Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC QC is the 39th Governor of New South Wales, commencing her five year tenure on 2 May 2019. Prior to her appointment as governor, Margaret enjoyed a long and distinguished law career spanning 43 years, during which time she served as a role model for women in law at both the State and national level. Appointed Queen's Counsel in 1989, in 1993 she was made a judge of the Federal Court of Australia, the first woman to sit exclusively in that Court. In 1996, she achieved the distinction of being the first woman appointed to the New South Wales Court of Appeal and, subsequently, as the first woman to be appointed as its president. She served, on a number of occasions, as Administrator of the Government of the State of New South Wales. She was made a Companion of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honours List on 26 January 2020 for "eminent service to the people of New South Wales, particularly through leadership roles in the judiciary, and as a mentor of young women lawyers". Margaret regularly publishes papers and book chapters and gives speeches on a wide range of legal topics.