Mia Armitage The father of detained WikiLeaks founder and Australian journalist Julian Assange is touring the Northern Rivers this week. The Assange family has had close ties to the region for decades, with Mr Assange having studied part of his primary education in the Northern Rivers hinterland. Mr Shipton spoke last year in Mullumbimby to a sell-out crowd of around three hundred and says it ‘feels like coming home’ when he visits the area. The father of the famous detained WikiLeaks founder and Australian journalist has recently returned from Europe, where he has spent the year campaigning for his son’s freedom.