Obituaries Australia

Charles Heydon, n.d.

State Library of New South Wales, Pic.Acc.1202

Mr. Justice Charles Gilbert Heydon, formerly President of the Board of Trade, died at his home, Greenknowe-Avenue, Potts Point, last night, in his 87th year. Death supervened upon a sudden attack of pneumonia.

Mr Justice Heydon was born in Sydney on August 25, 1845 and was the second son of Jabez King Heydon who arrived in Australia from England in 1838. He received his education at St Marys School, Sydney, and at the Rev Thos Aitkens college, Ryde. In 1860 he entered the service of the Commercial Banking Company as a clerk. While in this position he studied law and was called to the Bar in September 1875. He took silk as a Queen's Counsel in 1896.

On several occasions whilst at the Bar Mr Justice Heydon acted as a Supreme Court Judge. He was appointed to the Legislative Council in 1893, when he succeeded Sir Edmund Barton as Attorney-General in the Dibbs Government. He remained a member of the Council until March 1900 when he was appointed a Judge of the District Court. In July 1905, he was appointed President of the Arbitration Court, and in April, 1908, sole Judge of the Industrial Court.

Mr Justice Heydon was the first man in Australia to state the principle of a living wage, which was later carried into effect by Mr Justice Higgins, in the Federal Court, in the Harvester judgment. Mr Justice Heydon retired from the Industrial Bench at the end of 1918, under the Judges Age Limit Act, passed in that year.

For some time Mr Justice Heydon was President of the Board of Trade. He was a Fellow of St John's University College.

After a service at St Mary's Cathedral tomorrow morning, the funeral will leave for the Field of Mars Cemetery.