Stawell, William F.

Description

Agent TypePersonActivities & OccupationsLawyersChancellorsHistorySir William Forster Stawell was born on 27 June 1815 in Ireland. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, with honours in classics, and read law at King's Inns, Dublin and Lincoln's Inn, London. He was called to the Bar in England and Ireland in 1839. After practising in Dublin, he decided to migrate in 1842. Boarding the Sarah, bound for Port Phillip, he arrived on the Ist December 1842, and after initially engaging in squatting, he was admitted to the Port Phillip District Bar in early 1843. He built a considerable practice in both civil and criminal cases. He was an advocate of the separation from New South Wales and when Victoria became separate in 1851 Lieut-Govenor La Trobe nominated him a Crown member in the first Victorian Legislative Council and attorney-general. There he did much work setting up the machinery of government in the new colony. In 1859 he became Chief Justice and consequently played an important part in extablishing the Supreme Court. In 1873 he returned to England and Ireland where his sons were educated. He was warmly received and Trinity College conferred on him honorary M.A. and LL.D. degrees. In 1874 he was recalled to Victoria to become acting governor the following year. He was Chancellor of Melbourne University 1881-1882 and was created K.C.M.G in September 1886. He died on 12 March 1889 at Naples.

Accession

[2004.0040] Papers of William Foster Stawell

Names

Given NameWilliamMiddle NameFosterFamily NameStawell

Professional Relationships

PositionsChancellor, University of Melbourne

University of Melbourne Archives

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Stawell, William F.