The White Scholarship
Justice Margaret Jean White AO (2005)
Dr Michael William Duckett White OAM QC (1974)
Justice Margaret White and Dr Michael White have been influential figures in the work of the Law School for over fifty years.
Margaret Jean White (née Broderick) was born in 1943 in Hamilton, Victoria. She was educated at the Cabra Dominican Convent, Adelaide (1949-60) and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Adelaide (1966). In the years immediately after graduation, she undertook a number of research and consulting projects in international law. In 1970, she married Michael White and moved to Brisbane. She then commenced a period of about 12 years as a member of the academic staff of the Law School (1970-82), where her colleagues included Quentin Bryce and Patsy Wolfe. During this period, Margaret White won the respect and admiration of a generation of Queensland lawyers. In 1983, she left the Law School to commence full time practice at the Bar. Amongst other notable cases, she appeared for the State of Queensland in Mabo v State of Queensland [1992] 1 Qd R 78.
On 5 March 1990, Margaret White was appointed a Master of the Supreme Court of Queensland. On 2 April 1992, she became the first woman to be appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland. After 18 years’ experience as a Judge of the trial division, Justice White was appointed a Judge of Appeal on 15 April 2010. She retired from judicial office in 2013. In 2013, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia. In 2016, she was appointed joint Commissioner with Mick Gooda for the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory.
During her judicial career, Justice White served as a member of the University Senate (1993-2003) and as Deputy Chancellor of the University (2006-09). She was awarded a Doctorate of Laws honoris causa in 2005 by UQ and also a Doctorate honoris causa by the University of Adelaide. After her retirement, Justice White was appointed an Adjunct Professor at the Law School.
Michael William Duckett White was born in 1939 in Brisbane. He joined the Royal Australian Navy at a young age, rising to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander and serving in various ships and submarines in various parts of the world. Upon resigning from naval service in 1969, he commenced study at the University of Queensland, graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws (1974). After graduating, Michael White commenced practice at the Queensland Bar, being appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1988. In 1994, he was awarded a Doctorate of Philosophy in law from Bond University for his thesis on the international conventions and laws relating to marine pollution from ships.
In 1999, Dr White QC left legal practice to join the academic staff of the Law School as a Reader in Law (Associate Professor), and as the Executive Director of the Centre for Maritime Law along with Dr Sarah Derrington. He has written extensively in the fields of maritime law and legal history – including a history of the Law School. His published legal works include Australian Maritime Law (4th Ed, 2020, with Justice Sarah Derrington), Australian Offshore Laws (2009), Australian Marine Pollution Laws (2007), and TC Beirne School of Law: A History (2nd Ed, 2016). During his years with the Law School he was an influential mentor for both students and staff. From 2005, he has been an Adjunct Professor in the Law School and in 2016 he was awarded a Doctorate of Laws by UQ and a Medal in the Australian Honours list for his scholarly works in law and history.
White Scholarship Recipients
2024 Lachlan Lake
2023 Yuvini Perera
2022 Yuvini Perera
2021 Yuvini Perera
2020 Yan Xi Lai