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Former Members of the High Court

Apart from the current members of the Court, there have been 10 Chief Justices and 34 Justices since the Court was established in 1903. A biographical synopsis of each is given below.


Chief Justices

Sir Samuel Griffith (born 1845; died 1920). Chief Justice 1903-19. Admitted Queensland Bar 1867 (QC 1876). MLA (Queensland) 1872-93, including Attorney-General 1874-78, Leader of the Opposition 1879-83, Premier 1883-88, Coalition Premier & Attorney-General 1890-93. Chief Justice of Queensland 1893-1903. PC (1901).

Sir Adrian Knox (born 1863; died 1932). Chief Justice 1919-30. MLA (NSW) 1894-98. Called to English Bar 1886. Admitted NSW Bar 1886 (KC 1906). PC (1920).

Sir Isaac Isaacs (born 1855; died 1948). A Justice 1906-30. Chief Justice 1930-31. Admitted Victorian Bar 1880 (QC 1899). MLA (Victoria) 1892-1901, including Attorney-General 1894-99 and 1900-01. MHR 1901-06, including Attorney-General 1904-06. Governor-General of Australia 1931-36. PC (1921).

Sir Frank Gavan Duffy (born 1852; died 1936). A Justice 1913-31. Chief Justice 1931-35. Admitted Victorian Bar 1874 (KC 1901). Founding editor of Australian Law Times 1879-1883. PC (1932).

Sir John Latham (born 1877; died 1964). Chief Justice 1935-52. Joined Victorian Bar 1904 (KC 1922). Lt Commander, Naval Intelligence, World War I. MHR 1922-34, including Attorney-General 1925-29 and 1931-34. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for External Affairs 1931-34. Leader of the Opposition 1929-31. First Australian Minister to Japan 1940. PC (1933).

Sir Owen Dixon (born 1886; died 1972). A Justice 1929-52. Chief Justice 1952-64. Joined Victorian Bar 1910 (KC 1922). Acting Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria 1926. Australian Minister to Washington 1942-44. PC (1951).

Sir Garfield Barwick (born 1903; died 1997). Chief Justice 1964-81. Admitted NSW Bar 1927 (KC 1941). President NSW Bar Association 1950-52 and 1955-56. President Law Council of Australia 1952-54. MHR 1958-64, including Attorney-General 1958-61, Minister for External Affairs 1961-64. Judge International Court of Justice 1973-74. PC (1964).

Sir Harry Gibbs (born 1917; died 2005). A Justice 1970-81. Chief Justice 1981-87. Admitted Queensland Bar 1939 (QC 1957). Served in World War II as Major in Australian Army. Judge of Queensland Supreme Court 1961-67. Judge of Federal Court of Bankruptcy and ACT Supreme Court 1967-70. PC (1972).

Sir Anthony Mason (born 1925). A Justice 1972-87. Chief Justice 1987-95. Admitted NSW Bar 1951 (QC 1964). Served in RAAF, World War II. Commonwealth Solicitor-General 1964-69. Judge NSW Court of Appeal 1969-72.

Sir Gerard Brennan (born 1928). A Justice 1981-95. Chief Justice 1995-98. Admitted Queensland Bar 1951 (QC 1965). Member, Australian Law Reform Commission 1975-77. First President Administrative Appeals Tribunal 1976-79. Judge, Australian Industrial Court and Additional Judge, ACT Supreme Court, 1976-81. Judge, Federal Court of Australia, 1977-81.

Justices

Sir Edmund Barton (born 1849; died 1920). A Justice 1903-20. Admitted NSW Bar 1871 (QC 1889). MLA (NSW) 1879-87 and 1891-94 (Attorney-General) and 1898-1900 (Leader of the Opposition). MLC (NSW) 1897-98. First Prime Minister of Australia and Minister for External Affairs 1901-03. PC (1901).

Richard Edward O'Connor (born 1851; died 1912). A Justice 1903-12. Admitted NSW Bar 1876 (QC 1889). MLC (NSW) 1887-1900, including Minister for Justice 1891-93. Senator 1901-03 (Leader). First President Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Court 1905-07.

