Henry Graham Alderman QC (1895 - 1962)

Born 24 Sep 1895 in Parkside, South Australia (Australia)

Husband of Mary Philomena (Farrelly) Alderman — married 29 Oct 1919 in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Died 15 Jun 1962 at age 66 in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

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Biography

Harry Alderman QC is Notable.

Sir Harry Alderman QC LLB was a noted Australia barrister who was an unofficial adviser to the wartime Commonwealth government. He served terms as president of both the Law Society of South Australia and the Law Council of Australia.

Harry Alderman QC was born in the Colony of South Australia (1836-1900)

Henry 'Harry' Graham Alderman was born on 24th September 1895 in Parkside, South Australia (Australia). He was the second son of Thomas Alderman, an English-born bootmaker, and Scottish-born Annie Graham. ^[1]

Harry was a Barrister

As early as when attending Christian Brothers College, in Wakefield Street, Adelaide, Harry inscribed his books as H. G. Alderman Q.C.. Encouraged in his ambition by his mother (his father passed in 1916), Harry entered the University of Adelaide and graduated with a Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree, was articled to Paris Nesbit and admitted to the Bar on 21st April 1917.

Harry married Mary Farrelly, a public servant, on 29th October 1919 in St Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Adelaide. ^[2] The couple had five children:

1. Colin Graham (1921-)
2. Mary Philomena (1922-)
3. Thomas Graham (1924-)
4. Judith (1927 ^[3] -)
5. son (c1930-)

By 1928 the firm of Alderman, Brazel, Clark & Ligertwood (now Piper Alderman) was established. Harry's clients included (Sir) Arthur Fadden, (Field Marshal Sir) Thomas Blamey and Rupert Murdoch. He took silk in 1943, becoming the fourth Catholic to do so in the State. He assisted the labour movement in South Australia and became the confidant of powerful people, among them Ben Chifley.

Following the initial Japanese attacks on Darwin, in 1942-43 Harry led a government inquiry into compensation claims made by those from the evacuated areas against the Department of the Army. He had strong links with the military, was an unofficial adviser to the wartime Commonwealth government and had been involved in negotiations to mend the breach between Blamey and (Sir) Sydney Rowell.

He was elected president of the Law Society of South Australia (1945-47) and president of the Law Council of Australia in 1950. An able barrister, he often appeared before the High Court of Australia. A generous friend, a loyal colleague and a meticulous counsel, he was also renowned as a legal draftsman and helped to frame South Australian statutes on matrimonial causes, religious education and compulsory third-party insurance.

On 2nd June 1962 he was created Knight Bachelor in recognition of his services to the legal profession. ^[4]

Aged 66 years, just thirteen days after being knighted, he passed away of bronchial cancer on 15th June 1962 in Adelaide and was buried in Mitcham General Cemetery. ^[5] He was survived by his wife, two daughters and three sons. His older brother, Thomas, passed just weeks later. ^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ South Australia Birth Index #571/61/1895; registered at Adelaide
2. ↑ South Australia Marriage Index #281/396/1919
3. ↑ South Australia Birth Index #194A/263/1927
4. ↑ Australian Honours: Knight Bachelor; accessed 15 Feb 2024
5. ↑ South Australia Death Index #940/3501/1962
6. ↑ South Australia Death Index #944/5607/1962

See also:

• Corkery, J F. 'Alderman, Sir Harry Graham (1895–1962)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1993; accessed online 15 Feb 2024.