Dr Vanessa Goodwin (’86)

Government Minister and Criminologist

The Honourable Dr Vanessa Goodwin (22 April 1969 – 3 March 2018), MLC was Tasmania’s Attorney General and the first female Liberal Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council.

Prior to being elected as the Liberal Member for Pembroke in August 2009, Dr Goodwin worked as a criminologist for the Department of Police and Emergency Management for over 11 years, with responsibility for conducting research, managing crime prevention projects and developing policy advice.

Dr Goodwin’s research interests included burglary, repeat victimisation, and intergenerational crime.

Dr Goodwin graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Laws (1993) and a Graduate Certificate in Legal Studies (1994) from the University of Tasmania.

In 1995, Dr Goodwin was admitted and enrolled as a practitioner in the Supreme Court of Tasmania, and completed a Master of Philosophy in criminology at Cambridge University in 1997. She was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy in law and criminology from the University of Tasmania in 2006.

Dr Goodwin’s career included working in the family business, the offices of the Governor of Tasmania and the Chief Justice of Tasmania, an industry association, and the public sector.  She brought a broad range of life and employment experience to her roles as Attorney-General, Minister for Justice, Minister for Corrections, Minister for the Arts and Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council, which she held from 2014-2017.

Dr Vanessa Goodwin with 2017 Head Prefects and former Collegiate Principal.