Linda Marion Dessau (born 8 May 1953)
is an Australian jurist, barrister, and the 29th and current
governor of Victoria
The governor of Victoria is the representative of the monarch, King Charles III, in the Australian state of Victoria. The governor is one of seven viceregal representatives in the country, analogous to the governors of the other states, and the ...
since 1 July 2015.
She is the first female and the first
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
holder of the office. She was a judge of the
Family Court of Australia from 1995 to 2013.
[Justice Linda Dessau retires from the Family Court of Australia]
Family Court of Australia, 21 June 2013.
Early life
Dessau 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, on 8 May 1953, the youngest of four children. Her father, John Dessau, arrived in Melbourne from Poland in 1929. At first he took on factory work, but later he became a businessman. He married Sybil, who was born in Melbourne.
Education and career
Dessau was educated at
St Catherine's School, Toorak, matriculating at the age of sixteen. She graduated with a
Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...
with Honours from 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 ...
in 1973 as its youngest law graduate. She worked as a solicitor from 1974 to 1978, and as a barrister from 1979 to 1995, specialising in family law and commercial litigation.
Dessau was appointed to the
AFL Commission
The AFL Commission is the official governing body of the Australian Football League Limited (AFL), its subsidiaries and controlled entities. Richard Goyder has been chairman since 4 April 2017, replacing Mike Fitzpatrick.
It was formed in 198 ...
in November 2007.
She is a supporter of the
Essendon Football Club, and in 1997 she started, and was the inaugural chair of, the Essendon Women's Network, which for more than a decade has maintained a strong presence in the
grand final week calendar.
She was appointed to the board of the
Melbourne Festival
Melbourne International Arts Festival, formerly Spoleto Festival Melbourne – Festival of the Three Worlds, then Melbourne International Festival of the Arts, becoming commonly known as Melbourne Festival, was a major international arts festi ...
, of which she became president in 2014.
Governor
Dessau is one of five Jews to have served in a viceregal capacity in Australia, after governors-general
Sir Isaac Isaacs
Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs (6 August 1855 – 11 February 1948) was an Australian lawyer, politician, and judge who served as the ninth Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1931 to 1936. He had previously served on the High Court of A ...
and
Sir Zelman Cowen
Sir Zelman Cowen, (7 October 1919 – 8 December 2011) was an Australian legal scholar and university administrator who served as the 19th Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1977 to 1982.
Cowen was born in Melbourne, and attended ...
, and governors
Sir Matthew Nathan
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Matthew Nathan (3 January 1862 – 18 April 1939) was a British soldier and colonial administrator, who variously served as the Governor of Sierra Leone, Gold Coast (British colony), Gold Coast, Hong Kong, Natal and Queen ...
(Queensland) and
Gordon Samuels
Gordon Jacob Samuels, (12 August 1923 – 10 December 2007) was a British-Australian lawyer and judge who served as the 36th Governor of New South Wales from 1996 to 2001.
Born in London in 1923, Samuels was educated at University College Schoo ...
(New South Wales). In August 2016, Dessau was embroiled in an expenses scandal, which saw her personally repay the expenses of lunches at a
Gordon Ramsay
Gordon James Ramsay (; born ) is a British chef, restaurateur, television personality and writer. His restaurant group, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, was founded in 1997 and has been awarded 17 Michelin stars overall; it currently holds a tot ...
restaurant (
Pétrus) and
Harrods, which had originally been paid by the Victorian taxpayer. In 2016, the level of expenses for capital works and ongoing maintenance requested by Dessau were alleged to be excessive, and a former
Government House
Government House is the name of many of the official residences of governors-general, governors and lieutenant-governors in the Commonwealth and the remaining colonies of the British Empire. The name is also used in some other countries.
Gover ...
employee told the ''
Herald Sun
The ''Herald Sun'' is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia, published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Corp Australia, itself a subsidiary of the Murdoch owned News Corp. The ''Herald S ...
'' that the working environment there was "toxic".
On 1 November 2021, Dessau succeeded Queensland governor
Paul de Jersey
Paul de Jersey, (born 21 September 1948) is an Australian jurist who served as the 26th governor of Queensland, in office from 29 July 2014 to 1 November 2021. He was Chief Justice of Queensland from 1998 to 2014.
Education
De Jersey was edu ...
as the longest-serving incumbent state governor. She thus received a
dormant commission
A dormant commission is a commission in a Commonwealth realm that lies dormant or sleeping until it is triggered by a particular event.
Historically, a dormant commission was given in relation to a military command. During the Crimean War, Sir ...
to act as
Administrator of the Commonwealth in the absence of the
governor-general of Australia.
Personal life
Dessau is married to Anthony Howard AM KC, a former judge of the
County Court of Victoria
The County Court of Victoria is the intermediate court in the Australian state of Victoria. It is equivalent to district courts in the other states.
The County Court is the principal trial court in the state, having a broad criminal and civ ...
. They were married in 1982 and have two sons. In 2021 their son Ollie became engaged to Lauren Thurin, the granddaughter of billionaire property developer
John Gandel
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second ...
.
Honours
;Orders
* 14 June 2010:
Member 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 ...
(AM) "For service to the judiciary, particularly through contributions in the area of family law policy and practice, and to the community."
* 26 January 2017:
Companion 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 ...
(AC) "For eminent service to the people of Victoria through leadership roles in the judiciary, to the advancement of economic ties and business relationships, and as a supporter of charitable, sporting and arts organisations."
* 11 February 2016:
Dame of the Order of St John.
;Organisations
* 1994:
Churchill Fellowship
Winston Churchill Memorial Trusts (WCMT) are three independent but related living memorials to Sir Winston Churchill, based in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. They exist for the purpose of administering Churchill Fellowships, a ...
. She travelled to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom to study strategies employed to reduce delay within the court system.
* 2018:
Victorian Honour Roll of Women
The Victorian Honour Roll of Women was established in 2001 to recognise the achievements of women from the Australian state of Victoria. The Honour Roll was established as part of the celebrations of Victoria's Centenary of Federation.
Public no ...
by the Victorian State government.
;Appointments
* 2015: Colonel of the
Royal Victoria Regiment
The Royal Victoria Regiment is an Infantry Regiment of the Australian Army, consisting of two battalions, the 5th/6th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment, 5th/6th Battalion and the 8th/7th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment, 8th/7th Battalion.
Hist ...
.
* 2015:
Deputy Prior of the Order of St John.
References
External links
Her Excellency the Honourable Linda Dessau AMLinda Dessau
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dessau, Linda
1953 births
Living people
Australian Jews
Judges of the Family Court of Australia
Australian women judges
Australian magistrates
Australian barristers
Companions of the Order of Australia
Governors of Victoria (Australia)
Melbourne Law School alumni
Australian people of Polish-Jewish descent
20th-century Australian judges
21st-century Australian judges
20th-century women judges
21st-century women judges
20th-century Australian women
Judges from Melbourne
People from East Melbourne
People educated at St Catherine's School, Melbourne