Charles Walter Michael Court AK KCMG (1911 - 2007)

Born 29 Sep 1911 in Crawley, Sussex, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Rita (Steffanoni) Court — married 3 Jun 1936 in Western Australia, Australia

Died 22 Dec 2007 at age 96 in Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia

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Biography

Charles Court AK KCMG was born in Crawley, Sussex, England.

Charles Court AK KCMG is Notable.

Charles Court AK KCMG migrated from England to Western Australia.

Sir Charles Walter Michael Court AK KCMG OBE was an Australian soldier during the Second World War and a Western Australian politician. He was the 21st Premier of Western Australia from 1974 to 1982.

Charles Walter Michael Court was born on 29th September 1911 at Crawley, Sussex, England. He was a son of Walter Court and Rose Rice.^[1]

Rose, Walter, and their six month-old son, Charles Court left for Belgium early in 1912 to board the ship Cassel for the voyage to Australia. The ship’s register states that 138 male passengers and 2 females arrived in Fremantle on May 1, 1912. ^[2] Charles went to primary school in Leederville, and then to Perth Boys School. While working as a newspaper delivery boy he studied accounting at night school, eventually qualifying as an accountant. He went into his own practice in 1933.

Charles married Rita Steffanoni on 3rd June 1936 in Western Australia. They had five sons:

• Victor Court (1938-)
• Barrymore "Barry" Court (1941-) married Margaret Smith, the tennis player
• Kenneth Court (1943-)
• Richard Court (1947-) like dad, became premier of Western Australia
• Geoffrey Court (1949-)

military career

Charles Court AK KCMG is a Military Veteran.
Served in the 2nd Australian Imperial Force 1940-1945

Charles Court enlisted in the Australian Military Force (AMF) in September 1940. He was soon given a commission and sent to the officers' training school in Geelong. In January 1942 he transferred to the Second Australian Imperial Force (2AIF), where he was posted to the 1st Armoured Division and was promoted to Captain.^[3] He was redeployed to the Northern Territory in 1943 for a brief period. In early 1945 he was posted to New Guinea on promotion to Major, and later received an acting promotion to Lieutenant Colonel. Most of his service was on Bougainville Island with the 2nd Australian Army Corps. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his 'highly meritorious service on Treasury and Emirau Islands' between April and September 1945, in maintaining and co-ordinating communication and supply lines.^[4] He was demobilised from the 2AIF on 3rd January 1946.

political career

Charles Charles held the seat of Nedlands for 29 years and was Premier of Western Australia

Court stood in 1953 as one of two co-endorsed Liberal candidates in the Perth metropolitan seat of Nedlands. After distribution of preferences, he received 54% of the valid votes. He would hold this seat for just over 29 years. He became a member of the opposition until the election of a Liberal government in 1959. Sir David Brand's twelve-year government was defeated at the 1971 election. In May 1972, Brand retired as opposition leader for health reasons and was replaced by Court. In 1974, the Liberal-Country Party coalition defeated John Tonkin's Labor government and Court became premier. His subsequent eight-year term as premier strongly promoted iron-ore mining in the Pilbara region and gas exploration and development on the North West Shelf. Court was also renowned for being a staunch defender of states' rights against encroaching federal government powers, and also for his support of the Australian flag and the Australian Monarchy. As Premier, Court demonstrated a commitment to arts and culture in Western Australia, overseeing the inauguration of Murdoch University, the restoration of His Majesty's Theatre and the opening of the Art Gallery of Western Australia in 1979 as part of the new Perth Cultural Centre. He resigned from parliament in 1982. A few months later, his son Richard succeeded him as the member for Nedlands. The younger Court would become premier himself, from 1993 to 2001.

Court was created Knight Bachelor in 1972,^[5] Knight of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1979,^[6] and a Knight of the Order of Australia (AK) in 1982.^[7] He received a Centenary Medal in 2001.^[8]

retirement

In 1996, Charles married a second time, to his former nurse, Judy.

He passed away, aged 96 years, on 22nd December 2007 at his home at Nedlands, Western Australia.

Sources

1. ↑ UK FreeBMD Birth Index Dec qtr 1911, vol 2b, page 513; registered at Horsham, Sussex
2. ↑ 1912 'SHIPPING.', The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), 2 May, p. 4. , viewed 01 Sep 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23871277
3. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: WX11125 Charles Walter Michael Court; accessed 16 Mar 2019
4. ↑ Australian Honours: WX11125 Charles Walter Michael Court OBE; accessed 16 Mar 2019
5. ↑ Australian Honours: Charles Walter Michael Court, Knight Bachelor; accessed 16 Mar 2019
6. ↑ Australian Honours: Charles Walter Michael Court KCMG; accessed 16 Mar 2019
7. ↑ Australian Honours: Charles Walter Michael Court AK; accessed 16 Mar 2019
8. ↑ Australian Honours: Charles Walter Michael Court, Centenary Medal; accessed 16 Mar 2019

• Wikipedia: Charles Court.