Trailblazer Kate Warner is Tasmania’s next Governor

PROFESSOR Kate Warner has vowed to dedicate herself to the service of the people of Tasmania after being appointed the 28th Governor of Tasmania.

New Governor

DISTINGUISHED University of Tasmania academic Professor Kate Warner has vowed to dedicate herself to the service of the people of Tasmania after being appointed the 28th Governor of Tasmania.

Prof Warner — who will next month become the first woman to hold the office in 210 years — was yesterday widely hailed as a worthy successor to the late Peter Underwood, who died in July.

Hundreds of congratulatory messages flooded social media and media websites within minutes of the historic announcement by Premier Will Hodgman at 10am yesterday.

“I intend to dedicate myself to Tasmania and the people of Tasmania,” Prof Warner said.

“I feel intensely Tasmanian and I always have.’’

“I’ve been an academic for over 40 years and I totally loved my work there. I hope I have done a reasonable job and I brought a lot of energy to that role. I certainly intend to do the same thing in this new role as Governor of Tasmania.”

“It is also fantastic to see the first female Governor appointed, especially one who is well respected and has a history of trailblazing for women as the first female Dean at the university.”

As the first female Dean of the University of Tasmania Law School, Prof Warner forged a distinguished career as a legal academic.

She has taught Criminal Law, Criminology, Sentencing and Evidence, she is director of the Law Reform Institute, Foundation Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law, a member of the Tasmanian Gaming Commission, the Sentencing Advisory Council, the Council of Law Reporting and the Board of Legal Education.

Prof Warner said she was excited by this next opportunity.

“What a huge honour it is to be the 28th Governor of Tasmania and particularly to be the first female Governor,’’ she said.

“Succeeding from His Excellency Peter Underwood is going to be a really difficult act to follow because he brought intellect, dignity, warmth and passion to the position and I hope I will do as good a job as he.”

Kate Warner in 1966 during O Week at the University of Tasmania. Picture: The Mercury archives

With Prof Warner at his side, Mr Hodgman acknowledged the historic significance of the first woman Governor for the state.

“She will be judged by her performance as she has in the past, as somebody very active in public debate and community work,” he said.

“The qualities and attributes, skills and experience she brings to the job are what is most important.’’

The Tasmanian convener of the Australian Republican Movement, Angela Wilson, said Prof Warner would be warmly received by Tasmanians familiar with her work as a professor of law at UTAS and through her Order of Australia for services to legal education and law reform.

“It is also fantastic to see the first female Governor appointed, especially one who is well respected and has a history of trailblazing for women as the first female Dean at the university,” Ms Wilson said.

Prof Warner, a founding member of the Australian Rep­ublican Movement, declined to comment on her political bel­iefs in accepting the role.

“From the constitutional law side, I think it is quite irrelevant whether the Governor is a monarchist or a republican,” she said.

Prof Warner is married to blackcurrant industry pioneer Dick Warner.

The couple live in the Derwent Valley and have two adult daughters and five grandchildren.

Mr Hodgman said Tasmanians were “lucky” with Peter and wife Francis Underwood, because they “got two for the price of one, and I know it will be same with Kate and Dick’’.

The keen gardener, bushwalker and cyclist said she would enjoy the opportunity to work with her husband.

“We have lived together for over 40 years — it will be part of the job I will really enjoy.”

Prof Warner will be sworn into office on December 10 and live at Government House for her five-year appointment.