Sir Isaac Isaacs see entry under Chief Justices.

Henry Bournes Higgins (born 1851; died 1929). A Justice 1906-29. Admitted Victorian Bar 1876 (KC 1903). Called to English Bar 1886. MLA (Victoria) 1894-1900. MHR 1901-06, including Attorney-General 1904. President Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration 1907-20.

Sir Frank Gavan Duffy see entry under Chief Justices.

Sir Charles Powers (born 1853; died 1939). A Justice 1913-29. Admitted Queensland Bar 1894. MLA (Qld) 1888-95, including Postmaster-General 1889-90, Leader of the Opposition 1894-95. Crown Solicitor (Qld) 1899-1903. First Commonwealth Crown Solicitor 1903-13. President Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration 1921-26.

Albert Bathurst Piddington (born 1862; died 1945). A Justice 6 March 1913 - 5 April 1913. Admitted NSW Bar 1890 (KC 1921). MLA (NSW) 1895. President NSW Industrial Commission 1927-32.

Sir George Rich (born 1863; died 1956). A Justice 1913-50. Admitted NSW Bar 1887 (KC 1911). Judge Supreme Court of NSW 1911-13. Australian delegate to League of Nations 1922. PC (1936).

Sir Hayden Starke (born 1871; died 1958). A Justice 1920-50. Joined Victorian Bar 1892. He refused to accept silk.

Sir Owen Dixon see entry under Chief Justices.

Herbert Vere Evatt (born 1894; died 1965). A Justice 1930-40. Admitted NSW Bar 1918 (KC 1929). MLA (NSW) 1925-30. MHR 1940-1960, including Attorney-General and Minister for External Affairs 1941-49, Leader of the Opposition 1951-60. President United Nations General Assembly 1948-49. Chief Justice Supreme Court of NSW 1960-62. PC (1942).

Sir Edward McTiernan (born 1892; died 1990). A Justice 1930-76. Admitted NSW Bar 1916. MLA (NSW) 1920-27, including Attorney-General 1920-22 and 1925-27. MHR 1929-30. PC (1963).

Sir Dudley Williams (born 1889; died 1963). A Justice 1940-58. Admitted NSW Bar 1921 (KC 1935). Captain, Royal Field Artillery, World War I, awarded Military Cross. Judge Supreme Court of NSW 1939-40.

Sir William Webb (born 1887; died 1972). A Justice 1946-58. Admitted Queensland Bar 1913. State Public Defender 1916. Crown Solicitor 1917-22. Solicitor-General (Qld) 1922-25. Judge (1925-40) and Chief Justice (1940-46) Supreme Court of Queensland. President Queensland Industrial Arbitration Court (1925-46). President International Military Tribunal for the Far East 1946-48.

Sir Wilfred Fullagar (born 1892; died 1961). A Justice 1950-61. Joined Victorian Bar 1922 (KC 1933). Served with 27th Battery, Australian Field Artillery, World War I. Judge Supreme Court of Victoria 1945-50.

Sir Frank Kitto (born 1903; died 1994). A Justice 1950-70. Admitted NSW Bar 1927 (KC 1942). Chairman Australian Press Council 1976-82. PC (1963).

Sir Alan Taylor (born 1901; died 1969). A Justice 1952-69. Admitted NSW Bar 1926 (KC 1943). President NSW Bar Association 1948-49. Judge Supreme Court of NSW 1952. PC (1963).

Sir Douglas Menzies (born 1907; died 1974). A Justice 1958-74. Joined Victorian Bar 1930 (KC 1949). President Law Council of Australia 1956-58. President Victorian Bar Council 1958. PC (1963).

Sir Victor Windeyer (born 1900; died 1987). A Justice 1958-72. Admitted NSW Bar 1925 (KC 1949). In World War II as Lt Colonel commanded Sydney University Regiment and 2/48 Battalion AIF and, as Brigadier, 20th Australian Infantry Brigade AIF. Awarded DSO and bar, and three times mentioned in dispatches. Promoted Major-General and commanded 2nd Division CMF (1950-52). PC (1963).

