Professor Natalie Bolzan made a foundational contribution in establishing a world class and industry-renowned social work program at Western Sydney University, where she worked for over two decades. She was also the inaugural appointee to the Margaret Whitlam Chair of Social Work. Natalie died in January 2017.

Through her research and teaching, Professor Bolzan pursued equality and social justice, particularly through her research with young people. Her published works focused on young people and issues of youth justice, resilience, social capital, mental health, homelessness, asylum seekers, and out-of-home care. They reflected the social and regional mission of Western Sydney University and the legacy of Margaret Whitlam.

Defining the principles of social work in a 2007 article in Asian Social Work and Policy Review, Professor Bolzan commented that ‘social workers work with, or on behalf of, individuals, groups and communities to identify, minimise and ultimately remove disadvantage associated with social arrangements, both formal and informal’. This was the model and inflection that she stamped upon the Social Work and Community Welfare programs at Western Sydney University, which not only set the university apart but also placed it at the frontiers of the discipline in Australia.

Natalie was loved and respected by students and colleagues alike and will be much missed by her many friends at the university. Our thoughts are with her family, particularly her two sons, Nat and Oli.

She had friends in social work, education and many other communities in Sydney, Australia and worldwide. Together in our loss, we would like to express our sincerest thanks to this wonderful and wise woman. Rest in peace, Natalie.

— by Neil Hall and Justine O’Sullivan