University of Sydney community receive 2025 Australia Day Honours

Staff, alumni and affiliates of the University of Sydney have been recognised for their achievements in the 2025 Australia Day Honours list.

Announced on 26 January, the Australia Day Honours recognise and celebrate Australians for distinguished and conspicuous service.

In 2025, recipients include Professor Emerita Gillian Triggs, former Dean and Challis Professor of International Law of the Sydney Law School. Professor Triggs was appointed as a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for eminent service to humanitarian and human rights law, international relations, social justice advocacy, and tertiary legal education and research. She was previously the President of the Australian Human Rights Commission and Assistant High Commissioner for Protection in the team of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 

Associate Professor Thomas Gottlieb, Clinical Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Medicine and Health and Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Concord Hospital, was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for his distinguished service to medicine as an infectious disease and microbiology specialist, author and researcher, and to professional organisations. 

Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Mark Scott AO, congratulated all recipients on behalf of the University. “The Australia Day honours celebrate those who go above and beyond to tackle some of the world's most significant challenges and dedicate themselves to enhancing the lives of others. Today and every day, we honour these remarkable individuals and take pride in the members of our community who are being recognised for their enduring work,” Professor Scott said.

More details of the honours received by many other members of the University community will be shared on this page in the coming days. A full list of those recognised in the 2025 Australia Day Honours can be found at the Governor-General’s website.

A list of Australia Day Honours 2025 received by members of the University community can be found below.

Staff

Companion (AC) of the Order of Australia

• Emeritus Professor Gillian Doreen Triggs
  Former Dean and Challis Professor of International Law, Sydney Law School
  
  For eminent service to humanitarian and human rights law, to international relations, to social justice advocacy, and to tertiary legal education and research.

Officer (AO) in the General Division of the Order of Australia

• Professor Thomas Gottlieb (MBBS '80)
  Clinical Associate Professor, Medicine (Immunology and Infectious Diseases), Concord Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health
  
  For distinguished service to medicine as an infectious disease and microbiology specialist, author and researcher, and to professional organisations.

Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia

• Professor Sharon Linda Naismith
  Professor, School of Psychology and Leonard P Ullman Chair in Psychology,  Faculty of Science
  
  For significant service to neuropsychology, particularly dementia, through medical research and clinical practice.
  
  
• Professor Julie Redfern (BSc '94, BAppSc(Phty)(Hons) '98, PhD (Phty) '07)
  Professor of Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health
  
  For significant service to cardiology, to allied health, to research and education, and to the community.
  
  
• Professor Paul Andrew Glare (MBBS '81, MMed(ClinEpi) '05)
  Professor, Sydney Medical School and Chair in Pain Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health
  
  For significant service to medicine in the field of pain management and palliative care.

Alumni

Officer (AO) in the General Division of the Order of Australia

• The late Professor Lyndall Ryan AM (BA '64, DipEd '65)
  For distinguished service to tertiary education, particularly Indigenous history and colonial settlement through research and publications.
• Professor Robynne Melva Quiggin (BA '86)
  For distinguished service to the law and human rights, to tertiary education, and to the Indigenous community through leadership and governance roles
• Mr James Christopher Simpson (BA '74, LLB '77)
  For distinguished service to people with disability through legal and board leadership positions, and as an advocate for their health and wellbeing.

Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia

• Mrs Penelope Margaret Gerstle (BA '87, MA '93, MIL '11, MDVST '17)
  For significant service to human rights, community health, and to people with disability.
  
• Mrs Joanna Susan Capon (MA '89)
  For significant service to the arts, and to community health.
  
• Dr James Markos (MBBS '78)
  For significant service to medical education and research, particularly respiratory and sleep disorders.
• Mr Phillip James Cornwell (BA '75, LLB '78)
  For significant service to conservation and the environment, community health, and to the legal profession.
• Professor Margaret Mary Fry (BAppSc(Nursing) '92, PhD '05)
  For significant service to the nursing profession, and to tertiary education.
• Dr Cameron John Bell (MBBS '83, MD '96)
  For significant service to gastroenterology medicine as a clinician and administrator.
• Dr Antheunis Boogert (MBBS '76)
  For significant service to obstetric medicine as an administrator and clinician.
• The Hon Justice John Robertson Sackar (LLB '72, LLM '73)
  For significant service to the judiciary, and to the law.
• Professor Stuart Bruce White (PhD '89)
  For significant service to environmental research, to corporate sustainability, and to tertiary education.
• Professor Robert Gideon Weintraub (MBBS '79)
  For significant service to paediatric medicine, and to medical research.
• Dr James Maurice Branley (MBBS '87, PhD '18)
  For significant service to diagnostic pathology, and to medical administration.
• Mr Kevin Sidney Anderson (GradDipCrim '70)
  For significant service to the law, and social justice.
• Professor David John Headon (BA '72, DipEd '73, MA '77)
  For significant service to history preservation, as a historian, cultural advisor, and author.
• Mrs Lauretta Jayne Claus (BA '86, DipEd '87)
  For significant service to international and national basketball as a statistician, and to education.

Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division

• Mrs Carol Anne Briscoe (BSc(GenSc) '66)
  For service to the church.
• Mr Raymond Eric Fisher (BE(Civil) '71)
  For service to the road transport industry.
• Mr Robert Stephen Jackman (BSc '72)
  For service to competitive scrabble.
• Associate Professor Zuleyha Keskin (MA '09)
  For service to the Islamic community of Australia.
• Ms Alice Jemima Mary Garrett (BA '82)
  For service to journalism.
• Dr Joseph Bartolo Casamento (MBBS '65)
  For service to rugby union as a club doctor.
• Ms Noemie Eva Fox (BA(Media & Comm) '19, MMgt '21)
  For service to sport as a gold medallist at the Paris Olympic Games 2024.
• Mr James Francis Rodgers (BA '75, LLB '78)
  For service to primary and secondary education, and to cricket.
• Ms Sharon Therese Buckley (BSc '99)
  For service to the community through emergency response organisations.
• The late Dr Patrick John Shanahan (GradDipPHDent '86)
  For service to dentistry.
• Mr Rodney Glenn Towney (MIndigLangEd '10)
  For service to the Indigenous community of New South Wales.
• Mrs Elizabeth Clare Jones (BA '61)
  For service to the community through a range of roles.
• Mrs Catherine Jane Palethorpe (BA '66, DipEd '67)
  For service to music administration.

Public Service Medeal

• Ms Michelle Rae Tregoning (BA '04)
  For outstanding public service to NSW in the delivery of mathematics education in public schools.

Australian Police Medal

• Detective Sergeant Ellen Quinn (MCrim '09)
  

Conspicuous Service Cross

• Wing Commander Janine Frances Tillott (GradDipClinDent '07)
  For outstanding achievement implementing Gender in Military Operations reform for the Royal Australian Air Force.