Kenneth Street (jurist)

The Honourable Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Kenneth Whistler Street KCMG, KStJ, QC
10th Chief Justice of New South Wales
In office 6 January 1950 – 27 January 1960
Appointed by	Elizabeth II
Preceded by	Sir Frederick Jordan
Succeeded by	Herbert Evatt
Lieutenant-Governor of New South Wales
In office 27 February 1950 – 22 April 1972
Preceded by	Sir Frederick Jordan
Succeeded by	Sir Leslie Herron
Personal details
Born	(1890-01-28)28 January 1890 Sydney, New South Wales
Died	15 February 1972(1972-02-15) (aged 82) Sydney, New South Wales
Nationality	Australia
Spouse(s)	Lady Jessie Street
Children	Sir Laurence Whistler Street
Father	Sir Philip Whistler Street
Relatives	Street family
Alma mater	Sydney Law School
Military service
Allegiance	Commonwealth of Australia
Service/branch	Australian Army
Rank	Lieutenant-Colonel
Battles/wars	World War I

Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Kenneth Whistler Street, KCMG, KStJ, QC (28 January 1890 – 15 February 1972) was the tenth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and Lieutenant-Governor of New South Wales. These vice-regal roles were held by his father Sir Philip Whistler Street before him and his son Commander Sir Laurence Whistler Street after him. His wife was the notorious suffragette and human rights activist, Lady "Red Jessie" Street.

A descendant of the English Baron of the Exchequer and Chief Justice Sir Thomas Street, he was the third generation of the Street family to engage in Australian politics, the first being John Street, successor of Sir Edmund Barton, Australia's first Prime Minister, in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of East Sydney.^[1][2]

Early years

He was born on 28 January 1890 at Woollahra, Sydney, the eldest son of Sir Philip Whistler Street, and his wife Belinda Maud, née Poolman, who came from Melbourne. He attended Sydney Grammar School and later entered Sydney Law School (B.A., 1911; LL.B., 1914), and won scholarships and prizes in law.^[3]

World War I began while he was visiting family in England.^[2] He was commissioned on 29 September 1914 in the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry and sent to France. His elder brother Lieutenant Lawrence Whistler Street, a fellow Sydney Law School student, enlisted before him and was sent to fight in the Battle of Gallipoli, where he died serving the Allied forces at age 21. Lawrence had volunteered for national service in August 1914, making him one of the earliest of his generation to do so.^[4] Sir Kenneth named his son Sir Laurence Whistler Street in his brother's honour.

Returning to Sydney, Street was appointed Lieutenant, 18th (North Sydney) Infantry Regiment, in December 1915. He served in the Adjutant General's Department, Army Headquarters, Melbourne, and was promoted temporary Captain in September 1917.^[4] Although he had been admitted to the New South Wales Bar Association on 12 March 1915, he did not practise until he ceased full-time military duties in December 1919.^[5]

Juridicial career

Between 1921 and 1927, Street lectured part time at Sydney Law School. Meanwhile, he continued his career in the Militia as a legal staff officer (1922–28) and rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.^[3] He was a considerable scholar in and beyond the law, being an authority on the writings of Pepys and an accomplished Latinist.^[6]

Street enjoyed a wide general practice and would have taken silk but for his appointment to serve on the reconstituted Industrial Commission of New South Wales from 16 December 1927. He was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court on 7 October 1931. He thus joined the bench of which his father was then Chief Justice, the first and only such case in Australian history.^[7]

In 1949, as senior puisne judge, Street acted as Chief Justice when Sir Frederick Jordan died. Confirmed in that office from 6 January 1950, he was sworn in on 7 February, thus becoming the second of three consecutive generations of the Street family to serve as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales.^[7]

Further details

In 1951, he was made a Knight of Grace of the Order of St John of Jerusalem. In 1956, he was made Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George, and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Sydney in 1952.^[7]

Farewelled in court in December 1959, he retired from the bench on his seventieth birthday, as did his father Sir Philip Whistler Street.^[8] Street House at Cranbrook School, Sydney was named in his honour.^[9]

Sir Kenneth died peacefully on 15 February 1972 and was buried with a state funeral at St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney.^[10]

Family

Members of the Street family have been prominent in law, politics, civil service, and the military, especially in Australia and in the state of New South Wales, since the 19th Century. An ancestor was Sir Thomas Street, Chief Justice for Brecknock, Glamorgan and Radnor in 1677, and Baron of the Exchequer in April 1681.

Street was married to Lady Jessie Mary Grey Street, a prominent human rights suffragette and human rights activist. They had four children including Commander Sir Laurence Street AC, KCMG, KStJ, QC, who also attained the position of Chief Justice. Sir Kenneth's daughter Philippa married the Australian Test cricketer and journalist Jack Fingleton OBE.^[6][11]

References

External links

• Kenneth Whistler Street at the Australian Dictionary of Biography