28 Notable alumni of University of Newcastle
Updated: June 22, 2026 EliteDegrees
University of Newcastle is ranked #410 in the world and #19 in Australia by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 28 notable alumni from University of Newcastle sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with University of Newcastle won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Jill Hall
1949-. (aged 77)
politician
Jill Griffiths Hall is an Australian former politician who served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives, from 1998 until 2016, representing the seat of Shortland, New South Wales for the Labor Party. She is aligned with the ALP's Socialist Left faction.
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2. Pete Hawkes
1965-. (aged 61)
composer
Pete Hawkes is an Australian composer, poet, musician and luthier. There are over 50 recordings by Hawkes, covering a wide range of genres. He has collaborated with Bert Jansch, Joe Cocker, Phil Emmanuel, Steeleye Span and Dave Swarbrick.
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3. Elizabeth Wright
1979-. (aged 47)
Paralympic athlete
ambassador
philosopher
swimmer
Elizabeth Wright is an Australian Paralympic swimmer who won one bronze at the 1996 Summer Paralympics and a bronze and silver at the 2000 Summer Paralympics. She also has a Master of Philosophy in fine arts (photography).
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4. Jiri Lev
1979-. (aged 47)
architect
Jiri Lev is an Australian architect and urbanist, active in residential, sacred, and public architecture, disaster recovery and humanitarian development.
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5. Patricia Forsythe
1952-. (aged 74)
diplomat
politician
school teacher
Patricia Forsythe AM is an Australian politician and diplomat who was the Australian High Commissioner to New Zealand from March 2019 to March 2022. As of 2024, she is Chancellor at the University of Newcastle. She was previously the Executive Director of the Sydney Business Chamber since September 2006. Prior to her appointment to the Chamber, she was a member...
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6. Sonia Hornery
1961-. (aged 65)
teacher
politician
Sonia Kathleen Hornery is an Australian politician representing the seat of Wallsend in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for the Labor Party. She has been in Parliament since 24 March 2007 and was elected as Deputy Speaker in May 2023.
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7. Joyce Quin, Baroness Quin
1944-. (aged 82)
politician
Joyce Gwendolen Quin, Baroness Quin, PC, is a British Labour Party politician. She was a member of the European Parliament from 1979 to 1989, and served as the member of Parliament (MP) for Gateshead East and Washington West and for its predecessor Gateshead East from 1987 to 2005. Quin was appointed a life peer in 2006 and sat in the...
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8. Martin Geoffrey Low
1950-2013 (aged 63)
scientist
Martin Low FRS was a molecular cell biologist who discovered GPI (glycosylphosphatidylinositol) membrane anchors in eukaryotic cells. Low grew up in Southport, Lancashire, a seaside resort in northwest England.
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9. Stephen Skinner
1948-. (aged 78)
writer
Stephen Skinner is an Australian writer, editor, publisher and lecturer. He is known for authoring books on magic, feng shui, sacred geometry and alchemy. He has published more than 46 books in more than 20 languages.
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10. Clayton Barr
politician
Clayton Gordon Barr is an Australian politician who was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the member for Cessnock for the Labor Party at the 2011 state election. Before entering parliament he had a career as a secondary education teacher and an employee of the children's cancer charity Canteen, and worked in local government administration.
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11. Russell Blackford
1954-. (aged 72)
researcher
science fiction writer
philosopher
Russell Blackford is an Australian writer, philosopher, and literary critic.
12. Taylor Martin
politician
Taylor Mitchell Martin is an Australian independent politician. He is a former Liberal member of the New South Wales Legislative Council, being first appointed as a Liberal MLC on 3 May 2017, re-elected at the 2019 New South Wales state election, before being expelled from the party in April 2024 over allegations of bullying and abuse.
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13. Meryl Swanson
1970-. (aged 56)
radio personality
politician
Meryl Jane Swanson is an Australian politician and former radio presenter. She is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and has represented the Division of Paterson in the Australian House of Representatives since the 2016 federal election.
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14. Luke Hartsuyker
1959-. (aged 67)
accountant
entrepreneur
politician
Luke Hartsuyker is a former Australian politician who was a member of the House of Representatives from 2001 to 2019, representing the Division of Cowper in New South Wales for the National Party. He served as a government minister in the Turnbull government and an assistant minister in the Abbott government. In August 2018, he announced he would retire from...
