Celebrating UNSW Women
The Celebrating UNSW Women project celebrates the remarkable and diverse UNSW community by increasing the visibility of women across our Kensington and Paddington campuses.
The project has renamed 17 buildings and spaces after UNSW women role models. They include the first women graduates of each faculty, the first woman professor, the first woman Deputy Chancellor, the first Indigenous woman graduate, and many more trailblazing alumnae and staff including athletes, artists, and community leaders.
Feature profiles
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Stop 7: Patricia O'Shane Building
Clara Patricia Alfonso
Clara attended Paddington Art School at the age of 14 and completed a Bachelor of Fine Art majoring in painting and drawing at UNSW’s College of Fine Art (COFA) in 1991.
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Stop 23: Paddington stop
Laura Jordan Bambach
Laura Jordan Bambach completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Masters of Art and in 2018, received the Alumni Award for Art and Culture from UNSW.
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Stop 7: Patricia O'Shane Building
Magistrate Helen Barry
Magistrate Helen Barry, born 29 October 1952, was UNSW’s first woman to graduate in the faculty of law (alongside Michele Blum).
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Stop 9: Engineering stop
Joan Bath
Joan Bath became the first woman to graduate in Mining Engineering at UNSW on 14th April 1975.
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Stop 12: Sport stop
Alex Blackwell
Alex completed her Bachelor of Medicine at UNSW in 2007 and went on to work in genetics. In 2015 she left her job to become the first full-time women’s cricketer.
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Stop 7: Patricia O'Shane Building
Michele G Blum
Born 9 June 1953, Michele Blum was part of the first cohort of Law students at UNSW and the first woman (alongside Helen Barry) to graduate with a Bachelor of Jurisprudence on 20 January 1975.
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Stop 7: Patricia O'Shane Building
Dr Judith Bullerwell
Dr Judith Bullerwell was the first woman to graduate from UNSW’s Faculty of Arts.
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Stop 4: Chancellery stop
Hermione Burkitt
In 1966 Hermione Burkitt became the first woman to be a Committees' Clerk at UNSW.
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Stop 6: ADA stop
Sharan Burrow
Burrow graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from UNSW, followed by a Diploma of Education in 1976.
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Stop 18: Science stop
Dr. Jessie Christiansen
After searching for exoplanets - planets around other stars - for four years at UNSW and obtaining her PhD in 2008, she accepted a postdoctoral research position at Harvard University and moved to…
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Stop 6: ADA stop
Chanel Contos
Chanel has a Bachelor of Commerce and Arts from UNSW, and a Masters in Education, Gender and International Development from University College London.
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Stop 18: Science stop
Edith Cox
On 13 April 1957, Edith Cox became the first woman to graduate from UNSW with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences.
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Stop 17: ADFA stop
Lieutenant General Susan Coyle AM CSC DSM
Lieutenant General Susan Coyle is the Commander Forces Command, responsible for force generating land forces in order to support the Joint Force.
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Stop 23: Paddington stop
Brenda L Croft
Born in Perth in 1964, Brenda L Croft is a multidisciplinary creative-led researcher who has been involved in the arts sector for nearly four decades as an academic, artist, arts administrator,…
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Stop 12: Sport stop
Lisa Darmanin
Lisa attended UNSW from 2010-2013, completing a Bachelor of Commerce (Liberal Studies) at the same time as sailing internationally. She was a Ben Lexcen Scholar and won the 2010 UNSW Female Athlete…
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Stop 18: Science stop
Professor Tamara Davis AM
Professor Davis graduated from UNSW with a Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Arts (Physics and Astronomy) in 1999, followed by a PhD in Physics in 2004.
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Stop 15: Moya Dodd Grandstand
Moya Dodd
Born 30 April 1965, Moya Dodd graduated with an MBA from UNSW in 1996.
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Stop 16: Law & Justice stop
Kate Eastman AM SC
Kate Eastman AM SC is a top Sydney Barrister, specialising in human rights, employment, discrimination and constitutional law.
