A graduate of Monash University, Julian Burnside was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2009, ‘for service as a human rights advocate, particularly for refugees and asylum seekers, to the arts as a patron and fundraiser, and to the law.’  A barrister by profession he has appeared in a number of high profile cases, acting for the Maritime Union of Australia in a bitter and protracted industrial dispute. Julian Burnside is a Queen’s Council and has represented Indigenous people in cases involving the Stolen Generations.   He also works pro bono for those seeking asylum in Australia.