Robert Barrie

About Robert

Robert is one of the most experienced debater in Australia. In 2012 he helped start the Western Sydney Debating Union and has since attended over 300 debating tournaments throughout his career. He has previously held the positions of President of the World University Debating Council, Chair of the Australasian Intervarsity Debating Association, Vice-President of the Australian Debating Council and Executive Officer of the Australian Debating Federation.

This love for the sport has led to a number of successes, including being appointed as Chief Adjudicator for the Australian Debating Championships in 2021, Deputy Chief Adjudicator for the Australasian Championships, also in 2021, and Deputy Chief Adjudicator for the World University Debating Championships in 2022. He has judged the grand finals of the Australian, Australasian, Asian, New Zealand, European and World Championships and was awarded Best Judge at the 2023 Australian Debating Championships.

As a debater, he has been a two-time finalist at the World Championships, as well as breaking as a debater at the Australasian Debating Championships, Australian British Parliamentary Debating Championships and winner of the Commonwealth Debating Championships. In 2024, he was also crowned Champion of the World University Debating Championships Masters Division.

Robert has also spend much of the past decade passing on his knowledge to the next generation as an adjudicator in almost every competition held in Sydney. He was the Chief Adjudicator of the Eastside Debating Championships in 2021 and CAS from 2023-2025. He has twice judged the grand final of the Australian National Schools Debating Championships (NSDC), and in 2022 judged the grand final of the World Schools Debating Championships. In 2022 he also served as one of the Chief Adjudicators of NSDC.

Robert has also coached at a number of schools in Sydney and has extensive coaching and judging experience at school tournaments and workshops overseas in countries as far and wide as Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, New Zealand and more. In 2022, he was also a co-coach of Team Australia at the World Schools Debating Championships.

In his (somewhat limited) spare time, Robert has also managed to complete both a Bachelor of Law and a Bachelor of Business and Commerce (majoring in Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations) at Western Sydney University. He was also involved in organising a number of NSW Youth Parliament events over many, and visited dozens of countries around the world to judge debating tournaments.

Robert enjoys giving back to the community that has given him so much, and would like nothing more than to pass his knowledge and experience onto the next generation of debaters, both in Australia and overseas.