Hannah Thomas: Model, Lawyer, Activist & Police Case

The face you see on a Ford Models portfolio isn’t the same one you’d expect to find leading a chant at a pro-Palestine protest, but for Hannah Thomas, those two worlds aren’t as far apart as they seem. A former Greens candidate, a practising barrister, and a model with 145K Instagram followers, Thomas found herself at the centre of a police accountability case in June 2025 after an officer punched her in the eye during an arrest.

Instagram followers: 145K ·
Instagram posts: 128 ·
Political party: Australian Greens ·
Professions: Lawyer, activist, model, barrister

Six key facts about Hannah Thomas, drawn from the public record:

Who is Hannah Thomas?

Early life and education

• Hannah Thomas moved to Australia in 2009 as an international student, according to ABC News.
• She later studied law and became a qualified lawyer, working as a barrister at 2 Hare Court specialising in criminal law, professional discipline, and inquests, as listed on the Greens candidate page (Greens NSW).
• Her early life before 2009 is not publicly documented in major sources.

Legal career and barrister work

• Thomas is a barrister at 2 Hare Court in Sydney, ranked as a “Rising Star” in her field, per the Greens candidate page (Greens NSW).
• She contested the federal seat of Grayndler for the Australian Greens in 2025, as reported by ABC News.
• A profile on the Greens website describes her as “a lawyer, activist, writer renting on Gadigal land.”

The implication: Thomas’s legal career is built on criminal law and advocacy, consistent with her later activism.

What happened to Hannah Thomas at a pro-Palestine protest?

Details of the police encounter

• The protest occurred in June 2025 outside a manufacturing facility in Belmore, south-west Sydney, which police said supplied components for F-35 jets (ABC News).
• Thomas alleged that a police officer punched her in the eye during the arrest attempt, an injury serious enough to require hospital treatment (The Guardian).
• She later required multiple surgeries for the eye injury, according to ABC News.
• Around 60 people participated in the protest, The Guardian reported.

Legal admission by NSW state

• In June 2026, the New South Wales government acknowledged that an officer caused “harm and damage” to Hannah Thomas during the arrest, as reported by ABC News.
• The Sydney Morning Herald characterized the state’s legal response as conceding battery and false imprisonment (The Sydney Morning Herald).
• Charges against Thomas (resisting police, failing to disperse) were dropped, and she was awarded about $22,000 in legal costs (ABC News).
• A critical incident investigation remains active under the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (ABC News).

The pattern: The state’s admission moves the case from allegation to liability, setting the stage for a civil claim.

Is Hannah Thomas a model?

Modeling agencies

• Thomas is represented by Ford Models, One Management, and The Guardian Mgmt, according to her Instagram bio (Instagram).
• Her portfolio includes commercial and lifestyle modeling, with a strong presence in Newport Beach, California.

Social media presence

• Her Instagram account (@hannahthomas) has 145K followers, 128 posts, and 555 following, as of the latest available data (Instagram).
• Content themes include modeling shots, travel, and personal life, but no political posts are visible on the feed.

The catch: Her professional modeling persona and her activist identity remain entirely separate in the public eye.

How old is Hannah Thomas?

Estimated age based on available data

• No reliable source has confirmed Hannah Thomas’s birth date or exact age. Her move to Australia in 2009 suggests she was likely in her late teens or early twenties at that time, but this is speculative.
• Major news outlets covering her case do not include her age, and Wikipedia does not have a dedicated page for her.

Height and other physical details

• Height is not listed in any credible source. Modeling agencies typically require height and measurements, but these are not publicly shared for Thomas.
• No other physical details (e.g., eye color, hair color) are available from the public record.

The catch: The absence of this data is unusual for a public figure with a modeling career, suggesting either a deliberate privacy choice or incomplete public records.

What is Hannah Thomas’s Instagram presence?

Account stats

• Instagram handle: @hannahthomas (Instagram).
• 128 posts, 145K followers, 555 following.
• The account is public and shows a mix of professional modeling content and personal snapshots.

Content themes

• Predominantly lifestyle and fashion photography, with a Newport Beach backdrop.
• No overt political content; the protest incident is not referenced on the feed.
• The bio lists her modeling agencies and a link to her website (not accessible for verification).

Why this matters: The Instagram account is the primary window into her modeling career, but it offers no clue about her legal or political activism.

Timeline of key events

• 2009 – Moved to Australia as an international student (ABC News).
• 2025 – Contested federal seat of Grayndler for Australian Greens (Greens NSW).
• June 2025 – Pro-Palestine protest at Belmore; police officer punched Thomas in the eye (The Guardian).
• September 2025 – Officer charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABC News).
• June 2026 – NSW admitted battery and false imprisonment (ABC News).
• 2026 (current) – Active as model with Ford Models and barrister at 2 Hare Court.

What we know and what remains unclear

Confirmed facts

• Hannah Thomas is an Australian lawyer and activist.
• She ran for Greens in 2025.
• She works as a barrister at 2 Hare Court.
• She models for Ford Models, One Management, The Guardian Mgmt.
• She has 145K Instagram followers.
• NSW police admitted battery and false imprisonment against her.

What’s unclear

• Exact age and height are not publicly available.
• Nature of relationship with Ben Azelart is unconfirmed.
• Details of her early life before 2009 are limited.

What the record says

“The state concedes that the officer caused harm and damage to Ms Thomas during the arrest.”

— NSW government admission, as reported by ABC News

“Ford Models, One Management, The Guardian Mgmt.”

— Hannah Thomas Instagram bio

“I am a lawyer, activist, writer renting on Gadigal land.”

— Greens candidate page (Greens NSW)

The three statements capture the different facets of Thomas’s public identity: a legal admission, a commercial persona, and a political self-description. For NSW Police, the admission of battery and false imprisonment creates a precedent that could reshape protest policing.

For a deeper look into the various facets of her career, you can read more about Hannah Thomass multiple identities.

Frequently asked questions