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Stop 9: Engineering stop
Senator Mehreen Faruqi MLC
In 1992 Mehreen Faruqi moved to Sydney, earning a Master of Engineering Science from UNSW in 1994 followed by a Doctorate in Environmental Engineering.
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Stop 17: ADFA stop
Major General Natasha Fox AM CSC
MAJGEN Natasha Fox is the Deputy Chief of Army and the first woman to serve as a deputy service chief in the Australian Defence Force.
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Stop 24: The Kay Friedrich Garden
Angelika ‘Kay’ Friedrich
Born 13 March 1922 in Alt-Bensdorf in Germany, Angelika ‘Kay’ Friedrich later migrated to Australia, arriving by herself in Melbourne in December 1951. …
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Stop 4: Chancellery stop
Alexis George
Alexis is a UNSW alumna having graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce and Accounting in 1985. She is a member of the Financial Services Council Board, the Institute of Chartered Accountants…
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Stop 19: Esme Timbery Studio
In Her Hands - Carmen Glynn-Braun (Kaytetye / Ammatyerre), Dennis Golding (Kamilaroi / Gamilaraay), Kirra Weingarath (Biri / Juru)
In her hands (2019) is a mural created by three Indignenous alumni; Kaytetye and Ammatyerre woman Carmen Glynn-Braun, Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay man Dennis Golding, and Birri-Gubba and Jura woman Kirra…
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Stop 7: Patricia O'Shane Building
Annada Gohain
Annada Gohain was born in the Assam region of India and was the first woman to graduate from UNSW’s School of Chemical Engineering.
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Stop 16: Law & Justice stop
Dr Cassandra Goldie AO
Cassandra has a PhD from UNSW Sydney and a Masters of Law from University College London. She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and serves on the UNSW Law Advisory…
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Stop 1: Medicine & Health stop
Aunty Ali Golding
In 2011, Aunty Ali Golding was appointed inaugural Elder in Residence in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of NSW, supporting the training of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors.
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Stop 1: Medicine & Health stop
Dr Bronwyn Gould AM
Bronwyn graduated from UNSW Medicine in 1976 and received a UNSW Alumni Award for her services to medicine and health in 2015.
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Stop 6: ADA stop
Felicity Greenway (nee Smith)
On May 14, 1996, Felicity Greenway earned her Bachelor of Town Planning from UNSW. Since then, she has played a crucial role in shaping policy and planning within the public sector.
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Stop 14: June Griffith Building
Dr June Griffith
Dr June Griffith, born 6 November 1924, was the first woman to graduate from UNSW.
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Stop 5: Catherine Harris Courtyard
Catherine Harris AO PSM
In 1971, Catherine Harris was the first woman to graduate from UNSW with a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing.
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Stop 3: Banner by Mona Hessing
Banner - Mona Hessing
Mona Hessing (1933–2001) is a celebrated textile artist who was at the forefront of the contemporary craft movement of the 1960s and 1970s, a leading woman artist of her generation.…
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Stop 16: Law & Justice stop
Dr Terri Janke
Dr Janke completed a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws at UNSW in 1995 and was admitted as a solicitor the same year.
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Stop 1: Medicine & Health stop
Dr Bronwyn Jones
Dr Bronwyn Jones, born in Sydney, was a distinguished graduate from the foundation year of UNSW’s Medical School (1960).
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Stop 17: ADFA stop
Marija Jovanovich CSM
Jovanovich joined the RAAF in 2001 and studied at UNSW Canberra at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA), graduating in 2004.
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Stop 7: Patricia O'Shane Building
Diane Jacynthe Kell
On 4 May 1960, Diane became the second woman to graduate with a Bachelor of Architecture from UNSW.
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Stop 8: Eleonora Kopalinsky Lawn
Associate Professor Eleonora Kopalinsky
Associate Professor Eleonora Kopalinsky was the first woman to graduate from Engineering at UNSW.
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Stop 20: Business School stop
Glenda Korporaal OAM
Glenda Korporaal graduated from UNSW with a Bachelor of Commerce in Industrial Relations and also holds a Master of Arts in Economics from George Washington University.
