Tonya Trubshoe (Senior Forensic Document Examiner)

Her experience, integrity and expertise. 

Tonya completed her document examination training programme in the Queensland Police Service under the guidance of senior forensic document examiners. 

With a Bachelor degree in Biomedical Science, she went on to complete a Master of Science, Forensic Science (Document Examination) which included a published thesis "Investigating the potential for training context effects to influence forensic document examiners relative abilities at writer identification and exclusion".  

Over twelve years, Tonya has conducted a vast number of forensic examinations on matters that include signature and handwriting analysis, general document examinations, and the detailed examination of a wide range of identity and secure documents. 

She is experienced in document examination evidence preparation, reporting, court presentation techniques and the delivery of evidence as an expert witness.

Between 2006 and 2009 Tonya completed a posting as an inaugural First Secretary – Forensic Document Examiner for Australia’s Immigration Department (an Australian Diplomat to the Philippines) establishing, developing and maintaining a regional document examination capability within South East Asia through document examination skills training, laboratory installation, mentoring, workshop development and delivery to foreign government officials undertaking primary through to tertiary document examination functions.

This role required her to represent the Australian government, coordinating document examination international engagement; undertaking special document examination and identity projects; collaborating with foreign missions and NGO's, developing and delivering local, national and international workshops and training programmes.

 Tonya’s experience extends to the conceptualisation, development and delivery of international activities where she made a major contribution to the Australian government co-hosted Bali Process on People Smuggling and Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime multi-lateral document examination workshops in the Philippines in 2009 and Singapore 2012.

On her return to Australia, Tonya held an executive level position in the Australian Immigration Department's specialist Document Examination Network, undertaking various projects associated with both national and international activities, representing the department on the National Institute of Forensic Science (NIFS) managed Document Specialist Advisory Group (DocSAG) , in addition to maintaining her document examination casework exposure. 

In addition to her previous representation on the DocSAG, Tonya continues to be involved in the national forensic community through her association with the Australasian Society of Forensic Document Examiners Incorporated and the Australian and New Zealand Forensic Science Society where she has delivered presentations at  international Symposiums over a number of years, as well as developing and delivering a technical document examination workshop in 2010.

With her experience, she was invited to be a member of the working party for the development of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Guide for the development of forensic document examination capacity, a document that was published and released in 2010 and regularly referenced as the basis for the development of document examination laboratories internationally.

Over many years, Tonya led curriculum and subject development and tutored the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) forensic document examination courses attended by document examiners enrolled from Australia’s Immigration Department, Queensland Police, New South Wales Police, Victoria Police, Reserve Bank of Australia, Forensic Document Services, as well as international document examiners from the Philippines, Indonesia and China.     

Tonya commenced her employment with Document Examination Solutions Pty Ltd in 2011 where she has been involved in complex casework examinations and reporting, quality assurance processes and international consultancy activities. 

With an expansion of the company in 2015, Tonya’s extensive international experiences and networks has led to her being consulted by national and international clients from the United Nations to industry and educational institutions.

 Associations and Recognition:

Membership of Australasian Society of Forensic Document Examiners Inc. (ASFDE Inc.) and the Australian and New Zealand Forensic Science Society (ANZFSS).

Awarded the Queensland ANZFSS New Practitioner scholarship to attend the 2004 ANZFSS Symposium in Wellington NZ.