Our Patron

Honorable Kim Beazley AC

The Honorable Kim Beazley AC was installed as the 33rd Governor of Western Australia on the 1st May 2018. Mr. Beazley was born in Subiaco, educated at Hollywood Senior High School and completed two degrees at The University of Western Australia. He served for nearly three decades in the Australian Federal Parliament and for a period of six years as Ambassador to the United States of America.

Prior to becoming Governor, Mr. Beazley had a distinguished record of service to the public, leadership and representation of Australia. In 2009, Mr. Beazley was awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia for service to the Parliament of Australia through contributions to the development of government policies in relation to defence and international relations, as an advocate for Indigenous people and for service to the community.

Mr. Beazley was elected to the Federal Parliament in 1980 and represented the electorates of Swan (1980-96) and Brand (1996-2007). In the Hawke and Keating Labor Governments (1983-1996) Mr. Beazley held, at various times, the portfolios of Defence, Finance, Transport and Communications, Employment Education and Training, Aviation, and Special Minister of State.

From 1995 to 1996, Mr. Beazley served as Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Australian Labor Party and was Leader of the Opposition from 1996 to 2001, and 2005 to 2006. Mr. Beazley served on parliamentary committees, including the Joint Intelligence Committee and the Joint Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee.

After his retirement from politics in 2007, Mr. Beazley was appointed Winthrop Professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations at The University of Western Australia. In July 2008 he was appointed Chancellor of the Australian National University, a position he had until December 2009.

Mr. Beazley took up an appointment as Ambassador to the United States of America in February 2010. He served as Ambassador until January 2016.

Upon returning to Australia from Washington in 2016, Mr. Beazley was appointed as President of the Australian Institute for International Affairs (2016-17), Co-Chairman of the Australian American Leadership Dialogue (2016-18), Distinguished Fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, and a Director and Distinguished Fellow at the Perth USAsia Centre.

Mr. Beazley has completed a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts at the University of Western Australia. In 1973, he was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship for Western Australia and completed a Master of Philosophy at Oxford University. He has honorary doctorates from the University of Notre Dame (Western Australia) and Murdoch University.

Mr. Beazley is married to Ms. Susie Annus and has three daughters, Hannah , Jessica and Rachel.