Christine Nixon
| Christine Nixon | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
11 June 1953 Manly, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Residence | Melbourne |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Education |
BA, Macquarie University MPA, Harvard Kennedy School |
| Known for | First woman to become a police commissioner in Australia. |
| Title | Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police |
| Term | 2001–2009 |
| Predecessor | Neil Comrie |
| Successor | Simon Overland |
| Spouse(s) | John Becquet |
Christine Nixon APM (born 11 June 1953) is an Australian former police officer who was the chief commissioner of Victoria Police from 23 April 2001 to 27 February 2009, being the first female chief commissioner in any Australian state police force. After leaving Victoria Police, she was appointed as chair of the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority in February 2009 until she stood down from the position in July 2010.
Nixon attended Macquarie University before attaining a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
The daughter of Ross Nixon, an assistant commissioner with the New South Wales Police Force, Christine Nixon began her policing career with the same police force in 1972, also rising to the rank of Assistant Commissioner.
She was appointed Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police in April 2001 by the Bracks Labor government.
Having initially set a retirement date of late March 2009, Nixon departed earlier at the request of the Victorian Government to take on responsibility for the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority.
She was succeeded as Chief Commissioner by Simon Overland.
As Chief Commissioner, Nixon marched in uniform during Melbourne's gay and lesbian 'Pride March', run as part of the Midsumma Festival. Nixon is heterosexual but marched to express her support for gay and lesbian causes, stating "What I'm doing is supporting decent and reasonable people who want to get on with their lives, and they have been treated appallingly previously by the Police, and I'm prepared to do something about it. And if it's a small symbol of marching with them, then that would be a reasonable thing to do."
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