Her Honour The Honourable Sally Thomas AM, Administrator of the Northern Territory, will deliver the 2011 Menzies Oration titled Health, Crime and Unsung Heroes at the Darwin Entertainment Centre tonight.
The topic covers health problems in the Northern Territory that can lead to criminal activity and the role of Indigenous women in promoting education and health in their communities.
Before her move to Darwin, Her Honour was a partner in a Sydney legal firm. She was appointed a Stipendiary Magistrate of the Northern Territory in July 1978.
Her Honour served as Magistrate and then Chief Magistrate of the Northern Territory from 1986 to 1992, and was the first female Judge in the Northern Territory.
In June 2000, Her Honour was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia for her service to the community, particularly through the Northern Territory Winston Churchill Memorial Fellowship Committee, to tertiary education and to the law. She continues to hold an interest in these fields.
Her Honour is the Chancellor of Charles Darwin University, appointed on 1 January 2010.
The Honourable Sally Thomas AM was sworn in as the 20th and first female Administrator of the Northern Territory on 31 October 2011.