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Stop 22: Arc stop
Sonia Lane
In 1991, Sonia Lane was the First Lesbian Services Officer in the UNSW Student Union.
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Stop 13: Anita B. Lawrence Centre
Associate Professor Anita B. Lawrence
Born 19 January 1930, Anita Lawrence was the University's first woman architecture graduate and the first woman to receive a University Medal.
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Stop 12: Sport stop
Jamieson Leeson
It's not only on the court Jamieson excels. In her academic studies, she is maintaining a Distinction average in her Economics degree at UNSW.
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Stop 23: Paddington stop
Carol Longbottom
Joining the UNSW College of Fine Arts (now UNSW Art & Design) in 1992, Carol taught design theory at UNSW and at two Italian universities, and coordinated Design Thinking programs for university…
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Stop 20: Business School stop
Camilla Love
Camilla holds an MBA (Exec) from AGSM at UNSW Business School and was the recipient of the Michael Page Scholarship for her strategic year in 2010.
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Stop 1: Medicine & Health stop
Emeritus Scientia Professor Eugenie Lumbers
In 1986 Professor Lumbers was awarded a Doctorate in Science at UNSW and a personal Professorial Chair.
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Stop 21: Helen Maguire Lawn
Dr Helen Maguire
Born 28 January 1927, Dr. Helen Maguire was the first woman to graduate from UNSW with a Doctor of Philosophy.
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Stop 18: Science stop
Wendy Maher
Wendy Maher became the first woman to receive a University Blue, UNSW’s highest award for sporting proficiency and sportsmanship.
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Stop 17: ADFA stop
Rear Admiral Wendy Malcolm AM CSM
RADM Wendy Malcolm is a senior Naval and Defence Force leader who is currently Head Patrol Boats & Specialist Ships for the Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment Group.
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Stop 16: Law & Justice stop
The Hon. Chief Justice Lucy McCallum
Chief Justice McCallum studied Arts at UNSW, graduating in 1984 before continuing on to complete a Bachelor of Laws in 1986.
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Stop 17: ADFA stop
Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness, CSC
LTGEN McGuinness graduated from UNSW Canberra with a Bachelor of Arts (Politics and Bahasa Indonesian) in 1996 and a Master of Arts (Strategy and Policy) in 2009. She has served at the ADFA campus as…
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Stop 1: Medicine & Health stop
Dr Danielle McMullen
Dr Danielle McMullen is a General Practitioner and a respected health leader. She is currently the Federal Vice President of the Australian Medical Association (AMA), following her time as President…
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Stop 12: Sport stop
Jessica Miley-Dyer
Jessie received the Ben Lexcen Sports Scholarship to study at UNSW and undertook a Masters in Business at UNSW, graduating in 2016.
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Stop 4: Chancellery stop
Dr Jessica Milner Davis
Dr Jessica Milner graduated from UNSW with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in 1965 and gained her PhD in Comedy in 1972.
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Stop 22: Arc stop
Laura Montague
In 2021 Laura Montague was elected as the Chair of the Arc Board at UNSW, one of the largest student organisations in Australia.
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Stop 4: Chancellery stop
Dr Jane Morrison
Dr Morrison was an elected representative of the academic staff through most of her career at UNSW and was the first woman to be elected President of the Academic Board in 1992.
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Stop 7: Patricia O'Shane Building
Dr Patricia Elizabeth Mutton
Patricia Mutton, born 17 March 1944, was among the first people to graduate from UNSW’s new Faculty of Medicine, and the first woman to do so.
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Stop 7: Patricia O'Shane Building
Vũ Nhị-Thủy
Born in Vietnam, Vũ Nhị-Thủy was the first woman to graduate from UNSW Faculty of Commerce (now UNSW Business School)
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Stop 10: Globe by Bronwyn Oliver
Globe - Bronwyn Oliver
Bronwyn Oliver (1959–2006) is regarded as one of the Australia’s most important sculptors.
