July 24, 2015

Ita Buttrose recipient of honorary doctorate degree

Legendary media editor, businesswoman and former Australian of the Year receives honorary doctorate.  

Ita Buttrose, AO, OBE, is a legendary media editor, businesswoman, best-selling author, committed community contributor and 2013 Australian of the Year.

Now she can add the title of Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) to her list of achievements following the conferral of the doctorate at a graduation ceremony held today at UOW (24 July). 

Ms Buttrose (pictured above and below with UOW Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Wellings) was the youngest ever editor of the Australian Women’s Weekly, founding editor of Cleo magazine, the first woman to ever edit a major metropolitan newspaper in Australia as Editor-in-Chief of the Sydney Daily and Sunday Telegraphs and the first woman director of News Limited.

Ita is the current National Ambassador of Alzheimer’s Australia, having served as National President from 2011-2014, Patron of the Macular Disease Foundation, and Emeritus Director of Arthritis Australia.

She received an AO for her services to the community, particularly in the field of public health education when she spearheaded Australia’s HIV/AIDS Education Program, an OBE for her services to journalism, and a Centenary Medal for business leadership.

Ita’s advocacy and significant contribution to mental health and ageing in Australia were recognised in the conferral of this award. The ceremony was told that Ita has shone a spotlight on our most vulnerable citizens.

In her Occasional Address to the graduation ceremony, Ita told graduates they must remember they can achieve anything – “you can be a person who can make a difference”.

She spoke of her ‘two’ careers of journalism and her contributions to community health and well-being. 

Ita told graduates that giving back to the community is just so important which was something drummed into her as a young child.