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Blazing a trail
A life in the law leads to Government House.
It was 1975 and a young, female political science student had just finished her exam. In the most dramatic and memorable of moments, the supervising lecturer announced, to the shock of examinees, the dismissal of the Whitlam Government.
Who would have guessed that more than 40 years later that same student, now an Arts/Law alumna, would have the power to dismiss a Premier?
Her Excellency the Honourable Barbara Baker AC was appointed the Governor of Tasmania in mid-2021 after an impressive 23-year career as a distinguished and trailblazing family lawyer and judge.
Although the role of Governor does have powers reserved for exceptional circumstances, Her Excellency is apolitical and primarily focused on safeguarding the Tasmanian Constitution and democratic parliamentary system of government.
The State’s 29th Governor also plans to use her role to raise awareness about family violence and espouse the virtues of sport for children’s physical and mental health.
Her Excellency’s achievements – including becoming the first female partner of the law firm Murdoch Clarke in 1993, and the first Tasmanian woman to be appointed as a Federal Magistrate in 2008 – have inspired generations of young lawyers.
Her own decision to study Law as a Tasmanian teenager evolved over time.
“I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to be a lawyer or a psychologist,” Her Excellency said.
“My father and sister were lawyers and my mother had completed an Arts degree, so, no doubt there was some unconscious family influence.” After a year majoring in Psychology, she realised that Law was her chosen path.
Studying at the Sandy Bay campus in the late 1970s was a social and collegial time in her life.
“I met lots of fellow students, many of whom remain good friends. I spent a lot of time at the Refectory, mixing with students from other faculties and talking politics. I also spent a lot of time on the hockey field.” Her Excellency stayed in Tasmania to launch her law career as a solicitor at Simmons Wolfhagen.
“There was also the real advantage to staying in Tasmania, such as not having to travel long distances to work, allowing a balanced lifestyle and more time for other interests. This helped me later to combine work, motherhood and sport.
Her Excellency Barbara Baker “One disadvantage of not moving interstate was a lack of female role models and mentors in practice. Thankfully, this has changed, with many women now in senior positions in the legal profession, although still not achieving at similar numbers to men.”
Her Excellency’s advice to female law students and lawyers is: work hard, persevere, and never give up.
“Look for mentors for advice and support, but always make and stand by your own judgement and decisions,” she said.
“I would also urge young female law students and lawyers to call out bullies and harassment in the legal profession and in the community more generally.”
Promoting equality and respect is also at the heart of Her Excellency’s bid to reduce the devastating impact of family violence on families.
Read more about the Governor’s advocacy and interests in her Alumni Profile online.
Lucie van den Berg
