Judith Neilson
Judith Neilson is an Australian philanthropist and the patron of the Judith Neilson Institute. Her commitment of $100 million to establish the Institute reflects a desire to improve the quality of journalism that informs public debate.
In 2015, she endowed a Chair of Architecture at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), to lead research into innovative housing solutions for people displaced by natural disasters and conflict.
She was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2016 in recognition of her charitable work and contribution to the arts.
In 2017, she created the Judith Neilson Chair of Contemporary Art at UNSW and a Scholarship in Contemporary Art at the University of Sydney.
Judith operates the White Rabbit Gallery in Sydney and has built one of the world’s most significant collections of Chinese contemporary art. In 2018, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by UNSW for her role in furthering knowledge of contemporary art.
Judith is also a patron of Anti-Slavery Australia, and maintains a long-standing interest in humanitarian causes, as well as art and architecture.
JNI's headquarters
The building is a lively hub for all things journalism and storytelling, and plays a vital role in the Institute's work supporting quality journalism and informed debate.
The home of the Judith Neilson Institute is a gift to the journalism community from our patron, in addition to her initial pledge of $100 million to create the Institute. Our patron is well-known for her commitment to quality design and architecture, and this is borne out in the building — a sympathetic renovation of a 19th century glass factory and adjacent buildings, which, over their lifetimes, housed grocers, bag and sack merchants and an athletic club.
The design of JNI’s home is ideal for us to deliver on our mission to support quality journalism and informed debate. There is space for a small permanent staff to work, a flexible open plan area for news teams and visiting journalists to work or participate in workshops and education programs, and an auditorium (pictured) for events and virtual conferences, with state-of-the-art technology throughout.
JNI’s headquarters is a lively hub for all things journalism and storytelling; a beautiful venue for events of all kinds, including debates, seminars, workshops, as well as film festivals and satirical performances. It is also the base for JNI's Journalists-in-Residence, who come to Chippendale from around Australia and the world to participate in our programs and work on special projects.