Hugh Crosbie Heggie (born 1950) is an Australian public servant and physician who is the 23rd and current

administrator of the Northern Territory The Administrator of the Northern Territory is an official appointed by the Governor-General of Australia to represent the government of the Commonwealth in the Northern Territory, Australia. They perform functions similar to those of a state gov ...

since 2 February 2023.

Career

Heggie was born in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

in 1950, and educated at Bonbeach High School. He attended the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...

and graduated with a

Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...

. On the completion of his first degree he relocated to Sydney where he worked as a research pharmacologist before returning to Melbourne. In 2001, after 20 years in Melbourne, he relocated to the Northern Territory with his family. Between 2016 and 2022, Heggie served as the Chief Health Officer and executive director of Public Health and Clinical Excellence in the Northern Territory. He played a significant role during the

COVID-19 pandemic in Australia The COVID-19 pandemic in Australia is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The first confirmed case in Australia was identified on 25 Januar ...

and served on numerous boards, committees and councils locally and nationally. On 29 November 2022, the

Chief Minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...

Natasha Fyles Natasha Kate Fyles (born 26 May 1978)Natasha Fyles
''Territory Women'', Northern Ter ...

announced Heggie would become the 23rd Administrator of the Northern Territory, succeeding

Vicki O'Halloran Vicki Susan O'Halloran (born 20 June 1964) is an Australian businesswoman and community worker, who was CEO of Somerville Community Services in the Northern Territory from 1998 to 2017. On 31 October 2017, she was sworn in as the 22nd administrat ...

. He was sworn in by

Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

David Hurley General David John Hurley, (born 26 August 1953) is an Australian former senior officer in the Australian Army who has served as the 27th governor-general of Australia since 1 July 2019. He was previously the 38th governor of New South Wales ...

on 2 February 2023.

Honours

Heggie was awarded the Public Service Medal (PSM) in the

2021 Australia Day Honours The 2021 Australia Day Honours are appointments to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by Australian citizens. The list was announced on 26 January 2021 by the Governor General of Australia, David Hurley. The Australia ...

for "outstanding public service to community health in the Northern Territory". He was also awarded the

Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal The Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal is an award in the Australian honours system. The award is presented to those who perform Humanitarian aid, humanitarian service in a foreign country, in particular those working in dangerous environments ...

in 2021 for his contributions during the 2015 Cyclone Pam disaster in

Vanuatu Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...

. He was invested as a

Knight of the Order of St John The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headq ...

on his appointment as the

Administrator of the Northern Territory The Administrator of the Northern Territory is an official appointed by the Governor-General of Australia to represent the government of the Commonwealth in the Northern Territory, Australia. They perform functions similar to those of a state gov ...

on 5 February 2023. Heggie was appointed an

Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

in the

2024 Australia Day Honours The 2024 Australia Day Honours are appointments Australian honours system, to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by Australian citizens. The list was announced on 26 January 2024 by the Governor General of Australia, Da ...

for "distinguished service to medicine and medical research organisations, and as Administrator of the Northern Territory".

References

1950 births Living people Australian medical doctors Australian health officials 21st-century Australian public servants Officers of the Order of Australia Administrators of the Northern Territory Recipients of the Public Service Medal (Australia) Public servants from Melbourne Medical doctors from Melbourne Melbourne Medical School alumni {{Australia-gov-bio-stub