The ABC, The Sydney Morning Herald and the University of Sydney have established the Judith Whelan Leadership Fellowship, an annual program created in memory of the trailblazing journalist and editorial leader, who died from cancer in 2024.
Each year, the ABC and the Herald will select one candidate each to take part in the Sydney Leadership Accelerator Program, a course run by the University of Sydney that helps new and experienced managers lead with confidence and move into more senior roles.
Fellowship recipients will also be able to choose an additional short course.
The ABC and the Herald, working with the Judith Whelan Fellowship Committee, will nominate at least two women leaders to mentor the successful candidates over the 12-month fellowship.
Chris Henning, Whelan’s husband, said the fellowship was a fitting way to honour her memory.
“Three institutions which she served and for which she had the greatest respect coming together in her name to foster the talents of young women in journalism, the industry she loved most – that is a fantastic initiative,” he said.
“I know she would have been pleased and so proud.”
A career across the ABC and the Herald
Whelan joined the ABC in 2016, going on to hold some of the broadcaster’s most senior roles, including Director of the Regional and Local division and, later, Editorial Director.
Before that, she spent her career at the Herald, where she served as Editor and News Director and ran Good Weekend magazine for seven years.
Whelan studied at the University of Sydney, where she was the first woman to be elected president of the University of Sydney Union.
Industry tributes.
ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks said Whelan was “an extraordinary leader at the ABC whose commitment and vision helped shape and strengthen our regional and rural services in lasting ways.”
“Her absence is felt keenly by those who had the privilege of working with her,” he said.
“This fellowship is a deeply meaningful tribute to Judith’s life and legacy – supporting and inspiring the next generation of women in journalism across the organisations that meant so much to her.”
The Sydney Morning Herald Editor Jordan Baker said Whelan was “a highly respected and much-loved colleague of many at the Herald.”
“As just the second female to edit the masthead, she was an inspiration to many women in our industry and this initiative is a wonderful way to honour her legacy,” Baker said.
University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Mark Scott said Whelan “threw herself into campus life and student politics with her trademark energy and enthusiasm, becoming the first woman to lead the University of Sydney Union.”
“As a journalist and editor she combined sharp news instincts with an appreciation and flair for stories that offered entertainment and insight as well as information,” Scott said.
“We’re proud to support this fellowship which celebrates her legacy as a mentor and inspiration to so many.”
Fellowship committee
The founding Judith Whelan Fellowship Committee comprises Chris Henning; Lee Glendinning, ABC Head of Digital and National News; Monique Farmer, National Managing Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age; Clare Masters, Executive Director of Public Affairs at the University of Sydney; and former Herald Editor Lisa Davies.
Main image: Judith Whelan