Ronald Wilson
Encyclopedia
Sir Ronald Darling Wilson, AC, KBE, CMG, QC
(23 August 192215 July 2005) was a distinguished Australia
n lawyer, judge and social activist serving on the High Court of Australia
between 1979 and 1989 and as the President of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
between 1990 and 1997.
Wilson is probably best known as the author with Mick Dodson of the Bringing Them Home
report into the Stolen Generation
published in 1997 which led to the creation of a "National Sorry Day
" and a walk for Reconciliation across the Sydney Harbour Bridge
in 2000 with 400,000 people participating {how was this count made?}. Wilson was also one of three judges sitting on the WA Inc Royal Commission
in the early 1990s which eventually led to former Premier Brian Burke
being jailed in March 1997.
, in Western Australia
on 23 August 1922. His early life was marked by sorrow and hardship. When he was four years old his mother died. At the age of seven his father suffered a stroke and spent the next five years in a hospice 300 miles from home. His older brother became a father figure to him and for years the family faced financial struggles. At the age of 14, these pressures forced Sir Ronald to leave school and he took his first job as a messenger with the Geraldton Local Court.
In World War II
, Wilson elected to join the Royal Australian Air Force
where he flew a Spitfire
in defence of Britain.
finishing with a law degree in 1949. He later completed a Master of Laws degree at the University of Pennsylvania
in 1957, as a Fulbright scholar.
Wilson was chancellor of Murdoch University
between 1980 and 1995. The "Ronald Wilson Prize in Law" was first awarded at that university in 1993. It is awarded to the graduate who best combines distinguished academic performance in Law units with qualities of character, leadership and all-round contribution to the life of the university.
and solicitor
in 1951. He had a rapid rise in his legal career, becoming Crown Prosecutor
for Western Australia in 1959, only eight years after starting work as a lawyer. In 1963, he was admitted as a
Queen's Counsel
, the youngest ever in WA. As a prosecutor, Wilson earned the nickname of the "Avenging Angel".
In recent years, two men he had prosecuted for murder have had their convictions overturned: John Button
, who was convicted in 1963 of the manslaughter of his girlfriend Rosemary Anderson and Darryl Beamish
, convicted of the 1959 murder of Jillian Brewer. Perth serial killer, Eric Edgar Cooke
, confessed to both offences before he was hanged for other murders, but was not believed by authorities. The convictions were eventually overturned in 2002.
In 1969, Wilson became the Solicitor-General of Western Australia. He served in that position for ten years working under both ALP and Liberal governments.
Government appointed Wilson to the High Court of Australia
. He was the first member of the High Court from Western Australia. Wilson adopted a federalist position on the court.
In the Koowarta v Bjelke-Petersen
case decided in 1982, Wilson was in the minority in holding that the external affairs power in the Australian constitution applied only to relationships outside Australia. The majority of the High Court found that the treaty need only apply to issues of clear international concern. The majority held the Federal Parliament had the power to pass the Racial Discrimination Act 1975
as a result of Australia being a signatory to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
.
In Commonwealth v Tasmania
decided in 1983, the external affairs power was again the central issue. The new Hawke
Government had used the external affairs power as the basis for passing legislation preventing the Tasmanian Government from building a hydro-electric dam on the Franklin River
. Wilson considered that the external affairs power did not give the Federal Parliament authority to pass such legislation as it could obtain power to pass any form of legislation it wished by simply entering into a treaty with another power. Chief Justice Harry Gibbs
and Daryl Dawson
were the other judges joining Wilson in the dissenting judgement.
Wilson retired from the High Court in 1989.
in 1990.
Wilson and Mick Dodson
, the Aboriginal Social Justice Commissioner, jointly lead the National Inquiry into the forced removal of Aboriginal children from their families and communities.
Wilson and Dodson visited every state in Australia over the 17-month duration of the Inquiry and heard testimony from 535 aboriginals with 600 more making submissions. Wilson wrote after the completion of the report: "In chairing the National Inquiry (...) I had to relate to hundreds of stories of personal devastation, pain and loss. It was a life-changing experience."
