The Bryce Scholarship - Dame Quentin Alice Louise Bryce AD CVO (1965)
Dame Quentin Bryce (née Strachan) is a graduate and former member of the academic staff of the Law School, who served as Governor of Queensland (2003-08) and Governor-General of Australia (2008-14).
Quentin Strachan was born in Brisbane in 1942. She spent her early childhood in the family home at Ilfracombe – a small town near Longreach in western Queensland. She received her secondary education as a boarder at Moreton Bay College in Brisbane, then commenced tertiary studies at the University of Queensland on a Commonwealth Scholarship. She graduated with Bachelor of Arts (1962) and Bachelor of Laws (1965) degrees. In 1965, she was admitted to the Queensland Bar.
In 1964, she married Michael Bryce, a recent graduate in architecture from the University. They have five children and 12 grandchildren. Sadly, Michael died in January 2021. In 1968, she became the first woman to be appointed to the academic staff of the Law School (1968-83). During this period, she was joined on the staff of the Law School by Margaret White (later Justice White AO) and Patsy Wolfe (later Chief Judge Wolfe AO of the District Court).
In 1984, Dame Quentin left the University to take up an appointment as Director of the Women’s Information Service, Office for the Status of Women, Federal Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. In 1987, she became the Queensland Director of the Commonwealth Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission, then commenced a five-year term as the Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Commissioner (1988- 93). After her term as the founding Chair and Chief Executive Officer of the National Childcare Accreditation Council (1993- 96), she served for six years as Principal of The Women’s College, University of Sydney (1997-2003).
In 2003, she returned to Queensland to be sworn in as Governor – becoming the second woman to serve in this role. In 2008, she was appointed Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia – becoming the first woman to serve in this role.
Her service to the Australian community has been honoured on many occasions, including by appointment as a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (2011) and as a Dame of the Order of Australia (2014). She was awarded a Doctorate of Laws honoris causa by the University in 2006 and has received similar honours from many other universities.
Bryce Scholarship Recipients
2021 Consolatta Uwimana