44 Notable alumni of
Western Sydney University
Updated:
Western Sydney University is 1230th in the world, 26th in Oceania, and 21st in Australia by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 44 notable alumni from Western Sydney University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Yvonne Strahovski
- Occupations
- voice actortelevision actoractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Yvonne Jaqueline Strzechowski, known professionally as Yvonne Strahovski, is an Australian actress. She is known for her roles as Sarah Walker in the spy comedy drama series Chuck (2007–2012), Hannah McKay in the drama series Dexter (2012–2013) and Kate Morgan in the event series 24: Live Another Day (2014). Strahovski starred as Serena Joy Waterford in the drama series The Handmaid's Tale (2017–2025), for which she has received nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Golden Globe Award.
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Joel Edgerton
- Occupations
- film producerfilm actorfilm directortelevision actoractor
- Biography
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Joel Edgerton is an Australian actor and filmmaker. He is known for his portrayal of Will McGill on the first two seasons of the Australian drama series The Secret Life of Us (2001–02), and for playing Owen Lars in the Star Wars films Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005), a role he reprised in the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022). He also voiced Metal Beak from Warner Bros. Pictures' fantasy adventure film Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010). For his portrayal of Richard Loving in the 2016 historical drama Loving, he received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama, and a further nomination in the same category for Train Dreams.
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David Wenham
- Occupations
- film producerfilm actorstage actorfilm directortelevision actor
- Biography
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David Wenham AM is an Australian actor who has appeared in film, television and theatre. He is known for his roles as Faramir in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, Friar Carl in Van Helsing and Van Helsing: The London Assignment, Dilios in 300 and its sequel 300: Rise of an Empire, Al Parker in Top of the Lake, Lieutenant John Scarfield in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, and Hank Snow in Elvis. He is known in his native Australia for his role as Diver Dan in SeaChange and Price Galese in Les Norton.
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Aziz Shavershian
- Occupations
- personal trainermodelYouTuberInternet celebritytelevision producer
- Biography
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Aziz Sergeyevich Shavershian, better known as Zyzz, was an Australian bodybuilder and model. He established a cult following after posting videos of himself on YouTube, starting in 2007.
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Nathaniel Buzolic
- Occupations
- film actoractortelevision actor
- Biography
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Nathaniel Buzolic is an Australian actor. He was the host of Nine Network's late-night television quiz show The Mint, and had a regular role on the BBC soap opera Out of the Blue (2008). He was also a co-host of the educational show Weather Ed on Sky News Weather Channel. He is also known for his role as Kol Mikaelson on the CW show The Vampire Diaries and its spin-off The Originals.
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Nicole da Silva
- Occupations
- actor
- Biography
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Nicole da Silva is an Australian stage, film and television actress, best known for her roles as Stella Dagostino in the series Rush, and as Franky Doyle in the show Wentworth (2013–2018, 2019). She has made appearances in series such as Carla Cametti PD (2009) and Doctor Doctor (2016–2021).
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Negar Khan
- Occupations
- modelactor
- Biography
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Negar Khan is an Iranian-born Norwegian actress. She is best known for her Bollywood item songs and film work.
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Jana Pittman
- Occupations
- athletics competitorsprinterbobsledder
- Biography
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Jana Pittman is an Australian former athlete. During her athletic career Pittman specialised in the 400 metres run and 400-metre hurdles events. She is a two-time world champion in the 400 m hurdles, from 2003 and 2007. She also won the gold medal in this event at the 2002 and 2006 Commonwealth Games and was part of Australia's winning 4 × 400 metres relay teams at both events.
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Don Hany
- Occupations
- film actoractortelevision actor
- Biography
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Don Hany is an Australian film, television, and stage actor. He is best known in Australia for his role as Zane Malik in East West 101 and in the US for starring in the NBC medical comedy-drama series Heartbeat.
