The Archbishop of Perth will receive an honorary Doctor of Letters at a University of Queensland graduation ceremony tonight, Monday, August 19.
The Most Reverend Dr Peter Frederick Carnley, AO, will be recognised as a distinguished scholar and author, a champion of social justice and a force for a tolerant and united Australia.
He will be guest speaker at the ceremony for graduands from the Faculties of Arts, and Social and Behavioural Sciences, to be held at 6pm in Mayne Hall, St Lucia.
The graduation ceremony is the first of three ceremonies being held this week, with another two ceremonies on Thursday, August 22 at 6pm and 8.15pm.
Dr Carnley become Archbishop of Perth in 1981 when he was just 43 years old, and in 2000 was elected Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia.
He ordained the first women to the priesthood in this country and as a special friend to the Ngarinyin people in Western Australia’s Kimberley region, he staunchly supports Aboriginal causes, including land rights, while advocating reconciliation in Australia.
In 1972, he spent a year as Resident Fellow at St John’s College, Cambridge before accepting University of Queensland posts as Warden of St John’s College and as a lecturer in Studies in Religion until 1981.
Student valedictorian at the ceremony will be Grant Neilson (telephone 07 3261 4139, mobile 0407 731 372), who will graduate with a Bachelor of Education (Graduate Entry).
Mr Neilson already holds a Bachelor of Science degree from UQ, graduating in 1996. While at the University, Mr Neilson received a Dean’s Commendation for High Achievement three times (in first semester 1996, second semester 2001 and first semester 2002).
Other graduands of note include Angela Bryan (telephone 07 5485 3590), who will graduate with a PhD in psychology. She is the daughter of the first UQ Doctor of Science graduate.
Ms Bryan began her PhD in 1994 and already holds a Bachelor of Arts with first-class honours from UQ (1986).
Media: For further information, contact UQ Graduations Officer Peter Brady (telephone 07 3365 9194) or Joanne van Zeeland at UQ Communications (telephone 07 3365 2619 or email: communications@uq.edu.au).
