Margaret Beazley

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Her Excellency The Honourable
Margaret Beazley
AC, KC
Beazley in 2018
39th Governor of New South Wales
Assumed office
2 May 2019 (2019-05-02)
MonarchsElizabeth II
Charles III
PremierGladys Berejiklian
Dominic Perrottet
Chris Minns
LieutenantTom Bathurst
Andrew Bell
Preceded byDavid Hurley
9th President of the New South Wales Court of Appeal
In office
1 March 2013 – 27 February 2019
Preceded byJames Allsop
Succeeded byAndrew Bell
Judge of the New South Wales Court of Appeal
In office
28 March 1996 – 1 March 2013
Judge of the Federal Court of Australia
In office
1 January 1993 – 28 April 1996
Personal details
Born (1951-07-23) 23 July 1951 (age 72)
Sydney, New South Wales
NationalityAustralian
Spouses
  • Alan Sullivan (divorced)
  • Dennis Wilson
Children3
EducationSydney Law School
Alma materUniversity of Sydney

Margaret Joan Beazley, AC, KC, (born 23 July 1951) is an Australian jurist who is the 39th and current governor of New South Wales, serving since 2 May 2019. She was the president of the New South Wales Court of Appeal, the first woman to hold the office, from 2013 until February 2019.[1]

Early life[edit]

Beazley was born and grew up in Hurstville, Sydney, NSW, one of five children to Gordon and Lorna Beazley; her father worked as a milkman. She was educated at Catholic schools – St Declan's Primary School in Penshurst, St Joseph's Girls High School in Kogarah, and Mount Saint Joseph, Milperra.[2] Beazley graduated from the Sydney Law School at the University of Sydney in 1974 in law, with honours.[3][1]

Legal career[edit]

Beazley served her articles of clerkship with Winter & Sharp, and was admitted to the New South Wales Bar in 1975. She was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1989.[2]

Beazley was a Judicial Member of the Equal Opportunity Tribunal from 1984 to 1988. She was an Acting District Court Judge from 1990 to 1991. From 1991 to 1992, Beazley served as Assistant Commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption. She was a judge of the Federal Court of Australia from 1993 to 1996, an additional Judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory from 1994 to 1997, and a judge of the Industrial Relations Court of Australia from 1994 to 1996.[4]

From 1996 to 2019, she was a Judge of Appeal of the New South Wales Court of Appeal. She was President of the court, the first woman to hold the office, from 2013[5] until February 2019.[6][7]

Beazley has also served on the Australian Executive of Amnesty International (1980).

Governor of New South Wales[edit]

In January 2019, Beazley accepted the position of 39th Governor of New South Wales,[8] succeeding David Hurley,[9] and was sworn in as governor on 2 May 2019.[1][10] In 2020, she was promoted to Companion of the Order of Australia for eminent service to the people of New South Wales, particularly through leadership roles in the judiciary, and as a mentor of young women lawyers.[11][12]

In November 2021, it was reported that a member of the governor's staff had anonymously lodged whistleblower complaints about bullying with the Department of Premier and Cabinet, which provides staff for the governor's office. Following an investigation, the Department—while not referring to a decision—thanked the complainant and promised measures to foster a "respectful" workplace culture in the office.[13][14]

Honours and awards[edit]

Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) 2020[11]
Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) 2006[15]
Dame of Grace of the Order of St John of Jerusalem 2019[16]

Honorary appointments[edit]

Honorary degrees[edit]

Personal life[edit]

Beazley is married to Dennis Wilson. She has three adult children from her first marriage to barrister Alan Sullivan.[24][25] She and Sullivan were reportedly "the first husband and wife from the private legal profession to become QCs".[26]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Barlass, Tim (2 May 2019). "New state Governor will hit the ground running". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Margaret Joan Beazley". Australian Women Lawyers. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  3. ^ "Sydney Law School alumni named among NSW highest legal counsel". News and events: Sydney Law School. The University of Sydney. 14 February 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  4. ^ Who's Who in Australia
  5. ^ Alexander, Harriet (20 December 2012). "First female head to run appeal court". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  6. ^ "Farewell Ceremony for the Hon Justice Margaret Beazley AO" (PDF). SupremeCourt.justice.nsw.gov.au. 27 February 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  7. ^ Whitbourn, Michaela (27 February 2019). "Wife, mum, pioneering judge: NSW's next governor farewells court". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  8. ^ Sas, Nick (13 January 2019). "New NSW Governor Margaret Beazley fights back tears as she accepts role". ABC News. Australia. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  9. ^ Berejiklian, Gladys (13 January 2019). "Appointment of The Honourable Justice Margaret Beazley QC AO as Governor" (Press release). Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  10. ^ "Vice Regal Program: Thursday, 2 May 2019". Governor of New South Wales. 2 May 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  11. ^ a b "Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Joan BEAZLEY AO QC". Australian Honours Search Facility. Australian Government. Retrieved 26 January 2020. AD 2020: For eminent service to the people of New South Wales, particularly through leadership roles in the judiciary, and as a mentor of young women lawyers.
  12. ^ Chrysanthos, Natassia (26 January 2020). "Women receive highest Australia Day honour". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  13. ^ Fellner, Carrie (8 November 2021). "Secrecy over outcome of whistleblower's complaint against NSW Governor". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  14. ^ Fellner, Carrie (8 November 2021). "NSW Governor Margaret Beazley ignores reporters' questions over bullying claims". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  15. ^ "The Honourable Justice Margaret Joan BEAZLEY - Officer of the Order of Australia". Australian Honours Search Facility. Australian Government. 12 June 2006. QB 2006: For service to the judiciary and the law, particularly through contributions to professional and ethical standards, to the advancement of women in the legal profession and the community.
  16. ^ "Vice Regal Program - Friday, 10 May 2019". Governor of NSW. 10 May 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  17. ^ "Police Attestation Parade - Class 337". governor.nsw.gov.au. Governor of New South Wales. 3 May 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  18. ^ "Understanding the Most Venerable Order of St John" (PDF). Governor of New South Wales. 12 December 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  19. ^ Zerbe, Ryan (25 September 2019). "From Governor to Commodore". Australian Department of Defence. Defence News. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  20. ^ "Vice-regal Program – Thursday, 2 March 2017". Office of the Governor. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  21. ^ "Honorary Awards: The Hon Justice Margaret Beazley AO". Previous Honorary Award Recipients. The University of Sydney. 23 May 2008. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  22. ^ "Honorary doctorate holders". Australian Catholic University. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  23. ^ "NSW Governor awarded Honorary Doctorate". The University of Notre Dame Australia. 30 June 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  24. ^ O'Sullivan., Matt (13 January 2019). "'I didn't think I'd be emotional': Margaret Beazley reflects on enormity of role as NSW Governor". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  25. ^ Williams, Sue (23 June 1996). "A woman's place in on the bench" (OCR text). The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 122. Retrieved 20 January 2020 – via newspapers.com.
  26. ^ Tidy, Graham (5 February 1991). "Two wigs have family well covered". The Canberra Times – via Trove, National Library of Australia.
Government offices
Preceded by Governor of New South Wales
2019–present 		Incumbent
Legal offices
Preceded by President of the New South Wales Court of Appeal
2013–2019 		Succeeded by
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