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Monika Radulovic
- Occupations
- beauty pageant contestantmodelreality television participant
- Biography
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Monika Radulovic; Serbian: Моника Радуловић, romanized: Monika Radulović is an Australian model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe Australia 2015 and represented Australia at the Miss Universe 2015 pageant, ultimately placing in the Top 5 finalist.
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Ed Husic
- Occupations
- trade unionistpolitician
- Biography
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Edham Nurredin "Ed" Husic is an Australian politician. Husic is a member of the Australian House of Representatives, elected to represent the seat of Chifley in western Sydney for the Australian Labor Party at the 2010 federal election. He served as Minister for Industry and Science in the first Albanese ministry between 2022 and 2025.
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Paul Murray
- Occupations
- radio personalitytelevision presenter
- Biography
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Paul Murray is an Australian conservative political commentator based in Sydney. He was the former regular mornings presenter on 2UE show A Sydney Morning. He also hosts Paul Murray Live on Sky News Australia, which airs Sunday to Thursday at 9 pm AEST, as well as a Saturday Edition.
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Durga Shanker Mishra
- Occupations
- civil servant
- Biography
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Durga Shanker Mishra is a 1984 batch retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre. He served as Chief Secretary to Government of Uttar Pradesh from 30 December 2021 till 30 June 2024. Previously, he served as Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary and Chairman of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.
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Aziz Syamsuddin
- Enrolled in Western Sydney University
- In 1999 studied finance
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Azis Syamsuddin is an Indonesian politician who served as First Deputy Speaker of the People's Representative Council from 2019 to 2021.
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Alfred Nganga Mutua
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Alfred Nganga Mutua is a Kenyan journalist and politician who is serving as the Kenyan Minister (Cabinet Secretary) for Labour and Social Protection, an appointment he received as part of the July/August 2024 cabinet reshuffle. He previously served as the Minister for Tourism and Wildlife. Before that he served as the Cabinet Secretary (Minister) for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs under President William Ruto. Mutua was, together with the entire Cabinet members, dismissed from the cabinet in July, 2024 as President William Ruto planned to reorganize his Government. He was one of only 10 of the dismissed members of Cabinet who were reappointed back into Cabinet. Twelve of the dismissed Cabinet members were not reappointed.
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Ben Quilty
- Occupations
- painter
- Biography
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Ben Quilty is an Australian artist and social commentator, who has won a series of painting prizes: the 2014 Prudential Eye Award, 2011 Archibald Prize, and 2009 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize. He has been described as one of Australia's most famous living artists.
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Benny Elias
- Occupations
- rugby league player
- Biography
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Ben Elias is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. He played primarily as a hooker for Balmain in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership. He was one of the leading hookers from the mid-1980s until his retirement at the end of the 1994 season. Along with Wayne Pearce, Paul Sironen and Steve Roach, Elias and his Balmain teammates formed one of the best forward packs in the modern era during the late 1980s.
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Yaw Shin Leong
- Occupations
- businesspersonpolitician
- Biography
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Yaw Shin Leong was a Singaporean businessman and politician. A former member of the Workers' Party (WP), he was the Member of Parliament for Hougang Single Member Constituency (SMC) between 2011 and 2012.
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Cathy McGowan
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Catherine McGowan AO is an Australian former politician who was the independent MP for the rural Victorian seat of Indi from the 2013 federal election, when she defeated Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella, until her retirement before the 2019 federal election.
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David Elliott
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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David Andrew Elliott is an Australian former politician. Elliott served as the New South Wales Minister for Transport and the Minister for Veterans in the Perrottet ministry between 21 December 2021 and 25 March 2023. Elliott was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Baulkham Hills for the Liberal Party between 2011 and 2023.
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Richard Teng
- Born in
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Singapore - Enrolled in Western Sydney University
- Graduated with master's degree
- Occupations
- directorchief executive officersenior vice president
- Biography
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Richard Teng is a Singaporean business executive who is the co-chief executive officer of Binance, a cryptocurrency exchange. Previously, he worked for the Monetary Authority of Singapore and was chief regulatory officer of the Singapore Exchange and CEO of the Abu Dhabi Global Market.
