University Of Queensland Notable Alumni

Discover the notable alumni of University Of Queensland. The list includes people like Robert Forster, Norman Lindsay, Peter C. Doherty, Geoffrey Rush & Peter Cosgrove. This list of notable alumni is loosely sorted by popularity and has people from different domains of life, such as leaders, miscellaneous, film & theater personalities, sportspersons and scientists etc.
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 1 
Geoffrey Rush
(Actor)
Geoffrey Rush
19
Birthdate: July 6, 1951
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Toowoomba, Australia
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 2 
Clive Palmer
(Australian Politician)
Clive Palmer
12
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: March 26, 1954
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Melbourne
United Australia Party leader Clive Palmer was named the eighth-richest Australian in 2020. The billionaire businessman, who owns companies such as Mineralogy, also has several golf courses and resorts in his portfolio. He once declared that he wishes to build a replica of the luxury liner RMS Titanic
 3 
Jack Thompson (Actor)
(Actor)
Jack Thompson (Actor)
1
Birthdate: August 31, 1940
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Manly
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 4 
Terri Irwin
(Naturalist Who is The Owner of Australia Zoo in 'Beerwah, Queensland')
Terri Irwin
34
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: July 20, 1964
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Eugene, Oregon, United States

American–Australian naturalist Terri Irwin is best known as the co-host of The Crocodile Hunter, along with her husband, the late animal expert Steve Irwin. She has also been part of shows such as Croc Files and Crikey! It's the Irwins, and helped in the development of Australia Zoo.

 5 
Bernard Fanning
(Australian Singer-Songwriter and Musician)
Bernard Fanning
0
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: August 15, 1969
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Brisbane, Australia
 Bernard Fanning is an Austrialian musician who was the lead vocalist of Queensland alternative rock band, Powderfinger. Fanning is heavily influenced by musicians such as David Bowie and The Beatles. His album Odyssey no. 5 is one of the highest-selling albums in Australia. Fanning is associated with philanthropic causes and is an advocate for Aboriginal justice in Australia.
 6 
Norman Lindsay
2
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: February 22, 1879
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Creswick, Australia
Died: November 21, 1969

Once accused of being anti-Christian, Australian artist and Art Nouveau veteran Norman Lindsay is remembered for his controversial cartoons and drawings, mostly erotic or politically charged. Some of his works were once burned for being pornographic. He also experimented with sculpture and was an amateur boxer, too.

 7 
John Eales
(Australian Former Rugby Union Player and the Most Successful Captain in the History of Australian Rugby)
John Eales
0
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: June 27, 1970
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Height: 6'7" (201 cm)
 8 
Lis Wiehl
(Author of fiction and nonfiction books, and a legal analyst)
Lis Wiehl
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: August 19, 1961
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Yakima, Washington, United States
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 9 
Storm Keating
(Fashion Designer, Producer, Director)
Storm Keating
1
Birthdate: October 27, 1981
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Childers, Queensland, Australia

Born to a cattleman father, Storm Keating spent her early years on her family farms. Initially a TV producer, she has been part of shows such as The Apprentice Australia and The Voice UK. Now a luxury fashion designer, she also maintains a fashion blog. She is married to singer Ronan Keating.

 10 
Peter C. Doherty
(Scientist, Nobel Prize Winner)
Peter C. Doherty
4
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: October 15, 1940
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Brisbane, Australia

Peter C. Doherty is an Australian veterinary surgeon whose work and research on the immune system earned him the 1996 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. In 1997, he was adjudged Australian of the Year. Over the course of his illustrious career, Doherty has received several other prestigious awards, such as the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research.

 11 
Annastacia Palaszczuk
(39th Premier of Queensland)
Annastacia Palaszczuk
4
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: July 25, 1969
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Durack, Australia
 12 
Johann Olav Koss
(Norwegian Speed Skater)
Johann Olav Koss
1
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: October 29, 1968
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Drammen, Norway

Johann Olav Koss is a Norwegian former speed skater best known for winning three gold medals at the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer. He is also known for winning gold and a silver medal at the 1992 Olympics in Albertville. In 2018, Koss became a member of the Olympians for Life project, which aims at making the world a better place.