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Stop 9: Engineering stop
Robyn Christine Orton (nee Horwood)
Born in Sydney in 1946 and raised in Coonamble, NSW, Robyn Christine Orton (née Horwood) was a pioneering UNSW alumna and highly respected university leader whose association with UNSW spanned more…
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Stop 1: Medicine & Health stop
Margie O’Neill
Margie O’Neill completed a Bachelor of Optometry at UNSW in 1991 and went on to establish Australia’s most successful Aboriginal eye care service, The North Western WA Eyecare Program.
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Stop 7: Patricia O'Shane Building
Former Magistrate Patricia O’Shane AM
Former Magistrate Patricia "Pat" June O'Shane AM is a Kuku Yalanji woman born 19 June 1941 in Mossman, QLD. An activist and trailblazer, O’Shane has a long list of ‘firsts’ to her name.
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Stop 6: ADA stop
Roberta Perkins
Roberta completed an honours thesis at Macquarie University in 1981 which surveyed experiences of drag queens and trans people. Roberta worked at UNSW in the School of Sociology in the 1990s and…
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Stop 17: ADFA stop
Rear Admiral Katherine Richards AM CSC
RADM Katherine Richards was appointed as the Head Navy Engineering in February 2021, the first woman to hold the position. Prior to taking on this role she was the Chief of Staff of the Navy.
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Stop 18: Science stop
Emeritus Professor Pamela Rickard
Born 8 June 1928, Professor Pamela Cornford was the first woman professor in a science faculty at UNSW.
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Stop 22: Arc stop
Roslyn Riordan
Roslyn Riordan was the first woman to be elected president of the UNSW Students’ Union, serving for the year of 1975.
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Stop 19: Esme Timbery Studio
La Perouse: my heart, my soul in saltwater Country - Marilyn Russell
Marilyn Russell, born in 1952 is a Bidjigal artist continuing the tradition of traditional shell work that has been prominent for generations among Aboriginal women from the La Perouse area…
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Stop 6: ADA stop
Kaylie Salvatori
Kaylie completed a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture at UNSW in 2018. She graduated with first class honours and was the recipient of the Harry Howard Prize.
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Stop 2: Gordon and Jacqueline Samuels Building
Dr Jacqueline Samuels & The Hon. Dr Gordon Samuels AC CVO QC
Jacqueline and Gordon Samuels committed much of their time to UNSW, working to build a strong culture and community and are remembered for their lasting contributions to the University.
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Stop 12: Sport stop
Jennifer Saunders
Dr. Jennifer Saunders is an esteemed sports physician specialist. She has played an instrumental role breaking down gender barriers in sport and has been a trailblazer in the advancement of sports…
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Stop 12: Sport stop
Jane Saville
Jane Graduated from UNSW on 15 October 1996 with a Bachelor of Social Science and was inducted into the UNSW Hall of Fame in 2003.
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Stop 20: Business School stop
Dr Dagmar Schmidmaier AM
Dr Dagmar Schmidmaier AM graduated from UNSW Business school in 1985 with a Master of Librarianship (Information Science) and went on to teach in the area for many years, including nine years as a…
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Stop 9: Engineering stop
Rebecca Scott
In October 1992 at age 21, Mining Engineering student Rebecca Scott was named as UNSW's first woman Rhodes Scholar.
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Stop 18: Science stop
Professor Margaret Sheil AO
Born in 1961, Professor Margaret Sheil is a distinguished academic and university administrator.
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Stop 9: Engineering stop
Lee Eng Sim
On 1 May 1969, Lee Eng Sim was the first woman to graduate from UNSW in Electrical Engineering.
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Stop 9: Engineering stop
Maria Skyllas-Kazacos
Maria Skyllas-Kazacos enrolled at UNSW in 1970 and graduated in Industrial Chemistry with First Class Honours and the University Medal in 1974. She completed her PhD in 1978 and in 1978/79. She…
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Stop 11: Merilyn Sleigh Lawn
Emeritus Professor Merilyn Sleigh
Emeritus Professor Merilyn Sleigh, born 23 March 1948, became UNSW’s first woman dean when she was appointed head of the Faculty of Life Sciences in 1997
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Stop 16: Law & Justice stop
The Hon Justice Margaret Stone AO FAAL
Amongst her many achievements, Justice Margaret Stone was a much loved and revered teacher at UNSW Sydney, a partner at Freehill Hollingdale & Page and a judge of the Federal Court of Australia.
