This is a list of University of Sydney people, including notable alumni and staff.
Alumni Academia Dennis A. Ahlburg – former president of Trinity University; dean of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado at Boulder and Professor of Human Resources at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota Brian Anderson – former president of the Australian Academy of Science; emeritus Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Australian National University Elizabeth Bannan – educationist; fellow of the Australian College of Education Max Brennan – former Chief Scientist of South Australia Brian L. Byrne – social scientist known for research in psycholinguistics; emeritus Professor of Psychology at the University of New England Leonie Byrnes – educator and school inspector Jill Ker Conway – former vice-president of the University of Toronto and President of Smith College; Visiting professor in MIT's program in Science, Technology, and Society; Chairman of Lendlease; director of Nike, Merrill Lynch, and Colgate-Palmolive Beverly Derewianka – Emeritus Professor of Linguistics at the University of Wollongong Theodore Thomson Flynn – professor of marine biology and zoology at the University of Tasmania and Queen's University of Belfast, Chair of Zoology at Queen's University of Belfast, director of the marine station at Portaferry, father of actor Errol Flynn Margaret Gardner – Governor of Victoria, Vice-Chancellor of Monash University, President and Vice-Chancellor of RMIT University Michael Halliday – creator of the systemic functional grammar, an internationally influential grammar model Jenny Hammond – linguist known for research on literacy development Frank Lancaster Jones – sociologist known for research on social inequality, social stratification, social mobility, and national identity Sir Robert Madgwick – first Vice-Chancellor of the University of New England; former chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Commission; Director of the Australian Army Education Service during World War II Robert May, Baron May of Oxford – former president of the Royal Society; Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government Carmel O'Shannessy – linguistics professor at the Australian National University Jim Peacock – former president of Australian Academy of Science Michael Pitman – former chief scientist of Australia Ken Robinson – former head of the Department of Computer Science at the University of New South Wales Nicholas Saunders – former vice-chancellor of the University of Newcastle and former dean of medicine at Monash University and Flinders University Catherine Drummond Smith – one of first two female geologists hired by University of Sydney as demonstrators Michael Spence – president and provost of the University College London and former vice-chancellor and Principal of the University of Sydney Sir Brian Windeyer – former dean of the Middlesex Hospital Medical School at the University of London and former vice-chancellor of the University of London"Who Was Who 1991–95" page 604 Nicki Packer – Distinguished Professor of Glycoproteomics at Macquarie University
Architecture
Andrew Andersons John Andrews Arthur Baldwinson Marion Hall Best Louise Cox Philip Cox Eleanor Cullis-Hill Neville Gruzman Peter Kollar Richard Leplastrier Andrea Nield Paul Pholeros Penelope Seidler Alexander Tzannes Leslie Wilkinson Ken Woolley
Business
