Major General Gregory Howard "Greg" Garde, (born 1 April 1949) is a senior Australian lawyer and Army officer. His positions and appointments have included Queen's Counsel, Supreme Court Justice, President of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, and membership of various boards of directors.

Early years

Garde was born on 1 April 1949 and attended Scotch College, Melbourne and the University of Melbourne. His father, John Garde, and uncle, Bruce Garde, were both practicing solicitors "for some 50 years".

Legal career

Garde has a Bachelor of Arts ( Hons), Bachelor of Laws (Hons) (1972) and Master of Laws (1975). He was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1989 and a Justice of the

Supreme Court of Victoria The Supreme Court of Victoria is the highest court in the Australian state of Victoria. Founded in 1852, it is a superior court of common law and equity, with unlimited and inherent jurisdiction within the state. The Supreme Court comprises ...

on 29 May 2012. He was named President of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal on 1 June 2012, a position he held until 30 May 2018, when he was succeeded by Justice Michelle Quigley. While President of VCAT, Justice Garde was a member of the Courts Council and the Judicial Commission of Victoria He has also been elected President of the Council of Australasian Tribunals – Victorian Chapter and a Director of the Judicial College of Victoria. Justice Garde retired as a Supreme Court justice on 30 March 2019, and was appointed as a reserve judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria on 1 April 2019 for a period of five years. Garde is the fourth general to become a Victorian judge, and the second general to become a Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria. Justice Garde was appointed as the Chair of the Victorian Law Foundation in October 2020.

Military career

Garde joined the Melbourne University Regiment in 1967.
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After he was commissioned into the Royal Australian Infantry Corps as a lieutenant, he served on a period of full-time duty with the Pacific Islands Regiment in Papua New Guinea. He was later posted to Monash University Regiment in the 1970s. In the 1980s, he was Commanding Officer of Monash University Regiment and later on transferring from the Royal Australian Infantry Corps to the Royal Australian Armoured Corps, he was appointed by the Chief of the General Staff as the Commanding Officer of the

4th/19th Prince of Wales's Light Horse The 4th/19th Prince of Wales's Light Horse (4/19 PWLH) is a cavalry regiment of the Australian Army. The regiment in its current composition was formed in 1948 when the Citizens Military Force (CMF) was re-raised after the completion of the demob ...

. Following promotion to brigadier he commanded the 4th Brigade and was later appointed as the Director-General Reserves (Army). From 2001 to 2004, as a major general, he served as Chief of Reserves and Head of Reserve Policy, the highest position for a reserve officer in the Australian Defence Force. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia on 26 January 1996, for "exceptional service to the Army Reserve", and

Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

on 26 January 2005 for "distinguished service to the Australian Defence Force Reserves, in particular as the Assistant Chief of the Defence Force (Reserves) and Head Reserve Policy".

Civilian career

Gregory Garde has been a member of Defence Health in various capacities. Since 2004, he was in its board, became its chairman in 2011, and retired as chair and director in 2019.

Family

Garde's daughter Catherine was a barrister in Western Australia. She is now a corporate solicitor practising in Victoria.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Garde, Gregory 1949 births Australian generals Australian King's Counsel Judges of the Supreme Court of Victoria Living people Officers of the Order of Australia People educated at Scotch College, Melbourne 20th-century King's Counsel University of Melbourne alumni Military personnel from Melbourne