John Patrick Dwyer KCMG (1879 - 1966)

Born 24 Jun 1879 in Aberfeldy, Victoria (Australia)

Ancestors

Husband of Emily Louise (Munro) Dwyer — married 28 Dec 1908 in Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia

Died 25 Aug 1966 at age 87 in Shenton Park, Western Australia, Australia

Biography

Jack Dwyer KCMG is Notable.

Jack Dwyer KCMG is an Anzac who served in World War One.

Sir John 'Jack' Dwyer KCMG was an Australian soldier, barrister and judge who became Chief Justice and Lieutenant Governor of the State of Western Australia from 1945 to 1959.

Jack Dwyer KCMG was born in the Colony of Victoria (1851-1900)

John 'Jack' Patrick Dwyer was born on 24th June 1879 in the gold mining settlement of Aberfeldy, Victoria (Australia). He was the firstborn child of Thomas Dwyer, an Irish-born butcher, and Melbourne-born Elizabeth Donaldson. ^[1] His mother passed away in 1884 and his father a year later. Jack and his two younger siblings subsequently went to live with their maternal grandparents, David and Annie Donaldson, in nearby Morwell. Their grandfather passed away just a year later. Jack was educated at Geelong College.

Jack was a Barrister and Judge

In 1897 Jack commenced an articled clerks' course at the University of Melbourne. He was called to the Victorian Bar in 1902, but relocated to Western Australia in 1904 following an offer of employment with Fremantle barrister Matthew Moss. He was admitted to the Western Australian Bar in the same year. His grandmother, the only constant in his life until then, passed away in Melbourne in 1906.

Jack married Tasmanian-born Emily Munro (also known by her step-father's name of Irgens) on 28th December 1908 in St John's Church of England (now Anglican Church), Fremantle. ^[2] The couple had no children.

After a brief period with Albany law firm Hayes and Robinson, Jack returned to Fremantle as junior partner to Moss in 1911.

Jack Dwyer KCMG is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Australian Imperial Force 1916-1919
44th Infantry Battalion

On 9th March 1916 Jack enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, his young nation's all-volunteer expeditionary force for the (First World) War. ^[3] He was commissioned as a Lieutenant on 16th May 1917. He embarked for Europe with reinforcement officers fresh from the Royal Military College, Duntroon, aboard SS Ormonde on 13th March 1918 at Fremantle. ^[4] Arriving in France in July – four months before Armistice Day – he served with the 44th Battalion during the closing stages of the German counter-offensive and in the immediate aftermath of the war itself. He embarked for his return to Australia on 1st June 1919 and, once home, was officially demobilised on 23rd July. ^[3] His service qualified for both the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

After the war Jack resumed his legal practice with Moss, as a senior partner.

In 1929 was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of Western Australia.

On 1st January 1946, Jack was appointed Chief Justice of Western Australia. In this role he also served as Lieutenant Governor of Western Australia. He was created Knight Bachelor that year in the King's Birthday Honours as Chief Justice. ^[5] He served as chairman of trustees of the public library, museum and art gallery from 1947 to 1954.

In 1949 Jack was created Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG). ^[6] Sadly, Emily passed away in 1950.

Jack retired from the Court on 28th February 1959 at the age of 79.

Aged 87 years, he passed away on 25th August 1966 at home in Shenton Park and, following a State funeral, was buried with his wife in Karrakatta Cemetery. ^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ Victoria Birth Index #6459/1879
2. ↑ Western Australia Marriage Index #2700181/1908
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Australian War Memorial nominal roll: Lieutenant John Patrick Dwyer; accessed 17 Dec 2023
4. ↑ Australian War Memorial embarkation roll: Second Lieutenant John Patrick Dwyer; accessed 17 Dec 2023
5. ↑ Australian Honours: Knight Bachelor; accessed 17 Dec 2023
6. ↑ [ Australian Honours: KCMG; accessed 17 Dec 2023]
7. ↑ Western Australia Death Index #102910/1966

See also

• Birman, Jeremy. 'Dwyer, Sir John Patrick (1879–1966)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1996; accessed online 17 Dec 2023.
• Wikipedia: John Dwyer; accessed 17 Dec 2023.