Professor John McMillan AO

NSW Ombudsman and the inaugural Australian Information Commissioner

As a Canberra local with a keen interest in law, politics and philosophy, commencing his arts and law degrees at the ANU in 1968 was the natural choice for John. He parlayed the knowledge and skills he obtained from his studies and his professors into a career that has spanned over 40 years working across all branches of government, the academic sector, legal practices and NGOs. Currently, he serves as the NSW Ombudsman.

John attributes a lot of his success as well as the direction of his career to his time at ANU. He was very active as a student - participating and leading various student societies such as the Debating Society and the ANU Student Law Society. He mentions Professors Harry Whitmore, Jack Richardson, Dennis Pearce and Leslie Zines as major influences which drew him to develop a strong interest in public law.