The Inquiry produced a report called Bringing Them Home: Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families which was tabled in Federal Parliament. It found that Australia was in breach of international law, called for a national compensation fund and recommended a national "sorry day."
The report was welcomed by Aboriginal Australians but widely criticised by conservatives. Anthropologist Ron Brunton
said the claims of genocide were an "embellishment." Prime Minister John Howard
refused to issue an apology instead stating his regret. The Parliaments of NSW, Victoria and South Australia have passed motions apologising for the treatment as has the Northern Territory parliament. The first National Sorry Day
was held in 1998 and attracted widespread participation while in 2000, 400,000 people {who counted this crowd?} walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge
in support of reconciliation.
Carmen Lawrence
appointed Wilson as one of the three eminent jurists conducting the WA Inc
Royal Commission. The Royal Commission was chaired by Geoffrey Kennedy and the third member was Peter Brinsden
. In its 1992 report, the Royal Commission said "The commission has found conduct and practices on the part of certain persons involved in government in the period 1983 to 1989 such as to place our government system at risk." It was particularly critical of the behaviour of former Premier Brian Burke
who was subsequently convicted for two years on charges of fraudulent behavior in 1994.
and then the Uniting Church, formed after the union of many congregations of the Presbyterian Church of Australia, Methodist Church of Australasia
and Congregational Union of Australia
into one denomination
. He held a range of senior positions in the Church including:
Wilson was the first layperson to be the President of the Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia. He was particularly concerned with encouraging the broad Australian community to gain an understanding of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
history.
In retirement, he travelled widely to Aboriginal and church events, and was an active member of a refugee
education scheme near his home.
(CMG) for services to the community.
In 1979 he was made Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
(KBE) for services to the law. In 1988 Sir Ronald was made Companion in the General Division of the Order of Australia
(AC) for services to the law.
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(23 August 192215 July 2005) was a distinguished Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n lawyer, judge and social activist serving on the High Court of Australia
High Court of Australia
The High Court of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the States, and...
between 1979 and 1989 and as the President of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
The Australian Human Rights Commission is a national human rights institution, a statutory body funded by, but operating independently of, the Australian Government. It has the responsibility for investigating alleged infringements under Australia’s anti-discrimination legislation...
between 1990 and 1997.
Wilson is probably best known as the author with Mick Dodson of the Bringing Them Home
Bringing Them Home
Bringing Them Home is the title of the Australian "Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families"...
report into the Stolen Generation
Stolen Generation
The Stolen Generations were the children of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who were removed from their families by the Australian Federal and State government agencies and church missions, under acts of their respective parliaments...
published in 1997 which led to the creation of a "National Sorry Day
National Sorry Day
The National Sorry Day is an Australian event, held each year on 26 May since 1998, to express regret over the historical mistreatment of Aboriginal peoples. The day was chosen in commemoration of the Bringing Them Home report being handed to the federal government on 26 May 1997. It is not an...
" and a walk for Reconciliation across the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
in 2000 with 400,000 people participating {how was this count made?}. Wilson was also one of three judges sitting on the WA Inc Royal Commission
WA Inc
WA Inc was a political scandal in Western Australia. In the 1980s, the state government, which was led for much of the period by premier Brian Burke, engaged in business dealings with several prominent businessmen, including Alan Bond, Laurie Connell and Warren Anderson...
in the early 1990s which eventually led to former Premier Brian Burke
Brian Burke
Brian Thomas Burke was Labor premier of Western Australia from 25 February 1983 until his resignation on 25 February 1988...
being jailed in March 1997.
Early life
Wilson was born in GeraldtonGeraldton, Western Australia
Geraldton is a city and port in Western Australia located north of Perth in the Mid West region. Geraldton has an estimated population at June 2010 of 36,958...
, in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
on 23 August 1922. His early life was marked by sorrow and hardship. When he was four years old his mother died. At the age of seven his father suffered a stroke and spent the next five years in a hospice 300 miles from home. His older brother became a father figure to him and for years the family faced financial struggles. At the age of 14, these pressures forced Sir Ronald to leave school and he took his first job as a messenger with the Geraldton Local Court.
In World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Wilson elected to join the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
where he flew a Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
in defence of Britain.
