We are privileged to have as our Patrons eminent persons who are distinguished leaders in Australian society and who embody a rationalist commitment to reason and evidence. We have also bestowed honorary titles to a number of people in recognition of their significant contribution to our cause.
When he retired from the High Court in 2009, Michael Kirby was Australia’s longest serving judge. Despite remaining an Anglican, he has been an indefatigable defender of secular government, stating: “The principle of secularism is one of the greatest developments in human rights in the world. We must safeguard and protect it, for it can come under threat in contemporary Australia.” He was Chair of the Australian Law Reform Commission, and a Justice of the High Court from 1996 to 2009.
An academic lawyer and barrister by profession, Gareth Evans was a Labor cabinet minister during the 1990s, serving as Attorney-General and Foreign Minister. After leaving politics in 1998, he headed up the Brussels-based International Crisis Group until 2009 and served on numerous international commissions and panels. He was Chancellor of the Australian National University from 2010 to 2019. He has fond memories of “the Rashos” during his undergraduate years at University of Melbourne.
Fiona Stanley has had a distinguished career in epidemiology and public health. She has used her considerable influence to benefit Aboriginal people, children and mothers. Among other roles, she is founding director of the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, chair of the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth, and chair of the Alcohol Advertising Review Board. She was named Australian of the Year in 2003 and was on the ABC Board from 2011 to 2016. In 2014, the Western Australian government named its new teaching hospital in her honour.
For over 30 years, Melbourne-based urologist Rodney Syme was the public face of the campaign to give terminally ill patients the right to die with dignity. His compassion for his patients and his persistence to change the law finally paid off in 2017, when the Victorian parliament passed the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act. Over many years, he fought the hierarchy of the Catholic Church over its dogmatic opposition to dying with dignity, which, he said, “has got nothing to do with Jesus Christ.” Rodney passed away in 2021.
Meredith Doig retired from the Rationalist Society of Australia in 2024 after almost 20 years – five years as secretary and 13 years as president. She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an expert in governance. Her Australian honour was for service to business, to higher education and to the community.
Ian Robinson is a writer, editor and educator. As an undergraduate, he was president of the Melbourne University Rationalist Society. After graduating, he joined the RSA and worked with Bill Cook on establishing The Australian Rationalist journal. He later became editor of the journal. He was an RSA committee member in the 1970s and became president in the late 1990s. He has written extensively on rationalism and atheism, co-written two primary school mathematics textbook sets. Recently, his children’s book The Most Amazing Thing was on the CBCA Children’s Book Awards 2024 Notables shortlist.
A vocal advocate for evidence-based decision making, Neil has served in leadership roles in the dying with dignity law reform movement, as a former President of Dying With Dignity Victoria, foundation former Chair and CEO of Australia’s national alliance of dying with dignity societies, and as a past President of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies.
Dr Paul Monk is a public intellectual, poet, former senior intelligence analyst and consultant in applied cognitive science. He is the author of a dozen books, including: The West in a Nutshell: Foundations, Fragilities, Futures (2009); Dictators and Dangerous Ideas (2018); The Three Graces: Companionship, Discretion, Passion (2022); and Thunder From the Silent Zone: Rethinking China (2nd updated edition, 2023). He is also a fellow of the Institute for Law and Strategy (London and New York).
Peter Ellerton is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, at University of Queensland.
