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Honorary degree for Sir Zelman

On 1 June, Monash chancellor Mr Jeremy Ellis conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws upon the Right Honourable Sir Zelman Cowen PC AK GCMG GCVO KStJ QC.

From left: Sir Zelman and Lady Cowen with chancellor Mr Jeremy Ellis.

Vice-chancellor Professor Richard Larkins said Sir Zelman had had a warm association with Monash since the university's inception and had argued in favour of its creation.

"He has been a friend of the Monash Law School in particular, and he is the patron of its lecture series, the Lucinda Lectures. He has also been instrumental in obtaining material support for the Louis Waller Chair in Law," Professor Larkins said.

"It is entirely fitting that the university should confer the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws upon Sir Zelman Cowen, who has served, and still serves, the nation at so many levels and with such high distinction.

"His lifetime of contributions to the academic world and to civic life, both nationally and internationally, distinguishes him as one of the outstanding figures of our era."

Sir Zelman graduated in arts and law from the University of Melbourne. In 1940, he was selected as Rhodes Scholar for Victoria and took up that scholarship in 1945, after war service in the Australian Navy.

At Oxford, he was Vinerian Scholar in Law and went on to become a fellow of Oriel College. He returned to Australia as professor and dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Melbourne. He was a vice-chancellor of both the University of New England and the University of Queensland.

Sir Zelman was Australia's 19th governor-general, from 1977 until 1982.