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Stop 7: Patricia O'Shane Building
Galina Sugowdz
Galina became the first woman to graduate from UNSW with a master’s degree and the second woman to graduate from the Faculty of Science.
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Stop 19: Esme Timbery Studio
Esme Timbery
Esme Timbery, born in 1931, is a celebrated Bidjigal artist and Elder from the La Perouse Aboriginal community.
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Stop 18: Science stop
Ilse Uhlenhut
On 11 May 1967, Ilse Uhlenhut became the first woman to graduate in Metallurgy from UNSW. Uhlenhut also received a Master of Science from UNSW in 1976 and Master of Commerce in 1980.
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Stop 9: Engineering stop
Narelle Underwood
Narelle completed a Bachelor of Engineering, Surveying & Spatial Information Systems at UNSW, winning the Dean’s Award twice and the University Medal upon graduation.
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Stop 4: Chancellery stop
The Hon Gabrielle Upton
The Hon Gabrielle Upton, born 16 December 1964, is a renowned Australian politician, lawyer and banker who, in 2015, became the first woman to be appointed NSW Attorney General.
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Stop 23: Paddington stop
Lynette Wallworth
Lynette Wallworth, born 1961, is an acclaimed artist and filmmaker, renowned for her capacity to use modern technologies with empathy, innovation and insight.
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Stop 12: Sport stop
Prue Watt OAM
Watt was a recipient of the Ben Lexcen Sports Scholarship and was part of UNSW's elite athlete program, winning Gold while competing for UNSW at the UniSport Nationals in Perth.
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Stop 6: ADA stop
Dr Jennifer Westacott AO
Dr Jennifer Westacott AO has served as Chief Executive of the Business Council of Australia since 2011. She completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in 1982 at UNSW and later received an Honorary…
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Stop 20: Business School stop
Shemara Wikramanayake
As of 2018, Shemara Wikramanayake is the first woman to be the Managing Director and CEO of the global financial services group Macquarie Group and as of 2019 is the highest paid CEO in Australia.
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Stop 23: Paddington stop
Judith Wright
Judith Wright (1915 – 2000) was one of Australia's most prolific poets and a passionate environmentalist and campaigner for Aboriginal land rights. In 1985 Judith Wright became the first woman to…
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Stop 16: Law & Justice stop
The Hon. Justice Dina Yehia SC
Justice Yehia completed a Bachelor of Arts/Law at the University of NSW in 1989 and worked as a solicitor at the Western Aborginal Legal Service for seven years.
Which buildings have been renamed?
| Previous name | New name |
|---|---|
| F10 Chemical Sciences | F10 June Griffith Building |
| H13 Red Centre | H13 Anita B. Lawrence Centre |
| E19 Central Lecture Block | E19 Patricia O’Shane Building |
| Village Green grandstand | Moya Dodd Grandstand |
| Commerce Courtyard | Catherine Harris Courtyard |
| International Square | Eleonora Kopalinsky Lawn |
| Quadrangle Lawn | Helen Maguire Lawn |
| Science Lawn | Merilyn Sleigh Lawn |
| Lecture Theatre G02 inside the CLB | Diane Kell Theatre |
| Lecture Theatre G03 inside the CLB | Judith Bullerwell Theatre |
| Lecture Theatre G04 inside the CLB | Vũ Nhị-Thủy Theatre |
| Lecture Theatre G05 inside the CLB | Clara Patricia Alfonso Theatre |
| Lecture Theatre G06 inside the CLB | Annada Gohain Theatre |
| Lecture Theatre 103 inside the CLB | Helen Barry & Michele G. Blum Theatre |
| Lecture Theatre 104 inside the CLB | Patricia Elizabeth Mutton Theatre |
| Lecture Theatre 105 inside the CLB | Galina Sugowdz Theatre |
| F Block on UNSW’s Paddington campus | Carol Longbottom Building |
Follow the trail
View the Celebrating UNSW Women Trail map.
Photos courtesy UNSW Archives, the selected women and their families.