On-screen Survivor

Editorial: Danielle Ford

Photography: Brendan McCarthy

In her role as a member of the Central Victoria Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team, gathering all available information for a job comes naturally to First Constable Hannah Pentreath.

“I’ve always been someone who likes to be overly prepared for anything I do,” Const Pentreath said.

For this reason, Const Pentreath said it was a shock to her family, friends and even herself when she blindly applied to be a contestant on reality TV show Survivor.

“I had barely watched the show and didn’t know that much about it,” she said.

“My husband is a superfan and had already put an application in. He said something to me one night about applying, so I did.

“Next thing I know, I got a call saying I’d been selected and I’m making plans to have a couple of months off work to head to Fiji.”

Having gone into the competition with no game plan, Const Pentreath managed to ‘survive’ 22 days on the Fijian island before being voted off by her fellow contestants.

Const Hannah Pentreath swapped a police station for a Fijian beach and investigations for tribal councils last year when she competed on the TV show Survivor.

“The only tactical move I made was to hide the fact I was a police officer,” she said.

“I told the other contestants I was a hairdresser to try and make myself less of a threat.

“It ended up backfiring because being a police officer is a big part of my life and identity and I found it hard to build any strong connections with people because I was hiding this big part of me.”

Despite being voted off far earlier than she’d hoped, Const Pentreath said she was excited to get home, eat proper food and get back to work.

“It was a little disappointing to have to ring my boss and ask to come back to work early, mostly because they were so supportive and hopeful I’d win,” she said.

“But I was really excited to get back to work and get busy with cases and jobs.”

Unlike applying to be on Survivor, being a police officer is something Const Pentreath had put plenty of thought into, having decided in high school that she wanted to join Victoria Police.

“In high school, we did a career day and had some local detectives come out and I remember listening to them and thinking, ‘That’s what I want to be’ and I never shifted from it,” she said.

After graduating from the Victoria Police Academy in 2015, Const Pentreath managed to get posted in Bendigo, just half-an-hour away from Castlemaine, her home town.

Working general duties there for two years, Const Pentreath got a position in the Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team and said she now plans to complete an Advanced Diploma of Police Investigation at the Centre for Crime Investigation to become a detective.

When not competing on Survivor, Const Hannah Pentreath works in the Central Victoria Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team.

“Detective work is what I’m passionate about,” she said.

“I enjoy being able to work with victims, gather information and build a case to get a result for the victim.

“Being able to work a case from the start and see it through to a resolution is the most satisfying part of the job for me.”

When asked whether her job as a police officer or being on Survivor is tougher, Const Pentreath was quick to answer.

“Survivor for sure. Police work is tough, but it’s so rewarding, which makes it all worth it at the end of the day,” she said.