 13 
Quentin Bryce
(Teacher, Lawyer)
Quentin Bryce
3
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: December 23, 1942
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Brisbane

Quentin Bryce is an Australian academic and politician. She served as the 25th Governor-General of Australia from 2008 to 2014 and is the first woman to have held the position. She attended the University of Queensland, where she studied law and became one of the first women accepted to the Queensland Bar. Following a legal career, she entered politics. 

 14 
Janet Fielding
(Actor)
Janet Fielding
2
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: September 9, 1953
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Brisbane
 15 
Ken Ham
(Australian Christian Fundamentalist and the Founder & CEO of 'Answers in Genesis', a Christian Apologetics Organization)
Ken Ham
3
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: October 20, 1951
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Cairns Cairns, Queensland, Australia

Ken Ham is an Australian Christian fundamentalist, apologist, and young-Earth creationist. He is the founder of Answers in Genesis (AiG), a Christian apologetics organization. Ham advocates accepting the Book of Genesis creation narrative as a historical fact and has been criticized for his unscientific views. He views homosexuality as a sin and is against same-sex marriage. 

 16 
Bob Katter
(Member of the Australian Parliament for Kennedy since 1993)
Bob Katter
1
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: May 22, 1945
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Cloncurry, Australia
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 17 
Alan Jones
(Former radio broadcaster, Rugby union coaches)
Alan Jones
6
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: April 13, 1941
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Oakey, Queensland, Australia
 18 
David Malouf
(Australian Poet, Novelist, Short Story Writer and Playwright)
David Malouf
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: March 20, 1934
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Brisbane, Australia

David Malouf is an Australian writer widely recognized as one of the country’s greatest writers. He graduated from the University of Queensland and taught for a while. He began writing seriously in the 1970s and became a well-known author within years. He received the Australia Council Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature in 2016. 

 19 
Kate Morton
(writer)
Kate Morton
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 1976 AD
Birthplace: Berri
 20 
Alex Baumann
(Canadian Sports Administrator, Former Competitive Swimmer, and Olympic Gold Medalist)
Alex Baumann
1
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: April 21, 1964
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Prague, Czech Republic
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 21 
Joh Bjelke-Petersen
(Politician)
Joh Bjelke-Petersen
1
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: January 13, 1911
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Dannevirke, New Zealand
Died: April 23, 2005
 22 
Campbell Newman
(38th Premier of Queensland From 2012 to 2015)
Campbell Newman
1
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: August 12, 1963
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Canberra, Australia

Liberal National Party leader and former Premier of Queensland Campbell Newman was born into a family of politicians and senators from Tasmania. After serving the Australian Army for 13 years, he bagged civil engineering and MBA degrees. As the mayor of Brisbane, he was named the world’s fifth-best mayor.

 23 
Bill Hayden
(21st Governor-General of Australia)
Bill Hayden
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: January 23, 1933
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Spring Hill, Queensland, Australia
 24 
Mark McGowan
(30th Premier of Western Australia)
Mark McGowan
3
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: July 13, 1967
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Newcastle, Australia
 25 
Thea Astley
(Novelist)
Thea Astley
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: August 25, 1925
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Queensland, Australia
Died: August 17, 2004
 26 
Wayne Swan
(Politician)
Wayne Swan
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: June 30, 1954
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Nambour
 27 
George Brandis
(Australian Politician and Lawyer)
George Brandis
1
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: June 22, 1957
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Sydney, Australia
 28 
Raymond Dart
(Anatomist & Anthropologist Known for His Involvement in the Discovery of the First Fossil of 'Australopithecus Africanus')
Raymond Dart
0
Birthdate: February 4, 1893
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Brisbane, Australia
Died: November 22, 1988

Born to a farmer in Australia, Raymond Dart initially wished to become a medical missionary to China. However, he was later pushed by his father to study science. He later grew up to be a renowned anatomist and anthropologist, best known for discovering the first fossil of the Australopithecus africanus.

 29 
Robert Newbery
(Former Australian Diver and Olympic Medalist)
Robert Newbery
0
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: January 2, 1979
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Australia
 30 
Wayne Goss
(Politician, Lawyer)
Wayne Goss
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: February 26, 1951
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Mundubbera, Australia
Died: November 10, 2014

Wayne Goss was an Australian politician cum lawyer who served as the  Premier of Queensland from 1989 to 1996. He was a member of the Labour Party. He worked as a solicitor before entering politics and was a key figure in the civil liberties fight against the Bjelke-Petersen Government. He was awarded a Centenary Medal in 2001. 