Education
After World War II, Wilson enrolled in the University of Western AustraliaUniversity of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
finishing with a law degree in 1949. He later completed a Master of Laws degree at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in 1957, as a Fulbright scholar.
Wilson was chancellor of Murdoch University
Murdoch University
Murdoch University is a public university based in Perth, Australia. It began operations as the state's second university in 1973, and accepted its first students in 1975...
between 1980 and 1995. The "Ronald Wilson Prize in Law" was first awarded at that university in 1993. It is awarded to the graduate who best combines distinguished academic performance in Law units with qualities of character, leadership and all-round contribution to the life of the university.
Early legal career
Wilson was admitted as a barristerBarrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
in 1951. He had a rapid rise in his legal career, becoming Crown Prosecutor
Crown Prosecutor
Crown Prosecutors are the public prosecutors in the legal system of Australia.Crown Prosecutors represent the Crown in right of the Commonwealth and in right of each State or Territory in criminal proceedings. Crown Prosecutors are appointed not elected and not public servants; they are private...
for Western Australia in 1959, only eight years after starting work as a lawyer. In 1963, he was admitted as a
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
, the youngest ever in WA. As a prosecutor, Wilson earned the nickname of the "Avenging Angel".
In recent years, two men he had prosecuted for murder have had their convictions overturned: John Button
John Button (campaigner)
John Button, born in Liverpool, England on 9 February 1944, is a Western Australian who was the victim of a significant miscarriage of justice.-Conviction:...
, who was convicted in 1963 of the manslaughter of his girlfriend Rosemary Anderson and Darryl Beamish
Darryl Beamish
Darryl Beamish is a Western Australian who was wrongfully convicted of willful murder in 1961 and sentenced to hang. The death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment and he served 15 years....
, convicted of the 1959 murder of Jillian Brewer. Perth serial killer, Eric Edgar Cooke
Eric Edgar Cooke
Eric Edgar Cooke nicknamed The Night Caller was an Australian serial killer. From 1959 to 1963, he terrorised the city of Perth, Western Australia, by committing 22 violent crimes, eight of which resulted in deaths....
, confessed to both offences before he was hanged for other murders, but was not believed by authorities. The convictions were eventually overturned in 2002.
In 1969, Wilson became the Solicitor-General of Western Australia. He served in that position for ten years working under both ALP and Liberal governments.
High Court Justice 1979-1989
The FraserMalcolm Fraser
John Malcolm Fraser AC, CH, GCL, PC is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia. He came to power in the 1975 election following the dismissal of the Whitlam Labor government, in which he played a key role...
Government appointed Wilson to the High Court of Australia
High Court of Australia
The High Court of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the States, and...
. He was the first member of the High Court from Western Australia. Wilson adopted a federalist position on the court.
In the Koowarta v Bjelke-Petersen
Koowarta v Bjelke-Petersen
Koowarta v Bjelke-Petersen was a significant court case decided in the High Court of Australia on 11 May 1982. It concerned the constitutional validity of parts of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, and the discriminatory acts of the Government of Queensland in blocking the purchase of land by...
case decided in 1982, Wilson was in the minority in holding that the external affairs power in the Australian constitution applied only to relationships outside Australia. The majority of the High Court found that the treaty need only apply to issues of clear international concern. The majority held the Federal Parliament had the power to pass the Racial Discrimination Act 1975
Racial Discrimination Act 1975
The Racial Discrimination Act 1975 is a statute passed by the Australian Parliament during the Prime Ministership of Labor Gough Whitlam....
as a result of Australia being a signatory to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination is a United Nations convention. A second-generation human rights instrument, the Convention commits its members to the elimination of racial discrimination and the promotion of understanding among all races...
.
In Commonwealth v Tasmania
Commonwealth v Tasmania
Commonwealth v Tasmania 158 CLR 1, was a significant Australian court case, decided in the High Court of Australia on 1 July 1983. The case was a landmark decision in Australian constitutional law, and was a significant moment in the history of conservation in Australia...
decided in 1983, the external affairs power was again the central issue. The new Hawke
Bob Hawke
Robert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
Government had used the external affairs power as the basis for passing legislation preventing the Tasmanian Government from building a hydro-electric dam on the Franklin River
Franklin River
The Franklin River lies in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park at the mid northern area of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Its source is situated at the western edge of the Central Highlands and it continues west towards the West Coast of Tasmania...
