The Hon. Penny Wensley AC
The Hon. Penny Wensley AC was Governor of Queensland from 2008 to 2014. Her appointment followed a distinguished career as a diplomat (1968–2008), representing Australia in a wide range of bilateral and multilateral postings overseas and senior policy positions in Canberra. After early postings to France, Mexico and New Zealand, she served successively as Consul General, Hong Kong; Ambassador to the United Nations, Geneva; Ambassador for the Environment; Ambassador to the UN, New York; High Commissioner to India; and Ambassador to France.
In Canberra, she headed the East Asia Branch, International Organisations and Legal Division, North Asia Division, and Europe Division. She has a Bachelor of Arts (First Class Honours) from the University of Queensland (UQ) and Honorary Doctorates from UQ, James Cook and Griffith universities, and the Queensland University of Technology.
She is a Board Member of the Lowy Institute for International Policy, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of International Affairs (FAIIA) and an Honorary Fellow of the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (HFEANZ). She is currently National Soils Advocate, Chairman of the Council of the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), and Chairman of the Reef 2050 Advisory Committee, advising the Australian and Queensland governments on implementation of the Long-Term Sustainability Plan for the Great Barrier Reef.