Professor Helen Garnett is a senior science leader and experienced company director, with a distinguished record spanning national science infrastructure, research and university leadership.
Professor Garnett completed a Bachelor of Science (Honours) at the University of Sydney before proceeding to study overseas at the University of London and the University of Wales. With a husband in the mining industry, she moved to South Africa and became a Professor at the University of Witwatersrand. In 1987 she returned to Australia as Professor and Head of the Department of Biology at the University of Wollongong and is now an Emeritus Professor of the University of Wollongong and Charles Darwin University.
In 1992, Professor Garnett was appointed Deputy Executive Director of ANSTO and then Executive Director in 1993, where she served for over 10 years, overseeing nationally significant nuclear science, technology and facilities at Lucas Heights. She played a key role in securing funding for the replacement research reactor program and represented Australia on the UN International Atomic Energy Agency. In 2003 she became the inaugural Vice-Chancellor of the newly established Charles Darwin University.
Professor Garnett was awarded the Centenary Medal (2003) for contributions to nuclear science and technology and the Public Service Medal (2004) for leadership of ANSTO. She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, and brings deep experience across research, higher education, government and industry.
Professor Garnett currently holds a number of chair and non-executive director appointments, including Chairperson of the Larrakia Cultural Centre and Chairperson of Generator Property Management Pty Ltd, and serves as a Non-Executive Director of The Crawford Fund, the Larrakia Development Corporation and Energy Consumers Australia.
Appointed: 16 April 2026
Term concludes: 15 April 2029