Sir Albert Edward Woodward (6 August 1928 – 15 April 2010) was an Australian jurist. Woodward was born in

Ballarat Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands of Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Ballarat had a population of 116,201, making it the third largest city in Victoria. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. Within months of Vi ...

in to

Eric Woodward Lieutenant General Sir Eric Winslow Woodward (21 July 1899 – 29 December 1967) was an Australian military officer and viceroy. Following long service in the Australian Army, including terms as Deputy Chief of the General Staff and General Off ...

(later as Lieutenant General Sir Eric Woodward, a

Governor of New South Wales The governor of New South Wales is the viceregal representative of the Australian monarch, King Charles III, in the state of New South Wales. In an analogous way to the governor-general of Australia at the national level, the governors of the ...

) and Amy Freame Weller. After completing both his primary and secondary education at

Melbourne Grammar School (Pray and Work) , established = 1849 (on present site since 1858 - the celebrated date of foundation) , type = Independent, co-educational primary, single-sex boys secondary, day and boarding , denomination ...

, Woodward continued his studies at the University of Melbourne, where he graduated with a Master of Laws. He was admitted to the bar in 1951 and was appointed a

Queen's Counsel In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel (post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of a queen, is a lawyer (usually a barrister or ...

in 1965. During his career, he sat on several boards and 17 Royal Commissions, on four of which he was the Chairman. The most famous of these was the

Aboriginal Land Rights Commission The Aboriginal Land Rights Commission, also known as the Woodward Royal Commission, was a Royal Commission that existed from 1973 to 1974 with the purpose to inquire into appropriate ways to recognise Aboriginal land rights in the Northern Terr ...

in 1973–74. He was President of the Trade Practices Tribunal 1974–76 and a Justice of the

Federal Court of Australia The Federal Court of Australia is an Australian superior court of record which has jurisdiction to deal with most civil disputes governed by federal law (with the exception of family law matters), along with some summary (less serious) and indic ...

1977–90. As Director-General of Security between 1976 and 1981, he headed the

Australian Security Intelligence Organisation The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO ) is Australia's national security agency responsible for the protection of the country and its citizens from espionage, sabotage, acts of foreign interference, politically motivated vi ...

. He was a member of Camberwell Grammar School Council between 1972 and 1987 and Chairman in 1987. He was made a Life Governor of the school in 2002. In 1990 he succeeded Sir Roy Douglas Wright as

Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

of his alma mater, the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb n ...

, a post he held until 2001. He died aged 81 years.

Honours

He was made an Officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

in 1969, for service as Royal Commissioner into the Stevedoring Industry. He was made a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are t ...

in 1982 and Companion 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 Go ...

in 2001. He declined the governorship of Victoria on the grounds that he did not think it was appropriate for an

atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...

to hold the position.

Publications

* *

References

External links

Obituary: Judge sought social justice for all
The Sydney Morning Herald, 29 April 2010.
Three Wigs and Five Hats
by A. E. Woodward 1928 births 2010 deaths Judges of the Federal Court of Australia Australian royal commissioners Directors-General of Security Chancellors of the University of Melbourne Australian King's Counsel Companions of the Order of Australia Australian Knights Bachelor Australian Officers of the Order of the British Empire People from Ballarat Melbourne Law School alumni Australian atheists Judges of the Commonwealth Industrial Court {{Australia-law-bio-stub