Honorary Doctorates celebrate alumni excellence

Ms Louisa Rose receives her Honorary Doctorate from Professor Peter Høj AC and the Hon Catherine Branson AC KC outside Bonython Hall.

Three leaders of their respective fields - technology, oenology, and justice - will be recognised with Honorary Doctorates during this week's University of Adelaide graduation ceremonies.

The Honourable John Basten KC has been acknowledged for his work as a scholar, advocate and judge, while Ms Louisa Rose's leading contributions to the wine industry and the University's Alumni Council have earned her the honour. Mr Simon Hackett will receive an Honorary Doctorate for his advancement of the internet during its early days, and philanthropic work.

Professor Peter Høj AC, Vice-Chancellor and President, said the University of Adelaide is privileged to recognise these eminent leaders in their field, and their outstanding contributionsto our society.

"We are honoured to celebrate the achievements of the recipients of Honorary Doctorates as we also congratulate the next generation of leaders on their graduations," said Professor Høj.

Ms Rose grew up in Melbourne and spent her weekends on the family vineyard in the Yarra Valley. She completed a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in physics, at Melbourne University, and then relocated to South Australia and the University of Adelaide's Roseworthy campus to study winemaking, where she was dux of her class.

Ms Rose joined Yalumba in the Barossa Valley in 1992. She was then the Hill-Smith Family Estates' head winemaker from 2006-23, and has been a driving force in sustainability, and natural yeast and bacteria to make wine, with the Estates' wines becoming vegan in 2012.

Ms Rose has been recognised by her peers several times, including in 2014 when she was voted the best winemaker in Australia by 100 industry leaders. She is currently a Director of the South Australian Wine Industry Association, having also been chair of the Australian Wine Research Institute and is a long-term member of the University of Adelaide's Alumni Council, having served as Chair from 2014 to 2023.

The Honourable John Basten KC receives his Honorary Doctorate from Professor Peter Høj AC and the Hon Catherine Branson AC KC outside Bonython Hall.

Justice Basten served as a part-time commissioner of the New South Wales Law Reform Commission, the Australian Law Reform Commission and the New South Wales Pay Equity Taskforce. He was also the Assistant Commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

He was sworn in as a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and a judge of appeal in 2005, and participated in more than 2,300 cases in the Court of Appeal and Court of Criminal Appeal, including some of the most difficult and high-profile cases in the country.

Throughout his long and distinguished career, Justice Basten made an outstanding contribution to the community as an appellate judge, barrister, academic, public interest lawyer, and champion of Indigenous rights.

Mr Simon Hackett receives his Honorary Doctorate from Professor Peter Høj AC and the Hon Catherine Branson AC KC outside Bonython Hall.

By 2011, Internode employed around 450 staff and had 260,000 active services across Australia. Mr Hackett sold Internode to iiNet later that same year and served on its board as a non-executive director.

Mr Hackett is also an active investor in Australian technology and electric vehicles, even driving the first Tesla Roadster in Australia from Darwin to Adelaide, and recently founding a software company devoted to reducing the energy footprint of homes and commercial premises.

The Hackett Foundation aims to support community endeavours, including WOMADelaide, and has also assisted in the aeromedical fit out of a Royal Flying Doctor Service aircraft.

All of the University of Adelaide's graduation ceremonies can be viewed online via livestream: https://www.adelaide.edu.au/live/