 31 
Deborah Priya Henry
(Beauty pageant contestant, Model, Socialite)
Deborah Priya Henry
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: July 21, 1985
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 32 
Dane Bird-Smith
(Australian Racewalker and Olympic Medalist)
Dane Bird-Smith
1
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: July 15, 1992
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Kippa-Ring, Australia

Dane Bird-Smith is an Australian race-walking athlete who competes in the 20-kilometer race walk. He set a best of 1:19:28 hours for the distance in 2017. He competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics and won a bronze medal and emerged as the gold medallist at the Commonwealth Games in 2018. His father is David Smith, also an international race-walker. 

 33 
Taneti Maamau
(6th President of Kiribati)
Taneti Maamau
1
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: September 16, 1960
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Onotoa Island, Kiribati
 34 
Peter Slipper
(Farmer)
Peter Slipper
1
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: February 14, 1950
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Ipswich
 35 
Andrew N. Liveris
Andrew N. Liveris
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: May 5, 1954
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Darwin
 36 
Eric Partridge
(New Zealand-British Lexicographer Best Known for His a Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English)
Eric Partridge
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: February 6, 1894
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Waimata Valley, New Zealand
Died: June 1, 1979

Eric Partridge was a New Zealand–British lexicographer whose writing career was interrupted by his service in the Royal Air Force and the Army Education Corps during World War II. Over the course of his literary career, Partridge wrote over 40 books and his papers are archived at institutions like the University of Birmingham and the University of San Francisco.

 37 
Dorothy Hill
(Geologist, Paleontologist)
Dorothy Hill
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: September 10, 1907
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Died: April 23, 1997
 38 
John-Paul Langbroek
(Who has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland)
John-Paul Langbroek
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: January 31, 1961
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Assen, Netherlands
 39 
Ahmed Shaheed
(Politician, Diplomat)
Ahmed Shaheed
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: January 27, 1964
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Maldives
 40 
Fatafehi Tuipelehake
(11th Prime Minister of Tonga)
Fatafehi Tuipelehake
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: January 7, 1922
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Died: April 10, 1999
 41 
Andrew McGahan
(Novelist)
Andrew McGahan
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: October 10, 1966
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Dalby, Queensland, Australia
Died: February 1, 2019
 42 
Alf Howard
(Australian Educator, Scientist, and Explorer)
Alf Howard
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: April 30, 1906
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Camberwell, Australia
Died: July 4, 2010

Alf Howard was an Australian educator, scientist, and explorer. He is best remembered for his expedition to Antarctica on board the RRS Discovery; he served as the hydrologist and chemist aboard the RRS Discovery. At the time of his death in 2010, Alf Howard was the lone surviving member of the expedition.

 43 
Maddison Keeney
(Diver)
Maddison Keeney
2
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: May 23, 1996
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 44 
Hassan Saeed
(Lawyer, Politician)
Hassan Saeed
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 1970 AD
Birthplace: Maldives
 45 
Harry Gibbs
(8th Chief Justice of Australia)
Harry Gibbs
2
Listed In: Lawyers & Judges
Birthdate: February 7, 1917
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Sydney, Australia
Died: June 25, 2005

Harry Gibbs was an Australian judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Australian High Court from 1981 to 1987. Regarded as one of the most influential federalist judges of Australia, Gibbs played an important role in many cases including the famous Koowarta v Bjelke-Petersen. In 2012, the Sir Harry Gibbs Legal Heritage Centre was opened in his honor.

 46 
Micks
(Lifestyle Instagram Star)
Micks
0
Listed In: Instagram Stars
Birthdate: June 26, 1995
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Cape Town, South Africa
 47 
David Theile
(Australian Backstroke Swimmer)
David Theile
1
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: January 17, 1938
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Maryborough, Queensland, Australia

David Theile is an Australian retired backstroke swimmer who won a gold medal each at the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Games. He also won a silver medal at the 1960 Olympic Games. After retiring from competitive swimming, David Theile went on to become a successful surgeon and medical administrator.

 48 
Eva Burrows
(Author)
Eva Burrows
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: September 15, 1929
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Newcastle, Australia
Died: March 20, 2015