Hon.DLitt (UNSW) 1985
Judith Wright (1915 – 2000) was one of Australia's most prolific poets and a passionate environmentalist and campaigner for Aboriginal land rights. In 1985 Judith Wright became the first woman to receive an honorary degree from UNSW. She received an honorary Doctor of Letters for “her most distinguished contribution to Australian literature and the safeguarding of the Australian environmental heritage”. Wright studied Philosophy, English, Psychology and History and published her first anthology in 1946, The Moving Image. She went on to publish over 50 books including poetry, children’s books, biographical essays and literary critiques. Wright helped establish the literary magazine Meanjin in 1947 while working at the University of Queensland. She was one of the founders of The Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland and served as the president from 1964-1976. Judith Wright received many awards for her work including Christopher Brennan Award (1977), the Queen's Medal for Poetry (1992) and was nominated for a Nobel prize.