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15. Fiona Phillips
1961-. (aged 65)
journalist
television presenter
Fiona Evon Phillips is an Australian politician who has been the Labor member for Gilmore in the House of Representatives since the 2019 Australian federal election.
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16. Maree Lowes
1987-. (aged 39)
actor
film director
Maree Lowes is an Australian actress. She is best known for appearing as "dirtgirl" in the multi-award-winning children's TV show dirtgirlworld and Get Grubby TV.
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17. Matthew Raggett
1973-. (aged 53)
Matthew Jonathan Raggett is a British educator, writer and the former Headmaster of The Doon School, the all-boys boarding school in Dehradun, India. He succeeded Peter McLaughlin in 2016, becoming the tenth headmaster of the school. Raggett left Doon in January 2020 and returned to Germany. He was the fourth Englishman in Doon's history to head the school and was...
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18. Liesl Tesch
1969-. (aged 57)
sailor
basketball player
politician
Liesl Dorothy Tesch AM is an Australian wheelchair basketball player, sailor, and politician. She is a Labor Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, representing Gosford since the 2017 Gosford state by-election.
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19. Gary Quinlan
1951-. (aged 75)
diplomat
Gary Francis Quinlan AO is an Australian diplomat and public servant, who served as the Australian Ambassador to Indonesia from 2018 to 2021. He has previously served as High Commissioner to Singapore and as the Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations, including two terms as President of the United Nations Security Council.
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20. Glenn Albrecht
1953-. (aged 73)
university teacher
philosopher
environmentalist
Glenn A. Albrecht, born in 1953, was Professor of Sustainability at Murdoch University in Western Australia until his retirement in 2014. He is an honorary fellow in the School of Geosciences of the University of Sydney.
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21. Steve Abbott
1956-. (aged 70)
actor
television actor
writer
Stephen Abbott is an Australian comedian and author, also known under the comedic moniker of The Sandman or occasionally Sandy.
22. Mikey Robins
1961-. (aged 65)
writer
Mikel Mason "Mikey" Robins is an Australian media personality, comedian and writer. He is best known for the satirical game show Good News Week, which ran on the ABC and Network Ten between 1996 and 2000, and returned again when the series was resurrected in February 2008.
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23. Yohana Yembise
1958-. (aged 68)
civil servant
Yohana Susana Yembise is an Indonesian academic and politician who served as Minister of Women Empowerment and Child Protection in Joko Widodo's Working Cabinet from 2014 to 2019.
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24. Geraldine Doogue
1952-. (aged 74)
television presenter
radio personality
journalist
Geraldine Frances Doogue AO is an Australian journalist and radio and television presenter, known for her work with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Since January 2024, she has been co-host of ABC Radio National's Global Roaming current affairs programme.
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25. Jeremy Lindsay Taylor
1973-. (aged 53)
film actor
actor
television actor
Jeremy Lindsay Taylor is an Australian actor.
26. Khaw Boon Wan
1952-. (aged 74)
politician
Khaw Boon Wan is a Malaysian-born Singaporean former politician who served as Minister for Transport between 2015 and 2020, Minister for National Development between 2011 and 2015, and Minister for Health between 2003 and 2011. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Moulmein division of Tanjong Pagar Group Representation...
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27. Arthur Sinodinos
1957-. (aged 69)
investment banker
politician
Arthur Sinodinos AO is an Australian diplomat and former Liberal Party politician, who was the Ambassador to the United States between February 2020 and March 2023. He served as Chief of Staff to Prime Minister John Howard from 1997 to 2007 and was a Senator for New South Wales from 2011 to 2019, becoming a minister in the Abbott and...
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28. Susie Porter
1971-. (aged 55)
television actor
stage actor
actor
film actor
Susie Porter is an Australian television, film and theatre actress. She made her debut in the 1996 film Idiot Box, before rising to prominence in films including Paradise Road (1997), Welcome to Woop Woop (1997), Two Hands (1999), Better Than Sex (2000), The Monkey's Mask (2000), Mullet (2001), Teesh and Trude (2002), and The Caterpillar Wish (2006). Porter is also...
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