Vice-Chancellors
Vice-Chancellor and Principal
Dr Michael Spence, BA LLB Syd DPhil PGDipTheol Oxf
Vice-Chancellor and Principal: 2008 -
Profile / Gallery
Previous Vice-Chancellors
(a) elected by and from Senate, to 1924:
Sir Charles Nicholson Bt (1808 - 1903), University of Sydney Archives.
MD Edin HonDCL Oxf HonLLD Camb
Fellow of Senate: 1850 - 1883
Vice-Chancellor (Vice-Provost): 1851 - 1853
Chancellor (Provost): 1854 - 1862
Profile
The Hon Francis Lewis Shaw Merewether (1811 – 1899), portrait 1878, unknown artist, oil on canvas, commissioned by public subscription, University Art Collection, reproduced with the permission of the University of Sydney.
BA Camb
Fellow of Senate: 1850 - 1875
Vice-Chancellor (Vice-Provost): 1854 - 1862
Chancellor: 1862 - 1865
Profile
The Hon Edward Deas-Thomson KCMG CB (1800 – 1879), University of Sydney Archives.
Fellow of Senate: 1850 - 1879
Vice-Chancellor: 1863 - 1865
Chancellor: 1865 - 1878
Profile
The Hon John Hubert Plunkett (1802 - 1869)
BA Dub
Fellow of Senate: 1850 - 1869
Vice-Chancellor: 1865 - 1869 - Profile
The Rev Canon Robert Allwood (1803 - 1891), portrait by Montagu Scott, 1870s, courtesy of National Library of Australia, nla.pic-an22336687.
BA Camb
Fellow of Senate: 1855 - 1886
Vice-Chancellor: 1869 - 1883
Profile
Sir Justice William Charles Windeyer (1834 - 1897), portrait by Freeman & Co., courtesy of National Library of Australia, nla.pic-an23530049.
LLD MA
Fellow of Senate: 1866 - 1897
Vice-Chancellor: 1883 - 1886
Chancellor: 1895 - 1896
Profile
The Hon Sir Henry Normand MacLaurin (1835 - 1914), University of Sydney Archives.
MA LLD St And MD LLD Edin
Fellow of Senate: 1883 - 1914
Vice-Chancellor: 1887 - 1889, 1895 - 1896
Chancellor: 1896 - 1914
Profile / Gallery
the Hon Sir Arthur Renwick (1837 - 1908), University of Sydney Archives.
MD Edin BA
Fellow of Senate: 1877 - 1908
Vice-Chancellor: 1889 - 1891, 1900 - 1902, 1906 - 1908
Profile
Henry Chamberlaine Russell CMG (1836 - 1907), University of Sydney Archives.
BA, FRS
Fellow of Senate: 1875 - 1907
Vice-Chancellor: 1891 - 1892
Profile
His Honour Judge Alfred Paxton Backhouse (1851 - 1939), University of Sydney Archives.
MA
Fellow of Senate: 1887 - 1939
Vice-Chancellor: 1892 - 1894, 1896 - 1899, 1911 - 1914
Profile
The Hon Mr Justice Archibald Henry Simpson (1843 - 1918)
MA Camb
Fellow of Senate: 1897 - 1915
Vice-Chancellor: 1902 – 1904 - Profile
Sir Philip Sydney Jones (1836 - 1918), portrait by Percy Spence (1868-1933), oil on canvas, commissioned and presented by members of the Medical profession on the occasion of his knighthood 1905, University Art Collection, reproduced with the kind permission of the University of Sydney.
MD Lond
Fellow of Senate: 1887 - 1918
Vice-Chancellor: 1904 - 1906
Profile
The Hon Sir William Portus Cullen KCMG (1855 - 1935), University of Sydney Archives.
MA LLD
Fellow of Senate: 1896 - 1934
Vice-Chancellor: 1909 - 1911
Chancellor: 1914 - 1934
Profile / Gallery
Frank Leverrier KC (1863 - 1940), University of Sydney Archives.
BA BSc
Fellow of Senate: 1907 - 1939
Vice-Chancellor: 1914 - 1917, 1921 - 1923
Profile
Cecil Purser (1862 - 1953), portrait by Jerrold Nathan (1899-1979), oil on canvas, University Art Collection, reproduced with the kind permission of Ms Felicity Brierley and the University of Sydney.
BA MB ChM
Fellow of Senate: 1909 - 1939
Vice-Chancellor: 1917 - 1919, 1923 - 1924
Profile
The Hon Sir David Gilbert Ferguson (1861 - 1941), University of Sydney Archives.
BA
Fellow of Senate: 1913 - 1934
Vice-Chancellor: 1919 - 1921
Profile
(b) appointed by Senate, from 1924:
Professor Sir Mungo William MacCallum KCMG (1854 - 1942), University of Sydney Archives.
MA Glas DLitt Oxf LLD
Vice-Chancellor: 1924 - 1928
Deputy Chancellor: 1928 - 1934
Chancellor: 1934 - 1936
Profile / Gallery
Sir Robert Strachan Wallace (1882 - 1961), portrait by Falk Studios, c1933, courtesy of National Library of Australia, nla.pic-an23594730.
MA Aberd LLD
Vice-Chancellor: 1928 - 1947
Profile / Gallery
Emeritus Professor Sir Stephen Henry Roberts CMG (1901 - 1971), University of Sydney Archives.
MA LittD Melb DSc(Econ) Lond HonLLD Brist, Br Col&McG HonDCL Durh HonDLitt UNE
Vice-Chancellor and Principal: 1947 - 1967
(the title was changed from Vice-Chancellor to Vice-Chancellor and Principal in 1955)
Profile / Gallery
Professor Sir Bruce Rodda Williams KBE (1919 - ), University of Sydney Archives.
BA Melb MA Adel MA(Econ) Manc HonDLitt Keele HonLLD Melb HonDEcon Qld, FASSA
Fellow of Senate: 1967 - 1981, 1994 - 1997
Vice-Chancellor and Principal: 1967 - 1981
Profile
Professor John Manning Ward AO (1919 - 1990), University of Sydney Archives.
MA LLB, FAHA FASSA FRAHS
Fellow of Senate: 1974 - 1977, 1981 - 1990
Vice-Chancellor and Principal: 1981 - 1990
Profile
Professor Donald McNicol (1939 - ), University of Sydney Archives.
BA Adel PhD Camb
Vice-Chancellor and Principal: 1990 - 1996
Profile
Professor Derek John Anderson (1935 - ), University of Sydney Archives.
BSc Nott PhD Wales, FLS
Vice-Chancellor and Principal: 1996
Profile
Professor Gavin Brown AO (1942 - )
MA StAnd PhD Newcastle(UK) HonLLD StAnd & Dundee, FAA
Vice-Chancellor and Principal: 1996 - 2008
Profile / Gallery