001, she was 21 years old and working at Sunshine McDonald's. A friend planning to apply encouraged her to join him through the recruitment process.

“He offered to pay for my exam so he could have moral support,” Sen Sgt Bramwell said, laughing.

“We went through it together and then I got in and he didn't, so that didn't go down very well.”

Looking back, Sen Sgt Bramwell said policing had always been in the background. Working overnight shifts at one of Victoria's few 24-hour McDonald's restaurants regularly brought her into contact with local police members.

“They'd pick me up and drop me home because they didn't want me walking home at four or five o'clock in the morning after a shift,” Sen Sgt Bramwell said.

“So policing's always been there.”

What followed was a career spanning frontline policing, wellbeing, emergency management, major events and leadership positions across the state.

“The thing about this job is that there are always different pathways,” Sen Sgt Bramwell said.

“I'm still learning of work units I've never even heard of after 25 years.”

Finding her feet

Like many young police officers, Sen Sgt Bramwell immersed herself in the job.

In 2009, she took a year of leave and moved to a small town in Canada, expecting there was every chance she would not return to Victoria Police. The year would become one of the most influential periods of her life.

She worked for the local police department at night and in a medical practice during the day. More importantly, it gave her the chance to step away from policing and discover who she was beyond the uniform.

“I honestly thought I'd never return. Nobody thought I would,” Sen Sgt Bramwell said.

“But I grew a lot in Canada. I got to find out who I was as Kim, not just Kim the copper. I wasn't Kim the copper anymore, I was Kim the Aussie because there were only two Australians in town.

“I got to figure out who I was as just me, and that changed me a lot. I came back with a different outlook on life and a much better understanding of what I needed outside of work.

“Find out who you are and then join the job and bring who you are into the job.”

The experience stayed with her long after she returned home.

First, she continued building a policing career that took her across a wide range of roles and locations.

A career of variety

Over the years, Sen Sgt Bramwell has worked at stations including Sunshine, Orbost, Springvale, Moonee Ponds, Collingwood and Melton.

Her career has also included roles in Wellbeing Services, COVID Command and Risk and Assurance.

Today, she is a Senior Sergeant at St Kilda Police Station, overseeing policing in one of the state's busiest and most diverse areas.

The precinct includes major events, entertainment venues, tourism hotspots and a diverse mix of communities. After years away from station policing, returning to the frontline reminded Sen Sgt Bramwell what she enjoys most about the profession.

“It was really, really good to get back out and start engaging with the community again,” Sen Sgt Bramwell said.

“We've got people from all walks of life here. We host major events and welcome visitors from around the world.

“It's a very different style of policing and every day brings something different.”

It's also shaped the way she approaches policing.

“The community doesn't know what you don't know,” Sen Sgt Bramwell said.

“All they know is they're having the worst day of their life and somebody professional turns up.

“I expect members to have compassion and empathy because, honestly, we're only one incident away from being in the same shoes as the people we're helping.”

Building relationships with community groups and stakeholders has become a key part of her role.

“Sometimes it's just a small thing, going to say hi,” Sen Sgt Bramwell said.

“That presence can mean a lot to people.

“I'll ring people and say, ‘Tell me what I need to know. What do I need to be mindful of?’

“I genuinely want to understand different communities and build that trust.”

The 2am decision

Following a challenging shift, she found herself sitting at a computer at two o'clock in the morning considering what she wanted to do next.

“I knew I needed to do something,” Sen Sgt Bramwell said.

“I hated not having that education behind me, so at two o'clock in the morning I applied for university.

“Then I went home, had a sleep, went back to work and got on with life.

“Next thing I knew I'd been accepted, so off I went. I did my nursing degree full time while working full time and that's really where it all started.”

Sen Sgt Bramwell went on to complete a nursing degree and later postgraduate studies in paramedicine, all while continuing her Victoria Police career.

Outside policing, she continues to work as a nurse in Ararat and volunteers as an Ambulance Victoria Community Officer.

