Her Excellency The Honourable
Jeannette Young
AC PSM
Jeannette Young in August 2020.
27th Governor of Queensland
Assumed office
1 November 2021
MonarchsElizabeth II
Charles III
PremierAnnastacia Palaszczuk
Steven Miles
Preceded byPaul de Jersey
Chief Health Officer of Queensland
In office
17 August 2005 – 1 November 2021
DeputySonya Bennett (2020–2021)
Peter Aitken (2021)
Lynne McKinlay (2021)
James Smith (2021)
Preceded byGerry FitzGerald
Succeeded byJohn Gerrard
Personal details
Born1963 (age 60–61)[1]
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Spouse
Graeme Nimmo
​
(m. 2000)​
[2]
Children2
EducationSt Ives High School
Alma mater
Signature

Jeannette Rosita Young[3] AC PSM (born 1963) is an Australian medical doctor and administrator who is the current governor of Queensland since 1 November 2021. Before being sworn in as governor, Young was the chief health officer of Queensland from 2005 to 2021.[4]

Career

Young was born in 1963 in Sydney, New South Wales.[1] She attended secondary school at St Ives High School, graduating in 1980, before studying at the University of Sydney and graduating in 1986 with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. She started her career as a doctor at Westmead Hospital in Sydney in 1986 where she completed her internship and one year as a resident medical officer before completing 4.5 years as a Registrar in Emergency Medicine. In July 1992 she moved in to medical administration at the same hospital.[3]

She relocated to Queensland upon her appointment as Director of Medical Services at Rockhampton Hospital in December 1994. In April 1995, she attained a Master of Business Administration by Macquarie University. She then moved into a position similar to her role in Rockhampton, as Executive Director of Medical Services at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, in January 1999.

On 17 August 2005, she was appointed to succeed Gerry FitzGerald as Chief Health Officer of Queensland. She gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020,[5] holding multiple press briefings regarding the disease. Her recommendation to the Palaszczuk Government to close the state's borders, which was implemented, proved controversial as she received numerous death threats and was placed under police protection in September 2020.[6][7]

On 21 June 2021, the Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced Young would become the 27th Governor of Queensland. The incumbent Governor Paul de Jersey was due to retire in July 2021, but extended his term until November to allow Young to focus on the COVID-19 vaccine rollout as Chief Health Officer.[8]

Titles, styles, and honours

Viceregal styles of
Jeannette Young
(2021–Present)
Reference styleHer Excellency the Honourable
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) 2022 Queen's Birthday Honours for "eminent service to public health administration, to medicine and medical research, to the tertiary education sector, and as the 27th Governor appointed in Queensland." 12 June 2022[9]
Public Service Medal (PSM) 2015 Queen's Birthday Honours for "outstanding public service to Queensland Health." 8 June 2015[10]
Dame of Grace of the Order of St John 2022 Special Honours appointment as Deputy Prior of the Venerable Order of Saint John. 21 October 2022[11]

Degrees

Fellowships

Honorary degrees

Honorary appointments

References

  1. ^ Received an honorary degree.
  2. ^ Received an honorary degree.
  1. ^ a b "The Governor's Biography". Government House Queensland. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  2. ^ Miles, Janelle (4 December 2020). "'I lost eight people in one shift': CHO's horror night". The Courier-Mail. Archived from the original on 5 August 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Bundaberg Hospital Commission of Inquiry – Statement of Dr. Jeanette Rosita Young" (PDF). Queensland Public Hospitals Commission of Inquiry. 20 May 2005. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  4. ^ Lynch, Lydia (30 April 2020). "Jeannette Young: who is the woman leading Queensland's fight against COVID-19?". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 22 November 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  5. ^ Lang, Kylie (5 June 2020). "Dr Jeanette Young humbled by Queenslander of the Year nomination". The Courier-Mail. Archived from the original on 5 August 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  6. ^ Bosely, Matilda (14 September 2020). "Queensland's chief health officer given police protection after death threats". Guardian Australia. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  7. ^ Radford, Antoinette (19 September 2020). "Brett Sutton rose to cult status during the coronavirus pandemic. Jeannette Young received death threats". SBS News. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  8. ^ "Dr Jeannette Young Queensland's New Governor". Ministerial Media Statements. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  9. ^ "Queen's Birthday 2022 Honours - the full list". Sydney Morning Herald. Nine Entertainment Co. 12 June 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  10. ^ "Dr Jeannette Rosita YOUNG". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  11. ^ Invested as a Dame of Grace of the Order of St John, Governor of Queensland Twitter, retrieved 22 October 2022
  12. ^ Jacobson, Michael (13 August 2015). "Griffith honorary doctorates for trio of achievers". Griffith University. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  13. ^ "Understanding the Most Venerable Order of St John" (PDF). Governor of New South Wales. Governor of New South Wales. 12 December 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 24 August 2018.

External links

Government offices Preceded byGerry FitzGerald Chief Health Officer of Queensland 17 August 2005 – 1 November 2021 Succeeded byJohn Gerrard Preceded byPaul de Jersey Governor of Queensland 1 November 2021 – present Incumbent
Governors of Queensland
Current governors and administrators of the states and territories of Australia
COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
Categories