Matt Barrie – CEO of Freelancer.com David S. Clarke – former Chairman of Macquarie Group Cameron Clyne – former CEO of National Australia Bank Matt Comyn – CEO of Commonwealth Bank James Curran – former CEO of Grok Academy Robyn Denholm – Chairwoman of Tesla John Grill – Chairman of WorleyParsons Angus Harris – Co-CEO of Harris Farm Markets David Higgins – Chairman of United Utilities Group Fred Hilmer – former director and Deputy Chairman of Westfield Group Michael Hintze, Baron Hintze – founder and Executive Chairman of CQS Ryan Junee – founder and CEO of Omnisio and Inporia Jeni Klugman – former director of the Human Development Report Office, United Nations Development Programme Jim Millner – former chairman of Soul Patts Allan Moss – former Managing Director/CEO of Macquarie Group John Mulcahy – former CEO of Suncorp-Metway Michael Patsalos-Fox – Chairman of McKinsey & Company in America Mark Scott – former CEO of Australian Broadcasting Corporation Glenn Stevens – former Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia Matt Sweeny – CEO and co-founder of Flirtey, inventor Tom Waterhouse – former CEO of William Hill Australia Sir James Wolfensohn – former President of the World Bank
Community activism Eva Maria Cox Germaine Greer Noel Pearson Charles Perkins
Government
Royalty Sikhanyiso Dlamini – Princess of Swaziland Taufa'ahau Tupou IV – King of Tonga Princess Ingrid Alexandra – Princess of Norway
Governors-General of Australia Sir William Deane Sir John Kerr
State governors and Territory Administrators Dame Marie Bashir (NSW) Richard Butler (Tas) Peter Coleman (NF) Sir Roden Cutler (NSW) Tom Pauling (NT) Sir James Plimsoll (Tas) Sir James Rowland (NSW)
Politicians Prime ministers of Australia Tony Abbott Anthony Albanese Sir Edmund Barton John Howard Sir William McMahon Sir Earle Page Malcolm Turnbull Gough Whitlam
Premiers of New South Wales Mike Baird Gladys Berejiklian Sir Thomas Bavin Sir Joseph Carruthers John Fahey Sir George Fuller Nick Greiner Morris Iemma James McGirr Dominic Perrottet Nathan Rees Sir Eric Willis Neville Wran
Federal politicians Ash Ambihaipahar John Anderson Sir Garfield Barwick Lionel Bowen Sir Nigel Bowen Sir Percy Spender Kerry Bartlett Chris Bowen Bob Brown Ross Cameron Peter Coleman Craig Emerson Laurie Ferguson Martin Ferguson Carina Garland Jennie George Joe Hockey Tom Hughes Ros Kelly Peter King Andrew Laming Mark Latham Robert McClelland Daryl Melham Tsebin Tchen Danna Vale Andrew Charlton Angus Taylor Tanya Plibersek Peter Garrett Robert McClelland
Australian state and territory politicians Clare Martin (NT) George Thorn (QLD) Max Willis (NSW)
International politicians Natalie Bennett, Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle – former leader of the Green Party of England and Wales H. V. Evatt – 3rd President of the United Nations General Assembly Trixie Gardner, Baroness Gardner of Parkes – member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom John Horgan – 36th Canadian Premier of British Columbia Martin Indyk – former United States Ambassador to Israel Dave Sharma – former Australia Ambassador to Israel Alvin Tan – Minister of State of Singapore Teh Cheang Wan – former Minister of National Development of Singapore Catherine West – member of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom Akhilesh Yadav – 20th Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh of India Roderick Yong – 7th Secretary-General of ASEAN
Lord mayors of the City of Sydney Sir Emmet McDermott Nelson Meers Clover Moore Frank Sartor Lucy Turnbull
Public servants Tony Cole – 13th Secretary of the Department of the Treasury Michael Cranston — former deputy commissioner of the Australian Taxation Office Philip Flood – 5th Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Neil McInnes – intellectual, journalist and senior public servant Ewart Smith – campaigner against the Australia Card
