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16 August 2025AUT appoints Gen. David Hurley as Inaugural Chancellor
The Australian University of Theology (AUT) is pleased to announce the appointment of General (Retd) the Honourable David Hurley AC CVO DSC as the Inaugural Chancellor of the University.
Gen. Hurley was the 27th governor-general of Australia from 2019 to 2024. Prior to this role, he was the 38th governor of New South Wales from 2014 to 2019. His 42 year military career culminated in 2011 in the role of Chief of the Defence Forces.
“I’m delighted to be appointed as the Chancellor of the Australian University of Theology, which is Australia’s newest university, while also being one of its oldest higher education institutions, having been founded in 1891,” said Gen. Hurley. “It is a privilege to serve Australia’s leading provider of theological education,” he said.
Gen. Hurley is an active member of the Presbyterian Church in Canberra and Sydney. He has been involved in a range of Christian organisations, including as Patron of the Military Christian Fellowship of Australia from 2008-2014.
“I’m very pleased Gen. Hurley has answered the call to serve as Chancellor of the Australian University of Theology,” said Professor James Dalziel, Vice-Chancellor. “As a Christian university that trains men and women to serve God’s Church and God’s world, it is a blessing that Gen. Hurley will help lead us in our important work,” he said.
The AUT Council is also pleased to announce that Roy Williams has recently joined the Council. Roy is well known for his insightful books on Christianity in Australia such as: Mr Eternity: The Story of Arthur Stace (2017); Post-God Nation (2015); In God They Trust? The Religious Beliefs of Australia’s Prime Ministers (2013); and God, Actually (2009). Roy is a lecturer in law at several universities, and was previously a partner at a leading Sydney law firm.
The Australian University of Theology is Australia’s largest network of theological colleges with over 2,500 students and 16 Affiliated Colleges. In December 2024 it was registered as Australia’s 44th University. It has a specialised focus in the field of theology.