. Wilson considered that the external affairs power did not give the Federal Parliament authority to pass such legislation as it could obtain power to pass any form of legislation it wished by simply entering into a treaty with another power. Chief Justice Harry Gibbs
Harry Gibbs
Sir Harry Talbot Gibbs, GCMG, AC, KBE, QC was Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia from 1981 to 1987 after serving as a member of the High Court between 1970 and 1981...
and Daryl Dawson
Daryl Dawson
Sir Daryl Michael Dawson, AC, KBE, CB Australian judge and naval officer, was a Justice of the High Court of Australia from 1982 to 1997.-Education:...
were the other judges joining Wilson in the dissenting judgement.
Wilson retired from the High Court in 1989.
Commissioner 1990-1997
The Hawke Government appointed Wilson as the President of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity CommissionHuman Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
The Australian Human Rights Commission is a national human rights institution, a statutory body funded by, but operating independently of, the Australian Government. It has the responsibility for investigating alleged infringements under Australia’s anti-discrimination legislation...
in 1990.
Wilson and Mick Dodson
Mick Dodson
Professor Michael James "Mick" Dodson, AM is an indigenous Australian leader, a member of the Yawuru peoples in the Broome area of the southern Kimberley region of Western Australia. His brother is Patrick Dodson, also a noted Aboriginal leader.Following his parents' death, he boarded at Monivae...
, the Aboriginal Social Justice Commissioner, jointly lead the National Inquiry into the forced removal of Aboriginal children from their families and communities.
Wilson and Dodson visited every state in Australia over the 17-month duration of the Inquiry and heard testimony from 535 aboriginals with 600 more making submissions. Wilson wrote after the completion of the report: "In chairing the National Inquiry (...) I had to relate to hundreds of stories of personal devastation, pain and loss. It was a life-changing experience."
The Inquiry produced a report called Bringing Them Home: Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families which was tabled in Federal Parliament. It found that Australia was in breach of international law, called for a national compensation fund and recommended a national "sorry day."
The report was welcomed by Aboriginal Australians but widely criticised by conservatives. Anthropologist Ron Brunton
Ron Brunton
Dr Ron Brunton is an Australian anthropologist. He is currently the Director of Encompass Research Pty Ltd and was a Director of the Board of the public broadcaster, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for a five year term from 1 May 2003....
said the claims of genocide were an "embellishment." Prime Minister John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
refused to issue an apology instead stating his regret. The Parliaments of NSW, Victoria and South Australia have passed motions apologising for the treatment as has the Northern Territory parliament. The first National Sorry Day
National Sorry Day
The National Sorry Day is an Australian event, held each year on 26 May since 1998, to express regret over the historical mistreatment of Aboriginal peoples. The day was chosen in commemoration of the Bringing Them Home report being handed to the federal government on 26 May 1997. It is not an...
was held in 1998 and attracted widespread participation while in 2000, 400,000 people {who counted this crowd?} walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
in support of reconciliation.
Carmen Lawrence
Carmen Lawrence
Carmen Mary Lawrence is a retired Australian politician; a former Premier of Western Australia and the first woman to become Premier of a State of the Commonwealth of Australia....
appointed Wilson as one of the three eminent jurists conducting the WA Inc
WA Inc
WA Inc was a political scandal in Western Australia. In the 1980s, the state government, which was led for much of the period by premier Brian Burke, engaged in business dealings with several prominent businessmen, including Alan Bond, Laurie Connell and Warren Anderson...
Royal Commission. The Royal Commission was chaired by Geoffrey Kennedy and the third member was Peter Brinsden
Peter Brinsden
Dr. Peter Robert Brinsden MBBS, MRCS, LRCP, FRCOG is known for the treatment of infertility in couples. From 1989 to 2006 he was the Medical Director of Bourn Hall Clinic in the UK, a leading centre for the treatment of fertility problems, and where about 6,000 babies have been conceived using IVF...