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Anne Deveson
- Occupations
- broadcaster
- Biography
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Anne Barbara Deveson AO was an Australian writer, broadcaster and filmmaker who also worked in England.
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Anita Heiss
- Occupations
- novelist
- Biography
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Anita Marianne Heiss AM is an Aboriginal Australian author, poet, cultural activist and social commentator. She is an advocate for Indigenous Australian literature and literacy, through her writing for adults and children and her membership of boards and committees.
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Melissa McIntosh
- Occupations
- managerpolitician
- Biography
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Melissa Iris McIntosh is an Australian politician. She is a member of the Liberal Party and was elected to the House of Representatives at the 2019 federal election, running in the New South Wales seat of Lindsay.
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Dani Stevens
- Occupations
- athletics competitor
- Biography
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Dani Stevens is an Australian retired discus thrower who in 2009 became the youngest ever female world champion in the event. She is the current national and Oceanian record holder.
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Geoff Lee
- Years
- 1967-.. (age 59)
- Occupations
- politicianmember of legislative assembly
- Biography
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Geoffrey Lee is a former Australian politician. He was the Minister for Corrections in the second Perrottet ministry between December 2021 and March 2023. He has previously served as the Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education in the second Berejiklian and Perrottet ministries between April 2019 and December 2021. Lee was also a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Parramatta for the Liberal Party since 2011 until his retirement in 2023.
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Shannon Cole
- Occupations
- association football player
- Biography
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Shannon Cole is a former professional footballer turned coach, who is currently the head coach of Central Coast United in NSW League Two.
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Syed Ziaur Rahman
- Occupations
- translatorpharmacologist
- Biography
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Syed Ziaur Rahman is a permanent member of 'Board of Trustees' and Chair of the Advisory Council, International Association of Medical Colleges (IAOMC). He also serves as Chairman, Department of Pharmacology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh, Elected Secretary of IAOMC and Society of Pharmacovigilance, India (SoPI).
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Niall Blair
- Occupations
- firefighterpolitician
- Biography
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Niall Mark Blair is a former Australian politician and served as the Deputy Leader of the New South Wales Nationals from November 2016 until October 2019. Blair was a Nationals member of the New South Wales Legislative Council from March 2011 until October 2019, when he retired from politics. Blair is currently the Chair of the board of Sydney Water Corporation since October 2024.
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Stephanie Dowrick
- Enrolled in Western Sydney University
- Studied in 2008
- Occupations
- writerChristian minister
- Biography
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Stephanie Dowrick is an Australian writer, Interfaith Minister and social activist. She is the author of more than 20 books of fiction and non-fiction, five of them best-sellers. She was a publisher in Australia and the UK, where she co-founded The Women's Press, London.
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Jonathan Boulet
- Biography
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Jonathan Boulet is an Australian musician from Sydney. Best known for his work as a solo artist, he wrote, recorded, produced and played almost every instrument in his small garage studio for his debut self-titled album. He played at the Splendour in the Grass music festival in July 2010. He has also toured and performed with acts such as Kate Nash, The Middle East, Tame Impala and Mumford and Sons. In December 2009, Boulet's self-titled debut album was the feature album on triple j.
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Melissa Perrine
- Occupations
- alpine skier
- Biography
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Melissa Perrine is a B2 classified visually impaired para-alpine skier from Australia. She has competed at the four Winter Paralympics from 2010 to 2022. At the 2015 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships, she won three gold, one silver and one bronze medals. At the 2018 Winter Paralympics, she won two bronze medals.
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Chua Ek Kay
- Occupations
- painter
- Biography
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Chua Ek Kay was a Singaporean artist hailed as the "bridge between Asian and Western art" with a unique painting style using Chinese ink on paper that demonstrated an ingenious blend of traditional Chinese painting forms with Western art theories and techniques. Most of his works were themed of Chinatown street scenes, lotuses, and abstract works inspired by Australian aboriginal cave paintings.
