Georgie Burgess
24 November 2025: Recognising and reflecting on decades of tireless service and commitment to the art of pharmacy, the University of Canberra is proud to honour the legacy of the late Professor Gabrielle Cooper OAM.
The Honourable Bill Shorten, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University announced that a Clinical Practice Suite would be named after the founder of the Discipline of Pharmacy – reflecting on the ways she embodied the University’s values during his address at the inaugural Gabrielle Cooper OAM Memorial held on campus.
“She was – in the words of her colleagues – collegial, compassionate, committed and kind. But even more than that, she embodied the values of higher education in its purest form – to serve the needs of society.”
Promising that her legacy will never be forgotten, Mr Shorten said he hoped the space would provide comfort to her loved ones, including her husband, Dr Bill Burke, who attended the announcement. .
Professor Cooper established the Discipline of Pharmacy at the University, to address the critical shortage of pharmacists in Canberra and the surrounding region in 2003.
She was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for “service to the pharmacy sector and to tertiary education” in 2017.
“Gabrielle will long be remembered by those who worked with her, were taught by her, and who benefited from her wisdom and mentorship,” Mr Shorten said.
University of Canberra Pharmacy Discipline Lecturer and Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) National Vice-President, Professor Mark Naunton welcomed the announcement as he remembered his friend and colleague.
“Gabrielle’s ambition was not about personal glory. Gabrielle was the mother who nurtured the future generation. People always came first. Her mentorship and influence continue through the generations of pharmacists and health professionals she educated and inspired,” he said.
The inaugural memorial was attended by pharmacists from across the ACT, as well as other leading healthcare professionals, who joined together to remember the distinguished career of Professor Cooper – which also included servings as PSA’s first ACT Branch President, and roles as Director of Pharmacy at John James Memorial Hospital, Poisons Information Pharmacist at The Canberra Hospital and Director of Pharmacy at Calvary Hospital.
“It is clear to see, by the abundance of people celebrating her life and legacy, that she was a positive role model to students, pharmacists, healthcare workers, and policymakers alike,” Professor Naunton said.
In what is hoped to become an annual event, the inaugural keynote address was delivered by Dr David Caldicott, a renowned emergency physician in Canberra who spoke about the journey towards implementing pill testing services in Australia – a topic aligned with Professor Cooper’s passion for harm minimisation and toxicology.