. In its 1992 report, the Royal Commission said "The commission has found conduct and practices on the part of certain persons involved in government in the period 1983 to 1989 such as to place our government system at risk." It was particularly critical of the behaviour of former Premier Brian Burke
Brian Burke
Brian Thomas Burke was Labor premier of Western Australia from 25 February 1983 until his resignation on 25 February 1988...
who was subsequently convicted for two years on charges of fraudulent behavior in 1994.
Church and social leadership
Throughout his life, Wilson was an active participant in first the Presbyterian Church of AustraliaPresbyterian Church of Australia
The Presbyterian Church of Australia is the largest Presbyterian denomination in Australia. .-Beginnings:...
and then the Uniting Church, formed after the union of many congregations of the Presbyterian Church of Australia, Methodist Church of Australasia
Methodist Church of Australasia
The Methodist Church of Australasia was a Methodist denomination based in Australia.It ceased to exist in 1977 when most of its congregations joined with the many congregations of the Congregational Union of Australia and the Presbyterian Church of Australia to form the Uniting Church in...
and Congregational Union of Australia
Congregational Union of Australia
The Congregational Union of Australia was a Congregational denomination in Australia.Two hundred and sixty of its congregations joined the Uniting Church in Australia, which was formed in 1977 by the union of congregations of the Congregational Union, Methodist Church of Australasia, and...
into one denomination
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
. He held a range of senior positions in the Church including:
- Moderator of AssemblyModerator of the General AssemblyThe Moderator of the General Assembly is the chairperson of a General Assembly, the highest court of a presbyterian or reformed church. Kirk Sessions and Presbyteries may also style the chairperson as moderator....
, Presbyterian Church in Western Australia (1965) - Moderator, WA Synod, Uniting Church in AustraliaUniting Church in AustraliaThe Uniting Church in Australia was formed on 22 June 1977 when many congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, the Presbyterian Church of Australia and the Congregational Union of Australia came together under the Basis of Union....
(1977-1979) - President of the Assembly, Uniting Church in Australia (1988-1991)
- Deputy Chairperson of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (1991-1994)
- President, Australian Chapter, World Conference on Religion and Peace (1991-1996)
Wilson was the first layperson to be the President of the Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia. He was particularly concerned with encouraging the broad Australian community to gain an understanding of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
history.
In retirement, he travelled widely to Aboriginal and church events, and was an active member of a refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
education scheme near his home.
Honours
Throughout his life, Wilson was honored for his contribution to Australian society. In 1978 he was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St GeorgeOrder of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(CMG) for services to the community.
In 1979 he was made Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(KBE) for services to the law. In 1988 Sir Ronald was made Companion in the General Division of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(AC) for services to the law.
Family
Sir Ronald married Leila Smith in April 1950. They had five children and nine grandchildren.Reports
- National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families, Bringing Them Home: Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders from their Families, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Sydney 1997 ISBN 0-642-26954-8
- Royal Commission into Commercial Activities of Government and Other Matters, Report of the Royal Commission into Commercial Activities of Government and Other Matters WA Government Printer Perth Western Australia 1992 2 volumes commonly known as the W.A. Inc Royal Commission
Online references
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) report on death
- Biographical synopsis on High Court page
- Tributes to Wilson after his death published by the ABC on 17 June 2005
- Alan Ramsey article in the Sydney Morning Herald on Wilson's role in WA Inc Royal Commission
- AAP Report on Wilson's funeral published in Sydney Morning Herald 22 July 2005
- Opinion piece by Christopher Pearson critical of Wilson's performance in the Bringing Them Home report The Australian retrieved on 23 July 2005
- Obituary of Wilson published in the Australian on 18 July 2005
Written references
- Crown Content Pty Ltd Who's Who in Australia 2005 North Melbourne 2005 page 1999
- See the written reports cited above.
- Estelle Blackburn, Broken Lives Hardie Grant South Yarra 2001 ISBN 1-876719-79-6 has details of the Beamish and Button cases.
- Peter Brett, The Beamish Case Melbourne University Press 1966 outlines his concerns about the Beamish case
- H. P. Lee and George Winterton, Australian Constitutional Landmarks Cambridge University Press 2003 ISBN 0-521-83158-X pages 269, 270