Sir Gordon Wallace QC, born Gordon Isaacs (22 January 1900 – 11 December 1987) was an Australian judge.
Wallace was born at Redfern in Sydney to coachbuilder Jacob Albert Clarke Isaacs and Euphemia, ''née'' Wallace. He attended
Sydney Boys High School
, motto_translation = With Truth and Courage
, established =
, location = Cleveland Street, Moore Park, Sydney, New South Wales
, country = Australia
, coordinates =
, p ...
from 1912 to 1915, and in 1916 entered the
Royal Military College, Duntroon
lit: Learning promotes strength
, established =
, type = Military college
, chancellor =
, head_label = Commandant
, head = Brigadier Ana Duncan
, principal =
, city = Campbell
, state ...
, as a staff cadet. He graduated as a
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...
on 10 December 1919 and worked for the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...
before joining the Australian Staff Corps (1920–1922). After his resignation he served in the
Citizen Military Forces
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen ...
, becoming a major by 1929. He also studied law at the
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public university, public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one o ...
, receiving his
Bachelor of Law
Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Ch ...
in 1927. He married Marjorie Mary Mullins on 19 May 1927 at
Vaucluse
Vaucluse (; oc, Vauclusa, label=Provençal or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.Anglicanism from
congregationalism
Congregationalist polity, or congregational polity, often known as congregationalism, is a system of ecclesiastical polity in which every local church (congregation) is independent, ecclesiastically sovereign, or "autonomous". Its first articul ...
.
Isaacs was called to the bar on 10 May 1928 and changed his name by deed poll in 1933 in order to counter
anti-Semitism
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism.
Ant ...
, although he was never
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
. He was appointed
King'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 1940, and wrote on Australian company law with
Percy Spender
Sir Percy Claude Spender (5 October 18973 May 1985) was an Australian politician, diplomat, and judge. He served in the House of Representatives from 1937 to 1951, including as a cabinet minister under Robert Menzies and Arthur Fadden. He was ...
and later with John Young.
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
saw him resumed service with the Citizen Military Forces and from 1942 with the Australian Imperial Force. He commanded an anti-aircraft battery in Sydney from 1940 to 1942 and was briefly posted to
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...
and the
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Au ...
. He was transferred to the reserve of officers as an honorary
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...
in October 1944. In 1940 he had run as one of three
United Australia Party
The United Australia Party (UAP) was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. The party won four federal elections in that time, usually governing in coalition with the Country Party. It provided two pri ...
candidates for the federal seat of
Parramatta
Parramatta () is a suburb and major Central business district, commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney, located in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately west of the Sydney central business district on the ban ...
.
Wallace appeared frequently before the High Court and often represented the New South Wales commissioner of stamp duties before the
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) is the highest court of appeal for the Crown Dependencies, the British Overseas Territories, some Commonwealth countries and a few institutions in the United Kingdom. Established on 14 Augus ...
. From 1952 to 1953 he was a member of the Commonwealth committee on taxation and he appeared before the royal commission on liquor laws (1951–54) on behalf of Tooth & Co. From 1956 to 1958 he was president of the
New South Wales Bar Association
The New South Wales Bar Association is a professional body of lawyers responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The body administers the bar examination in accordance with the Legal Prof ...
and in 1957 suggested the idea for the
Australian Bar Association
The Australian Bar Association (ABA) is the peak body representing more than 6,000 barristers throughout Australia.
The ABA was established in 1963 to serve, promote and represent its members, and advocate for fair and equal justice for all. ...
, founded in 1962. He was vice-president of the
Law Council of Australia
The Law Council of Australia, founded in 1933, is an association of law societies and bar associations from the states and territories of Australia, and the peak body representing the legal profession in Australia. The Law Council represents ...
in 1957.
Wallace was appointed a judge of the
Supreme Court of New South Wales
The Supreme Court of New South Wales is the highest state court of the Australian State of New South Wales. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the state in civil matters, and hears the most serious criminal matters. Whilst the Supreme Court ...
in March 1960, and supported the creation of a Court of Appeal, becoming inaugural
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese f ...
in January 1966. He was knighted in 1968 and acting chief justice from 1 October 1968 to 3 February 1969; his swift rise in seniority earned him the ire of some colleagues. From 1960 to 1965 he was president of the
International Law Association
The International Law Association (ILA) is a non-profit organisation based in Great Britain that — according to its constitution — promotes "the study, clarification and development of international law" and "the furtherance of international ...
's Australian branch. He was also active in the community as president of the Australasian Pioneers' Club (1962–64), the University Club (1969–71) and the
Elanora Country Club Elanora may refer to:
* Elanora Heights, New South Wales - a suburb of Sydney
* Elanora, Queensland
Elanora is a suburb of the City of Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. In the , Elanora had a population of 12,145 people.
Geography
Elanora ...
. In January 1970, having reached the statuary retirement age, he was instead called upon to preside over the 1970–74 royal commission into oil drilling on the
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over over an area of approximately . The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, ...
. His wife died in 1980 and Wallace followed her at Wahroonga in 1987, survived by his daughter and son.