Malcolm McCusker

Malcolm James McCusker AC CVO QC became the 31st Governor of Western Australia on July 1, 2011, and his term concluded on June 30, 2014. He was born in North Perth and educated at North Perth and Lenah Valley Primary Schools, Hobart High School, and Perth Modern School. He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Western Australia and was admitted to practice in 1961. As a barrister, he has appeared in the WA Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, Federal Court, High Court, and Privy Council. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1982. Mr McCusker is well known for his successful representation in a number of high profile cases, often pro bono, of wrongfully convicted persons. In conjunction with his legal practice, for many years he was a part-time lecturer at the University of Western Australia in the Faculties of Law and Commerce. He is chairman of the McCusker Charitable Foundation, which distributes substantial funds each year to worthy charitable bodies, principally (but not exclusively) supporting medical research. Mr McCusker has had a strong interest in agriculture and agricultural research for nearly 50 years. Mr McCusker is married to Tonya. They have a daughter, Mary, and she and his stepsons, Nikolas and James, live with them.