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Stephen Bali
- Enrolled in Western Sydney University
- Graduated with Bachelor of Business
- Occupations
- trade unionistpolitician
- Biography
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Stephen Louis Bali is an Australian politician. He has been a Labor member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing the Electoral District of Blacktown since a by-election held to replace former Labor leader John Robertson in late 2017. He previously served as the mayor of Blacktown City Council between 2014 and 2019.
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Darren Yap
- Occupations
- actortelevision actordirector
- Biography
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Darren Yap is an Australian actor and director based in Sydney, Australia.
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Jai Rowell
- Years
- 1977-.. (age 49)
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Jai Travers Rowell, an Australian former politician, was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Wollondilly for the Liberal Party from 2011 to 2018. In April 2014, Rowell was appointed as Minister for Mental Health and Assistant Minister for Health during the Cabinet reshuffle under Premier Mike Baird. Under Gladys Berejiklian as Premier, Rowell was appointed as Special Adviser to the Premier and the NSW Government on Science, Industry and Innovation, a first of its kind. Rowell was the first Liberal Indigenous member of the NSW Legislative Assembly. Rowell has been appointed by Western Sydney University as a Fellow of Law.
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Rosie Scott
- Occupations
- novelist
- Biography
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Rosie Scott AM was a novelist, poet, playwright, short-story writer, non-fiction writer, editor and lecturer, with dual Australian and New Zealand citizenship.
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Ben Peek
- Occupations
- science fiction writer
- Biography
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Ben Peek is an Australian author. His middle name is Michael.
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Joseph Tramontana
- Occupations
- rugby league player
- Biography
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Joseph "Joey" Tramontana is an Italy international rugby league footballer who plays as a hooker for the Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles for the Intrust Super Premiership.
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Hollis Taylor
- Enrolled in Western Sydney University
- 2005-2009 graduated with Doctor of Philosophy
- Occupations
- researcher
- Biography
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Hollis Taylor is an American-born Australian zoomusicologist and composer and a violinist and fiddler. She has argued that birdsong should be approached as music.
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Mireille Astore
- Occupations
- photographerwriter
- Biography
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Mireille Eid is an artist and a writer. She left Beirut during the Lebanese civil war in 1975 to live in Melbourne, Australia. She studied the Sciences at the University of Melbourne where she graduated before becoming a full-time artist and writer. Influenced by continental philosophy, her art draws on autobiographical notions of representation and the unheimlich; where the conscious intersects with the unconscious. Through her art and her writing she "explores human emotions" and "asks what it is to be human". Mireille Eid (Astore) attained a PhD in Contemporary Arts from the University of Western Sydney (2008). She was Research Affiliate (2009–2013) at Sydney College of the Arts, the Visual Arts Faculty of the University of Sydney and Research Fellow (2011–2012) at the American University of Beirut.
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Nick Kopia Kuman
- Occupations
- civil servantpolitician
- Biography
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Nick Kopia Kuman is a Papua New Guinea politician. He is a Member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea, representing the seat of Gumine Open since 2002 as a member of People's National Congress.
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Francis Vaiotu
- Occupations
- rugby league player
- Biography
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Francis Vaiotu is a New Zealand rugby league footballer for Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League. His positions of choice is Winger or Centre. He made is NRL Debut in Round 14 2011 against the Melbourne Storm. Francis has a Diploma in Community Welfare from TAFE and a Bachelor of Health Science PDHPE degree from the University of Western Sydney. Vaiotu is a product of rugby league club Cabramatta Two Blues and school Fairfield Patrician Brothers College. He is married to Erin Vaiotu (m. 2016).
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Joanne Hadjia
- Occupations
- singer
- Biography
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Joanne Hadjia, known professionally as Joey Djia (formerly known as Joelle until 2016, NOWIMJOEY until 2017, JOEY until 2018), is an Australian singer. She is first known as a contestant in the fourth season of The X Factor Australia, where she performed as part of the duo Good Question, and later in the show's fifth season as a solo act.