“It gave me another skill set and another way to contribute,” she said.

Although policing and healthcare are very different professions, Sen Sgt Bramwell said both have given her the opportunity to support people during important moments in their lives.

Nurse Kim

Away from Victoria Police, some of Sen Sgt Bramwell's most rewarding work happens with Camp Quality, supporting children and families impacted by cancer.

There, nobody knows her as Sen Sgt Bramwell. To the children she supports, she is simply Nurse Kim.

“The kids don't know me as Senior Sergeant Kim. They know me as Nurse Kim,” Sen Sgt Bramwell said.

“I wear tutus and headbands and fairy wings. I leave glitter everywhere I go, but the kids love it.

“They get to come to camp and just be kids because every single child there has been impacted by cancer. Nobody's different, nobody stands out.

“It's just fun, colourful and bright.”

Through her volunteer work, Sen Sgt Bramwell has developed an even deeper appreciation for resilience and perspective.

“The resilience is amazing,” Sen Sgt Bramwell said.

“You've got kids taking medications multiple times a day and they just pick them up, swallow them and move on.

“They get an injection and it's, ‘Yep, thanks. Can I go now?’

“They just want to play.”

“Camp Quality really opened my eyes to just how privileged I am,” Sen Sgt Bramwell said.

“I've got a good job, I've got great people around me and I've got skills I can use for good.

“I can afford to do this and put something good back into the world.”

It's a mindset that has guided much of her volunteering in recent years.

“I just want to put some wholesomeness back in the world,” Sen Sgt Bramwell said.

Helping communities beyond Australia

That desire to help others recently took Sen Sgt Bramwell further afield.

In July, she travelled to Papua New Guinea with No Roads, a volunteer organisation that delivers medical care to some of the country's most remote communities.

Reaching many of the villages required travelling by boat, with no road access available.

Working alongside a team of health professionals, she helped provide treatment to almost 400 people across several days, caring for patients with infections, serious wounds and a range of other medical needs.

For many community members, it was their first experience receiving Western medical treatment.

“Getting them to trust us enough to treat them was very humbling,” Sen Sgt Bramwell said.

The experience provided a powerful reminder of how different life can be outside Australia.

“They don't have running water, they don't have electricity, there's no Wi-Fi, there's no mobile phone coverage,” she said.

“The community was incredibly generous despite having very little.

“A lady gave me a necklace she'd made. Another tried to give me the shirt off her back. They were beautiful people.”

The experience reinforced something that has become increasingly important to Sen Sgt Bramwell: using her skills to help wherever she can.

Recognising kindness

Her dedication to Camp Quality and supporting others has not gone unnoticed.

In 2025, Sen Sgt Bramwell was named Camp Quality Victoria Volunteer of the Year for her contribution to children and families impacted by cancer. More recently, she was selected as a finalist in the national Australia's Kindest Person Awards in the Kindness in Work and Leadership category, recognising Australians who make a meaningful difference through kindness, leadership and service.

While she is honoured by the recognition, Sen Sgt Bramwell is more comfortable talking about the people she has met and supported than the awards themselves.

Recognition may not be what drives her, but it reflects the impact she has made across policing, healthcare and volunteering.

Still here

After 25 years, Sen Sgt Bramwell still speaks about policing with the enthusiasm of someone who believes there is more to learn and more to contribute.

During her career, she has worked across frontline policing, welfare, emergency management and leadership roles.

Along the way, she has built a second career in healthcare, volunteered extensively in the community and discovered opportunities she never anticipated when she first joined Victoria Police.

What stands out most is the variety of experiences the job has provided.

“There are work units I've never even heard of, and I've been here 25 years,” Sen Sgt Bramwell said.

“I love my job. I wouldn't have stayed this long if I didn't.

“You can have bad days, no doubt about it, but the good days are pretty damn good.”

Callout: Editorial and photography Danielle Ford

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