University_
Former University officers
A history of our academic leadership
Download short biographies of our past Chancellors, Vice-Chancellors, Deputy Chancellors and Pro-Chancellors.
Visit our governance page to view our current leadership.
- Edward William Terrick Hamilton (pdf, 144KB), 1851–54
- Sir Charles Nicholson BT (pdf, 317KB), 1854–62
- The Hon. Francis Lewis Shaw Merewether (pdf, 213KB), 1862–65
- Sir Edward Deas–Thomson KCMG CB (pdf, 313KB), 1865–78
- Sir William Montagu Manning KCMG (pdf, 268KB), 1878–95
- Sir William Charles Windeyer (pdf, 367KB), 1895–96
- Sir Henry Normand MacLaurin (pdf, 258KB), 1896–14
- The Hon. Sir William Portus Cullen KCMG (pdf, 471KB), 1914–34
- Sir Mungo William MacCallum KCMG (pdf, 331KB), 1934–36
- Sir Percival Halse Rogers KBE (pdf, 245KB), 1936–41
- Sir Charles Bickerton Blackburn KCMG OBE (pdf, 457KB), 1941–64
- Sir Charles George McDonald KCMG KSG (pdf, 378KB), 1964–69
- Sir Hermann David Black AC (pdf, 151KB), 1970–90
- Air Marshal Sir James Anthony Rowland AC KBE DFC AFC KStJ (pdf, 286KB), 1990–91
- Emeritus Professor Dame Leonie Judith Kramer AC DBE (pdf, 161KB), 1991–2001
- The Hon. G F Kim Santow AO (pdf, 130KB), 2001–07
- Her Excellency Professor Marie Roslyn Bashir AC CVO (pdf, 85KB), 2007–12
- Sir Charles Nicholson Bt (pdf, 317KB), 1851–53
- The Hon. Francis Lewis Shaw Merewether (pdf, 213KB), 1854–62
- The Hon. Edward Deas–Thomson KCMG CB (pdf, 313KB), 1863–65
- The Hon. John Hubert Plunkett (pdf, 146KB), 1865–69
- The Rev Canon Robert Allwood (pdf, 69KB), 1869–83
- The Hon. Sir William Charles Windeyer (pdf, 367KB), 1883–86
- The Hon. Sir Henry Normand MacLaurin (pdf, 258KB), 1887–89 and 1895–96
- The Hon. Sir Arthur Renwick (pdf, 199KB), 1889–91, 1900–02 and 1906–08
- Henry Chamberlain Russell CMG (pdf, 267KB), 1891–92
- His Honour Judge Alfred Paxton Backhouse (pdf, 246KB), 1892–94, 1896–99 and 1911–14
- The Hon. Mr Justice Archibald Henry Simpson (pdf, 121KB), 1902–04
- Sir Philip Sydney Jones (pdf, 64KB), 1904–06
- The Hon. Sir William Portus Cullen KCMG (pdf, 471KB), 1909–11
- Frank Leverrier KC (pdf, 135KB), 1914–17 and 1921–23
- Cecil Purser (pdf, 255KB), 1917–19 and 1923–24
- The Hon. Sir David Gilbert Ferguson (pdf, 78KB), 1919–21
- Professor Sir Mungo William MacCallum KCMG (pdf, 331KB), 1924–28
- Sir Robert Strachan Wallace (pdf, 198KB), 1928–47
- Emeritus Professor Sir Stephen Henry Roberts CMG (pdf, 271KB), 1947–67
- Professor Sir Bruce Rodda Williams KBE (pdf, 353KB), 1967–81
- Professor John Manning Ward AO (pdf, 360KB), 1981–90
- Professor Donald McNicol (pdf, 62KB), 1990–96
- Professor Derek John Anderson (pdf, 116KB), 1996
- Professor Gavin Brown AO (pdf, 77KB), 1996–2008
- Dr Michael Spence AC (pdf, 183KB), 2008-2020
- Cecil Purser (pdf, 255KB), 1924–26
- The Hon. Sir Philip Whistler Street KCMG (pdf, 80KB), 1926–28
- Sir Mungo William MacCallum KCMG (pdf, 331KB), 1928–34
- The Hon. Sir Percival Halse Rogers KBE (pdf, 245KB), 1934–36
- Arthur Edward Mills (pdf, 229KB), 1936–39
- Lieutenant–Colonel Sir Charles Bickerton Blackburn OBE (pdf, 457KB), 1939–41
- John Job Crew Bradfield CMG (pdf, 250KB), 1942–43
- Dame Constance D'Arcy DBE (pdf, 137KB), 1943–46
- The Hon. Mr Justice Ernest David Roper (pdf, 68KB), 1946–52
- Sir Charles George McDonald (pdf, 378KB), 1953–54
- The Hon. Sir Victor Windeyer CBE CB DSO ED (pdf, 74KB), 1954–58
- Major–General Ivan Noel Dougherty CBE DSO ED (pdf, 65KB), 1958–66
- The Reverend Bertram Russell Wyllie (pdf, 62KB), 1966–69
- Sir Hermann David Black AC (pdf, 151KB), 1969–70
- The Hon. Mr Justice Russell Le Gay Brereton (pdf, 63KB), 1970–71
- The Hon. Mr Justice David Mayer Selby AM ED (pdf, 175KB), 1971–86
- Daphne Anne Kok (pdf, 115KB), 1986–1989 and 1991–2000
- Emeritus Professor Dame Leonie Judith Kramer AC DBE (pdf, 161KB), 1989–91
- Renata Ruzena Kaldor AO (pdf, 115KB), 2000–03
- Emeritus Professor Ann Elizabeth Sefton AO (pdf, 118KB), 2004–08
- Alan Cameron AO (pdf, 81KB), 2008–14
- David Hoare (pdf, 107KB), 2003–05
- Emeritus Professor Ann Elizabeth Sefton AO (pdf, 118KB), 2003–04
- John McCarthey QC (pdf, 128KB), 2005–09
- Alec N Brennan AM (docx 91KB), 2011–14
- Dr Barry R Catchlove (docx 91KB), 2013
- Robert Leece AM RFD (pdf, 124KB), 2014–15
- Dorothy Hoddinot AO (docx 91KB), 2015-17
- Peter FitzSimons AM (docx 91KB), 2015-18
Banner image: Unveiling of Vice-Chancellor John Ward's Portrait in the Great Hall (1985), [REF-00003007]. University of Sydney Archives, accessed 20/11/2023, https://archives-search.sydney.edu.au/nodes/view/33607