[6] McBryde completed honours and master's degrees, in Latin and history, at the University of Melbourne.
[9] According to Sandra Bowdler and Genevieve Clune, her PhD was the first-ever awarded based on Australian archaeological fieldwork.
[11] In 1990, McBryde became an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for her "service to education, particularly in the field of Australian Prehistory".
[12] In 2001, McBryde received a further honour from the Australian Government, being awarded a Centenary Medal "for service to cultural heritage and as a distinguished archaeologist".
[16] Her work is described and lauded in Billy Griffiths' 2018 award-winning book Deep Time Dreaming: Uncovering Ancient Australia.