Queensland’s top civilian bravery award has gone to Ipswich woman Nicole Law, who intervened to protect a 15-year-old girl during a bow and arrow attack in Booval.

The incident happened in September 2020 while Ms Law was doing her fortnightly grocery shopping in the Ipswich suburb. A man armed with a bow and arrow was chasing the girl as she screamed for help. Other shoppers ran from the area, but the 42-year-old mother moved toward the confrontation.

“I didn’t feel any fear at the time … all I knew [was] that this young girl was crying for help.”

Ms Law said the teenager already had an arrow lodged in her hand. She told the girl to stand behind her, then remained in place when the attacker came around the corner and tried to talk him down.

“I don’t know my exact words, but it was just like ‘what’s happening for you? Why are you doing this?”” Ms Law said.

According to Ms Law, the man, then 28-year-old Benjamin Bourke, said he had recently been hit by a car and was going through a “rough time”.

“I just basically said to him ‘well that’s a really s*** time for you.'”

“He ended up getting down and dropping all his stuff and looking at me and basically telling me that we’re ok. It was really weird.”

Two men then tackled Bourke to the ground before he was arrested by police.

At that stage, Ms Law did not know what had happened beforehand or how serious Bourke’s intentions had been. He later pleaded guilty to attempted murder of the 15-year-old and was jailed for 10 and a half years. Prosecutors told the court he had earlier fired an arrow at an Indigenous woman for racial reasons, and had briefly considered killing another woman with a baby before deciding against it.

“I didn’t know at the time what pain he was causing, I just saw he was struggling and he was chasing this girl,” Ms Law said.

Her actions were formally recognised on Thursday in Brisbane at the Royal Humane Society of Australasia’s Bravery Medals, sponsored by His Majesty King Charles III. Ms Law received the Clarke Gold Medal, the ceremony’s highest honour.

She had been set to receive the award in 2024, but could not attend at that time. Organisers postponed the presentation so Queensland Governor Dr Jeannette Young could hand her the medal.

“That’s unbelievable, thank you, you saved her life,” Ms Young told Ms Law as she presented the medal.

Three Sunshine Coast surfers were also among the recipients after using their boards to help rescue two men caught in a bad storm rip in April 2021.

Now, nearly six years on, Ms Law said one of the things that stays with her most is what the teenage girl went through.

“It wasn’t fair that that happened to her, and that’s something that sticks with you for a long time,” Ms Law said.

She said she had recently heard the girl, now an adult, was doing well and had been supported by her family.

“It was nice to hear that … it meant a lot to me.”

Ms Law said she plans to pass the medal down to her grandson as a reminder of her family’s values and sense of decency, and said she hoped her loved ones would be proud, especially her two boys and her grandson.

“I hope they’re proud of me, especially my two boys and my grandson … they will have something to look back on,” she said.

“It’s just something special for them to have … [and to know] it’s okay to be a decent person.”

“A lot of that gets forgotten these days.”