Lawrence Walter Jackson KCMG LLD (1913 - 1993)

Born 27 Sep 1913 in Dulwich, South Australia, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Donaldson) Jackson — married 30 Dec 1937 in Mosman, New South Wales, Australia

Died 5 Jun 1993 at age 79 in Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia

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Biography

Lawrence Jackson KCMG LLD is Notable.

Sir Lawrence Jackson KCMG LLD was an Australian solicitor, barrister, judge, soldier and university chancellor. He was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Western Australia for eight years from 1969 until 1977.

Lawrence Jackson KCMG LLD was born in South Australia, Australia

Lawrence Walter Jackson was born on 27th September 1913 in Dulwich, South Australia, Australia. He was the older son of Lawrence Stanley Jackson and Hazel Powell. ^[1] According to his father's public service appointments, the family moved to Sydney in 1920, Melbourne in 1925, back to Sydney in 1929, and Canberra from 1936. His father was Australian Taxation Commissioner from 1939 to 1946.

Lawrence junior attended the famous Fort Street Boys' High School in Sydney's southern suburbs.

Having entered the University of Sydney, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1934 and Bachelor of law (LLB) three years later.

Lawrence was a Solicitor, Barrister and Judge

He was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 1937. No sooner behind his desk, than an invitation arrived from an uncle, Horace Jackson, one of his father's older brothers who had moved to Western Australia in the goldrush era and later established a law firm. Horace had a vacancy for 'a young man willing to work'. Without hesitation, Lawrence set off across the vast country and was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Western Australia on 16th December 1937.

Two weeks later, upon his return to Sydney, Lawrence married Mary Donaldson, who he had met at a university ball and subsequently courted, on 30th December in the Congregational Church, Mosman. ^[2] The young couple left for Perth by sea the following day. They made their home at Forrest Street, Peppermint Grove.

Lawrence Jackson KCMG LLD is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Second Australian Imperial Force 1942-1944
Royal Australian Artillery

Following the fall of Singapore and the rapid advance of Japanese forces towards Australia, Lawrence was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Second Australian Imperial Force on 25th July 1942 at Fremantle, Western Australia. Allocated to the Royal Australian Artillery, he served with the battery of guns at Leighton, overlooking the approaches to Fremantle Harbour. With the primary threat of invasion to Australia now over, he resigned his commission on 1st August 1944 and returned to the law firm. ^[3]

Lawrence was appointed a judge in the Western Australia Supreme Court in 1949 and became Chief Justice of Western Australia in 1969.

In the New Year Honours 1964 Lawrence was created Knight Bachelor for his 'service as Senior Puisne Judge in Western Australia'. ^[4] He was created Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the New Year Honours 1970 for his 'service as Chief Justice of Western Australia'. ^[5]

He retired on 28th June 1977, continuing to serve he continued to serve as Chancellor of the University of Western Australia until 1981. On 20th April 1982, Professor Robert Street, the Vice Chancellor, conferred upon Lawrence the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD). Lawrence and Mary moved into smaller premises at Cliff Way, Claremont, and later to a retirement village in Mt Claremont.

Aged 79 years, Lawrence passed away on 5th June 1993 in a nursing home in Subiaco, Western Australia. He was survived by Mary, and their son, Lawrence Alton, and two daughters, Helen and Diana.

His son was a judge in the District Court of Western Australia from July 1992 until his retirement in February 2004.

Sources

1. ↑ South Australia Birth Index #919/499 1913; registered at Norwood
2. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #3183/1938
3. ↑ Department of Veterans' Affairs nominal roll: WX30457 Lieutenant Lawrence Walter Jackson; accessed 15 Nov 2023
4. ↑ Australian Honours: Knight Bachelor; accessed 15 Nov 2023
5. ↑ Australian Honours: KCMG; accessed 15 Nov 2023

See also

• [https://adb.anu.edu.au/lifesummary/jackson-sir-lawrence-walter-17852

Australian Dictionary of Biography life summary; accessed 15 Nov 2023].

• Castles, Ian. 'Jackson, Lawrence Stanley (1884–1974)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1996; accessed online 15 Nov 2023.
• Hasluck, Nicholas. 'Sir Lawrence Walter Jackson'; accessed 15 Nov 2023.
• Wikipedia: Lawrence Jackson; accessed 15 Nov 2023.