The College community congratulates two distinguished Old Paulines who have been recognised in the top tiers of the Australia Day Honours List on 26 January 2026. Both awardees are prominent public figures and are well known to audiences across Australia.

The Hon Chief Justice Andrew Bell AC

The Hon Chief Justice Andrew Bell has been appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for eminent service to the judiciary and the law, legal education, and to the arts as an administrator and benefactor. Andrew was at the College from 1985 to 1989, studying LLB (Hons). He served as a Fellow of the College from 2004–2013 and was the 1990 NSW Rhodes Scholar.

Chief Justice Bell has led the Supreme Court of NSW since 2022 and has served concurrently as President of the Judicial Commission of NSW. As Chief Justice, he is also the State’s Lieutenant-Governor and regularly serves as Administrator of NSW when Her Excellency is out of the State. He previously served as President of the NSW Court of Appeal from 2019 to 2022.

Andrew is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Sydney Law School, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law, and Chair of the Judiciary Section of the Law Society of Asia and the Pacific. He chaired Sculpture by the Sea from 2010 to 2016 and is an Honorary Life Governor.

In 2025 he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Sydney. Earlier distinctions include the Convocation Medal, the University Medal in Economic History, and the University Medal in Law. In 1993 he was named a Vinerian Scholar at Oxford, where he completed his BCL. Andrew is also a regular contributor to the media and to a range of publications.

Dr Michael Carr‑Gregg AO

Dr Michael Carr‑Gregg has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to child and adolescent psychology, policy reform as an advocate and advisor, youth cyber safety, and service to the community. Michael was at the College in 1977 and later completed an MEd (Psych) at Victoria University, Wellington and a PhD at the University of NSW in 1989. He was Associate Professor in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Melbourne from 1993 to 2000.

Since 2015 Michael has worked as a consulting psychologist and, through his company, has co‑created and facilitated a number of youth mental health support initiatives. His longstanding commitment to youth advocacy and wellbeing includes serving as Patron of Read the Play since 2018 and being a Fellow of the College of Consulting Psychologists since 1998.

His many other roles have included: Director of the Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre, Board Member of Smiling Mind, Chair of the National Coalition Against Bullying, Director of Canteen Australia, founder of CanTeen New Zealand, various leadership roles within the Australian Psychological Society, and numerous board and government advisory appointments.

Michael is a regular panellist on the Seven Network’s Sunrise program and is the author or co‑author of numerous publications.

Images sourced from NSW Supreme Court, College Archives and Dr Michael Carr-Gregg