Former Bond University Chancellor Elizabeth Nosworthy AO will today be presented with a prestigious honorary doctorate from the University of Queensland. She will receive a Doctor of the Laws honoris causa in recognition of her distinguished career and contribution to the community.
Ms Nosworthy served as Chancellor of Bond University during 1991 and 1992 and is believed to be the first woman to achieve such a high office at a Queensland university.
Current Bond University Chancellor Mr Trevor C Rowe AM congratulated Ms Nosworthy on her achievement, saying the honorary Doctorate reflected not only her successful professional career, but also her significant contribution to the broader community and the tertiary education sector.
“Her early involvement as the first female Chancellor of a university in Queensland helped steer Bond University to the excellent position we enjoy today of being recognised as one of the top three Australian universities, in the company of the University of New South Wales and University of Melbourne,“ Mr Rowe said.
Ms Nosworthy was a commercial lawyer for more than two decades and the first woman President of the Queensland Law Society (QLS) (1986–87) before becoming a full-time, non-executive company director. She currently holds 10 positions with commercial, government and charitable bodies and has served on almost 30 additional boards and councils.
She chairs Commander Communications Limited and the Queensland Water Commission and is a Deputy Chair of Babcock and Brown Limited and the Clean Coal Technology Board.
She is a Director of Ventracor Limited; GPT Group; PF Limited; and the Endeavour Foundation.
Ms Nosworthy carved out a distinguished legal career with highlights including partnerships with leading Brisbane law firms (including her own), and inclusion in The Bulletin magazine's 1989 list of the 50 Best and Brightest Lawyers.
She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and in 2001, won the Institute's (Queensland) Gold Medal for an Outstanding Director. Other honours include a Centenary Medal (2003) for service to Australian society in business leadership and the QLS President's Award (2003) for a personal outstanding contribution to the advancement of law and justice.