Sir William Owen (born 1899; died 1972). A Justice 1961-72. Admitted NSW Bar 1923 (KC 1935). Wounded in action serving with AIF, World War I. Judge Supreme Court of NSW 1936-61. PC (1963).

Sir Cyril Walsh (born 1909; died 1973). A Justice 1969-73. Admitted NSW Bar 1934. Judge Supreme Court of NSW 1954-69, Judge of Appeal 1966-69. PC (1971).

Sir Harry Gibbs see entry under Chief Justices.

Sir Ninian Stephen (born 1923). A Justice 1972-82. Joined Victorian Bar 1952 (QC 1966). Served with AIF, World War II. Judge Supreme Court of Victoria 1970-72. Governor-General of Australia 1982-89. Australian Ambassador for the Environment 1989-92. Chairman, Second Strand Nthn Ireland Peace Talks 1992. Judge International Tribunals for former Yugoslavia and Rwanda since 1993. PC (1979).

Sir Anthony Mason see entry under Chief Justices.

Sir Kenneth Jacobs (born 1917). A Justice 1974-79. Admitted NSW Bar 1947 (QC 1958). Served with AIF, World War II. Judge Supreme Court of NSW 1960-74, Judge of Appeal 1966-74, President Court of Appeal 1972-74.

Lionel Keith Murphy (born 1922; died 1986). A Justice 1975-86. Admitted NSW Bar 1947 (QC 1960). Senator 1962-74, including Government Leader, Attorney-General and Minister for Customs and Excise 1972-75.

Sir Keith Aickin (born 1916; died 1982). A Justice 1976-82. Joined Victorian Bar 1949 (QC 1957). Member, Legal Department of United Nations 1942-48.

Sir Ronald Wilson (born 1922; died 2005). A Justice 1979-89. Admitted WA Bar 1951 (QC 1963). Served in RAAF, World War II. Chief Crown Prosecutor 1959-61, Crown Counsel 1961-69, Solicitor-General (WA) 1969-79. Moderator, WA Synod, Uniting Church 1977-79. President, Uniting Church of Australia 1988-91. President, Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission 1990-97.

Sir Gerard Brennan see entry under Chief Justices.

Sir William Deane (born 1931). A Justice 1982-95. Admitted NSW Bar 1957 (QC 1966). Judge Supreme Court of NSW 1977. Judge, Federal Court of Australia 1977-82. President, Australian Trade Practices Tribunal 1977-82. Governor-General of Australia 1996-2001.

Sir Daryl Dawson (born 1933). A Justice 1982-97. Joined Victorian Bar 1957, Tasmanian Bar 1972 (QC 1971). Solicitor-General (Vic) 1974-82. Lieut. Cmdr. RANVR. Member Australian Motor Sport Appeal Court 1974-86, Chairman 1987.

John Leslie Toohey (born 1930). A Justice 1987-98. Admitted WA Bar 1952 (QC 1968). Judge, Federal Court of Australia & Supreme Court of NT 1977-87. NT Aboriginal Land Commissioner 1977-82. Member, Constitutional Commission 1985-86 & Presidential Member, AAT.

Mary Genevieve Gaudron (born 1943). A Justice 1987-2003. Admitted to NSW Bar 1968 (QC 1981). Deputy President, Australian Conciliation and Arbitration Commission 1974-1980. Chairman, NSW Legal Services
Commission 1979-80. Solicitor-General (NSW) 1981-87.

Michael Hudson McHugh (born 1935). A Justice 1989-2005. Admitted to NSW Bar 1961 (QC 1973). Judge of Court of Appeal and Supreme Court NSW 1984-89. President NSW Bar Association 1981-83. President Australian Bar Association 1983-84.

Ian David Francis Callinan (born 1937). A Justice 1998-2007. Admitted to the Queensland Bar in 1965 and was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1978. President of the Queensland Bar Association between 1984 and 1987, President of the Australian Bar Association in 1984-85. Appointed a Companion in the General Division of the Order of Australia in 2003.