June 5, 2014

UOW congratulates next Governor of NSW

University of Wollongong Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Wellings today warmly congratulated the Chief of the Australian Defence Force, General David Hurley, on being named the next NSW Governor.

Wollongong-born General Hurley will succeed current Governor her Excellency Professor The Honourable Marie Bashir in the oldest public office in Australia.

Last December UOW awarded General Hurley with an Honorary Doctorate of Letters degree acknowledging his outstanding career in service of his country.

“We are delighted that General Hurley has been appointed to such an important role,” Professor Wellings said. “He is an outstanding Australian who has made a major contribution to the nation in his military career, and I am sure he will be an outstanding Governor of NSW.”

Professor Wellings said UOW had awarded General Hurley with the Honorary Doctorate as he was “an outstanding son of Wollongong who had served his country with distinction”.

General Hurley will continue a tradition of NSW Governors who have Honorary degrees from UOW.

In 1985 the University celebrated 10 years as an autonomous institution by conferring an Honorary Doctorate of Letters on the State’s longest-serving Governor Sir Roden Cutler VC, who had been Governor when UOW gained its independence, to recognise his support and guidance in its early years.

In 2007 UOW conferred an Honorary Doctorate of Science on Professor Bashir to recognise her distinguished career in medicine and medical education, when she visited the University to officially welcome the first cohort of students to UOW’s Graduate Medical School.

General Hurley, 61, graduated from the Royal Military College at Duntroon in 1975 and was swiftly promoted through the force's ranks, becoming Chief of Defence in 2011.

In 2010 he became a Companion of the Order of Australia for eminent service to the defence force. He has also been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for service in Somalia during Operation SOLACE and the United States’ Commander of the Legion of Merit in 2012.

General Hurley will step down from the Defence Force in July and take on his new role when Professor Bashir steps down on 1 October after 12 years in the role.

Media contact:  Nick Hartgerink on +61 418 424 085