Humanities Arts John Bell – actor, theatre director and theatre impresario Bruce Beresford – film director Anne Boyd – composer, first Australian and first woman appointed Professor of Music at the University of Sydney Rose Byrne – actress Jane Campion – New Zealand director, producer, and screenwriter Alex Cubis – actor Somaratne Dissanayake – Sri Lankan film director, screenwriter and producer Christopher Doyle – cinematographer Sandy Edwards – photographer Jacqueline Fernandez – Bahraini–Sri Lankan actress and model who predominantly works in Bollywood, Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2006 Charles Firth – comedian John Flaus – broadcaster, actor, voice talent, anarchist, poet and raconteur Ania Freer – documentary filmmaker Andrew Hansen – comedian and musician Michael Hannan – composer, pianist, and musicologist Tom Gleeson – comedian, radio and television presenter May Hollinworth – theatre producer and director Yvonne Kenny – soprano Chas Licciardello – comedian Dolph Lundgren – Swedish actor, filmmaker, and martial artist Julian Morrow – comedian and television producer Craig Reucassel – comedian, radio and television presenter Dame Joan Sutherland – dramatic coloratura soprano Chris Taylor – comedian Huỳnh Trần Ý Nhi – Vietnamese model, Miss World Vietnam 2023 Peter Weir – film director Kip Williams – director of the Sydney Theatre Company Georgina Wilson – Filipino-British model, actress Roger Woodward – pianist, composer, conductor Whitney Duan – artist
History Alan Atkinson Carl Bridge Sir Christopher Clark Peter Loveday (historian) Anne Philomena O'Brien John Manning Ward
Journalism Phillip Adams Bob Ellis Elizabeth Fell Eliza Harvey Robert Hughes Clive James Paul Kelly Ray Martin Richard McGregor Jessica Rowe Lillian Roxon Adam Spencer Avani Dias
Literature, writing and poetry Millicent Armstrong Nikos Athanasou Clive Stephen Barry Dora Birtles Christopher Brennan Geraldine Brooks – winner of the Pulitzer Prize (2006) Dymphna Cusack Brook Emery — poet, educator Germaine Greer Kate Grenville A. D. Hope Geoffrey Lehmann Dominic Knight Niall Lucy Jeni Mawter Les Murray Jennifer Rowe James Roy Margaret Clunies Ross Pierre Ryckmans (Simon Leys) Kimberley Starr
Philosophy David Malet Armstrong Stephen Hetherington Peter Godfrey-Smith J. L. Mackie John Passmore Wesley Wildman
Law
Sir Robert Garran Sir Edmund Barton Sir Garfield Barwick Tom Bathurst Virginia Bell Sir Maurice Byers Susan Crennan Sir William Portus Cullen Sir William Deane H. V. Evatt Mary Gaudron Murray Gleeson Sir Samuel Griffith William Gummow Sir Leslie Herron Dyson Heydon Sir Kenneth Jacobs Sir Lawrence Jackson Sir Frederick Jordan Sir John Kerr Michael Kirby Sir Frank Kitto Hugh Macrossan Sir Alan Mansfield Sir Anthony Mason Michael McHugh Sir Edward McTiernan Lionel Murphy Richard O'Connor Albert Piddington Sir George Rich Sir Percy Spender James Spigelman Sir Kenneth Whistler Street Sir Laurence Whistler Street Sir Philip Whistler Street Sir Alan Taylor Sir Cyril Walsh Sir Dudley Williams Sir Victor Windeyer
Other legal professionals Hugh Atkin – lawyer, former Tipstaff at the Supreme Court of New South Wales John Davies – Judge of the United States District Court Marcus Einfeld – Judge of the Federal Court of Australia Geoffrey Robertson – international human rights lawyer Charles Waterstreet – criminal defence lawyer, writer and producer
Military
Lieutenant General Sir Frank Berryman – Deputy Chief of the General Staff Major-General John BroadbentObituary in Sydney Morning Herald 16 November 2006 Major-General Paul Brereton – Head of the Cadet, Reserve and Employer Support Division Lieutenant General Sir Mervyn Brogan – Chief of the General Staff Brigadier Sir Frederick Oliver Chilton Roden Cutler Major-General Sir Ivan Dougherty Major-General W B "Digger" James – Director-General of Army Medical Services Lieutenant General Sir Carl Jess – Director-General of Repatriation Captain Gordon Grimsley KingObituary in Sydney Morning Herald of 15 July 2010 Lieutenant General James Legge – Chief of the General Staff Percy Storkey Major General Mervyn Tan – Chief of Air Force of the Republic of Singapore Air Force Major-General Sir Victor Windeyer
Religious leaders
Leo Ash – Bishop of Rockhampton Neville Chynoweth – Bishop of Gippsland Geoffrey Cranswick – Bishop of Tasmania George Cranswick – Bishop of Gippsland