Our patrons

Phillip Adams AO, broadcaster; writer
Dennis Altman AM, Professor of Politics, Latrobe University
Kate Atkinson, actor; cofounder of Actors for Refugees
Ian Barker QC, former President, NSW Bar Association
Prof. Peter Baume AO, former Senator and Federal Minister
Julian Burnside, AO, QC, barrister; author; human rights activist
Sharan Burrow, former President, Australian Council of Trade Unions
Charles Caldas, music producer; CEO, Merlin; former CEO, Shock Records
Mike Carlton, broadcaster; writer
Bridie Carter, actor
Fred Chaney AO, Director, Reconciliation Australia; former Federal Minister, Senator and MP for the Liberal Party
Ian Chappell, author and sports journalist; former Captain, Australian Cricket Team
Ric Charlesworth AM, Australian hockey coach; former Australian hockey player; former cricketer for WA; former MP for Perth
Santo Cilauro, actor
John Coombs, former Head of Maritime Union
Rev. Tim Costello AO, CEO, World Vision Australia; a founding Director of the Australian Centre for Social Innovation
Mike Coward, writer; cricket commentator
Nicholas Cowdery AM,QC, NSW Director of Public Prosecutions; former President, International Association of Prosecutors
Eva Cox AO, Program Director, Social Inquiry, University of Technology Sydney
Rev. Bill Crews AM, founder, Exodus Foundation; Humanitarian of the Year, 1992
Dr Mary Crock, Professor of Law, University of Sydney
Hanifa Deen, award-winning author; Senior Research Fellow (Monash University)
Patrick Dodson, 2008 Sydney Peace Prize recipient; Chair, Kimberley Development Commission; Chair, the Lingiari Foundation; former Chair, Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation; former Commissioner into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
John Dowd AO, QC, The Hon., Vice-President, International Commission of Jurists; President, Austcare; former NSW Attorney-General and State Opposition leader; former Justice of NSW Supreme Court.
Kate Durham, artist; filmmaker; human rights activist; founding member of Spare Rooms for Refugees
Elizabeth Evatt AC, former Chief Judge, Family Court of Aust.; former Aust. Human Rights Commissioner; former member, UN Human Rights Committee; former President, Aust. Law Reform Commission; former Commissioner, Intl Committee of Jurists
Mem Fox AM, children's author; former Associate Professor at Flinders University
Malcolm Fraser AC CH, former Prime Minister of Australia; founder, CARE Australia
Carrillo Gantner AO, President, Sydney Myer Fund; Chair, Asialink; Chair, Victorian Arts Centre
Alice Garner, actor; co-founder of Actors for Refugees
The Most Reverend Ian George AO, Anglican Bishop of Adelaide
John Gibson, barrister; President, Refugee Council of Australia
Nick Greiner, AC, former Premier of NSW
John Hewson, AM, former leader of the Federal Liberal Party of Australia
Michael Hill, lawyer
Lillian Holt, University of Melbourne Fellow
Barry Jones AO, academic and author; Co-Chair, 1998 Australian Constitutional Convention; former Federal Minister and MP for the ALP
Renata Kaldor AO, former Deputy Chancellor, The University of Sydney
Claudia Karvan, actor
Bill Kelty, AC, former ACTU Secretary (1983-2000); AFL Commissioner
Julia King, Board of Directors member, Fairfax
Tom Long, actor
Ian Lowe AO, President, Australian Conservation Foundation; Professor (Griffith Uni, Sunshine Coast Uni); 1988 Humanist of the Year
Tuong-Quang Luu AO, Board of Directors, Austcare; former Head of SBS Radio (1989-2006); Australian Achiever of the Year, 2002
Hugh Mackay, social researcher and commentator
Ian Macphee AO, former Immigration Minister; former ABC board director
Robert Manne, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, Latrobe University; author
Garry McDonald AO, actor; comedian
Br R Julian McDonald CFC AO, Chancellor, Australian Catholic University
Hilary McPhee AO, author; Vice-Chancellor's Fellow, Univeristy of Melbourne; former Chair, Australia Council
John Menadue AO, Board Director, Centre for Policy Development; former Private Secretary to Gough Whitlam; former Secretary of Dept. of Prime Minister and Cabinet and Dept. of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs; former CEO, Qantas
Martina Mombassa, Reg Mombassa, artist; musician
John Newcombe AO OBE, tennis player; television commentator
Lowitja O’Donoghue AC CBE, indigenous activist; Visiting Fellow, Flinders University; 1984 Australian of the Year; former Chair, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission; former Chair, Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal and Tropica
Ian Parmenter, writer; television chef
Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Peek KBE OBE CB, former Chief of the Royal Australian Navy
Fr Mark Raper SJ AM, President, Jesuit Conference of East Asia and Oceania; former International Director, Jesuit Refugee Service
Margaret Reynolds, former Minister for Local Government, former Minister assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women
Joe Riordan AO, former federal Minister; former Senior Deputy President, Australian Industrial Relations Commission
Neville Roach AO, Chairman, Fujitsu Australia, Former Chairman, Council for Multicultural Australia, Former Chairman, Business (migration) Advisory Panel
Irving Saulwick AM, social researcher
Dr Nouria Salehi OAM, Coordinator, Afghan Support Group
Frank Sartor AO MP, Member for Rockdale (NSW); former Lord Mayor of Sydney
Chris Sidoti, human rights advocate; former Australian Human Rights Commissioner (1995-2000); former Australian Law Reform Commissioner (1992-1995); Adjunct Professor ACU, UWS, Griffith); former Director, International Service for Human Rights
John Singleton AM, marketing and advertising entrepreneur
Jim Soorley, former Lord Mayor Brisbane
Jack Thompson AM, actor
Don Watson, writer and historian
Martin Wesley-Smith AM, Australian composer
Dr John Yu, AC, former Chancellor, University of New South Wales