Murdoch University Honorary Doctorates were presented to High Court Justice and alumnus, the Honourable Justice James Edelman AC; lawyer, community leader and alumnus Dr Tony Chong; and Ngaanyatjarra Elder and educator Dr Daisy Tjuparntarri Ward, during graduation ceremonies held across September and October. 

The Honorary Doctorate is the highest award bestowed at Murdoch University and is given to individuals who have served prominently in public life or significantly contributed to the application of knowledge in society.

The degrees were conferred at three separate ceremonies, where each recipient addressed an audience of Murdoch University graduates, along with their families and friends. 

The Hon Justice James Edelman AC received an Honorary Doctor of Laws in recognition of his exceptional contribution to the law, legal scholarship and public service.  

Justice Edelman completed a Bachelor of Commerce at Murdoch University at the same time as he studied Economics and Law at the University of Western Australia. Following this, he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to the University of Oxford, where he completed a Doctor of Philosophy in Law.   

Justice Edelman is one of Australia’s most distinguished jurists, celebrated for his intellectual rigour, judicial service, and commitment to the community.  

He later joined the Supreme Court of Western Australia, and not long after became a judge of the Federal Court of Australia. Two years later he became a Justice of the High Court of Australia, the nation’s highest court. He was the fourth youngest judge to be appointed in the court’s history.  

Justice Edelman has also made a significant contribution to legal education and continues to mentor and inspire future generations of lawyers. 

In his address, Justice Edelman encouraged the Murdoch graduates to respond thoughtfully to rapid social change, while remaining guided by moral principle.

“To have graduated today from a University which is invested with a progressive ethos founded upon moral principle, you have been provided with the resonant ability to adapt and to evolve with the accelerating pace of social change, and to do so with the confidence brought from the progressive vision woven into the fabric of Murdoch University,” Justice Edelman said. 

Tony Chong received an Honorary Doctor of Laws in recognition of his significant and lasting service through governance, engagement and philanthropy.  

A prominent Perth-based corporate lawyer and Murdoch alumnus, Dr Chong was recognised for his strategic insight, expertise in international business and commitment to cross-cultural inclusion, the arts and community leadership. 

Dr Chong is deeply engaged in cross-cultural advocacy. He serves as President of the WA Chinese Chamber of Commerce, where he champions stronger business and people-to-people ties between Australia and Asia, and has served as a mentor through the WA Government’s Board Diversification Program. 

He has provided significant and lasting service to the University through governance, engagement and philanthropy. Through the establishment and growth of scholarships and prizes, including the creation of an endowed fund, Dr Chong has helped remove financial barriers, and enabled access to education for students who may not otherwise have had the opportunity.    

“This University gave me a voice. I chose to lend that voice for those who do not have one,” Dr Chong said.  

“As a first-generation migrant I knew I could call this place home. I can be authentic, genuine and true to myself and community. It told me this place fosters respect, diversity and honesty. 

"It was inclusive, providing a welcoming and safe environment to all walks of life. It did not have to shout to the world that that was the case because it just is. It was Walter Murdoch’s vision as it was then as it is relevant now.”   

Daisy Tjuparntarri Ward received a Doctor of the University in recognition of her outstanding contribution to education, Indigenous knowledges, cultural leadership and community service. 

A respected Ngaanyatjarra Elder and senior custodian of Tjukurrpa knowledge, Dr Tjuparntarri Ward has devoted more than four decades to advancing educational opportunities for First Nations peoples and strengthening understanding between Indigenous and Western Knowledge systems.  

Since the early 1980s she has worked in education across the Ngaanyatjarra Lands, helping preserve and share language, culture and tradition while championing the value of Two-Way learning.

Her influence has shaped educational practice, cultural awareness and knowledge-sharing across schools, universities, government agencies and communities.

Since 2018, Dr Tjuparntarri Ward has supported the delivery of Murdoch University’s Community Development programs. She also acts as a cultural educator for academics and postgraduate students in the School of Indigenous Knowledges.   

“I am deeply honoured to be recognised by Murdoch University, a place of higher education, for what I have done in education and social justice. I have always loved learning, and as an adult it seemed right for me to be an educator,” Dr Tjuparntarri Ward said. 

“I am often a bridge between cultures – helping people understand and see things through different eyes.” 

The presentations were made by Murdoch University Chancellor Gail McGowan PSM during Murdoch University’s Semester 2 graduation ceremonies, which saw more than 1,140 students celebrate their graduation across five ceremonies on Wednesday 30 September and Thursday 1 October. 

Image: Dr Daisy Tjuparntarri Ward, The Hon Justice James Edelman AC and Dr Tony Chong