Vignette 65: Supreme Court judge, university Chancellor and State Governor

A true Australian icon, Dame Roma Mitchell (1913–2000) AC DBE CVO QC paved the way for women in leadership and public life. Mitchell’s mother, who believed in tertiary education for women, put her through a law course at the University during the early years of the Depression. Mitchell graduated in December 1934, and the following February began as a barrister with an Adelaide law firm.

Mitchell is the first woman to hold several leading roles, including Queen’s counsel, Governor of an Australian state, university Chancellor, and Supreme Court judge. 

Admitted as a barrister in 1935, Mitchell was appointed Queen’s Counsel QC in 1962 and was a student mentor and lecturer in family law at the University. Mitchell was the first and only female judge in South Australia’s Supreme Court from 1965 to 1983. As a judge, she played a pivotal role in criminal law and penal reform and chaired the Human Rights Commission.

Mitchell was Governor of South Australia (1991–1996), Chancellor of the University (1983–1990) and a member of the Council for the Order of Australia (1981–1990). She was also awarded Companion of the Order of Australia and Commander of the Royal Victorian Order.

Throughout her life, Mitchell showed incredible determination and leadership. We celebrate her influence through the Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories and the Dame Roma Mitchell Chair of Law, both named to pay tribute to her outstanding achievements and unwavering commitment to justice and equality.

The University of Adelaide: 150 Years of Making History.  Leading for the future. p.92